The OTB Lounge in Walkerhill Has Hit Its Stride
A new no-limit off track betting lounge run by the Korea Racing Association (KRA), was recently opened in the Sheraton Grand Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul, Korea and boy is it chic.
This lounge specifically caters to foreign customers and allows them to bet more than the maximum per race bet limits that are enforced at the race courses and at other existing OTBs. This is one of thirty-two OTBs that are operated around Korea in addition to the actual race courses in Seoul, Busan and Jeju. Not only is the lounge chic, but the hotel itself is beautiful so you could make a weekend of it, and have a grand ‘ole time… and maybe make a grand while you gamble.
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This past weekend, I along with some other cool expat bloggers were invited to a blogger open house of the new venue. This OTB lounge is pretty lush and set in the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill made it even more appealing. Have you ever been to a horse racing venue? I sure haven’t… so let’s see what it’s like.
Location & Facilities:
The location of the Sheraton Grand Walkerhill Hotel may seem a bit out of the way being located in Gwangjin-gu on the east side of the city past Jamsil, but it really isn’t as out of the way as looking at a map makes it appear. From Mapo-gu to the Sheraton I made it driving in around 30 minutes. The OTB lounge is located on B1 of the hotel and the OTB lounge itself has a bit of a retro ambiance with large leather chairs surrounding small tables on the main floor. The space is surrounded with televisions with all of the info any horse bettor could want. Visitors can also find VIP rooms which have been given touches of far-away lands. The rooms have been given city names as titles including: Dubai, Paris, Sydney, New York, Tokyo and London. Each VIP room has slight touches to evoke what one would expect from those cities and are outfitted with chairs and couches and each room has a desk with staff available to easily place bets. There’s more information about the hotel and its amenities further own in this post. Within the facility is also a café and cafeteria, a smoking room and restrooms so one could easily spend hours or an entire day with friends inside placing bets and enjoying the experience of horse racing. The facility is new and clean and really has all of the amenities one would look for in a facility of this type.
The Staff:
The staff on hand was superb. They speak multiple languages and for those first time bettors like myself just hoping to have a fun experience, the staff can provide a pamphlet with information and will even sit down for 5 to 10 minutes to provide one-on-one instruction and tips. For those bettors that already know the ropes, it’s easy enough to walk right in and get started. The staff helps everyone get registered and receive a badge that will get you in and out as needed. There is staff to walk you through and introduce the layout to you as well as helpful staff to take your bets and pay out the winnings.
Highlights & Distractions:
To preface my reflections, I am not a horse racing aficionado and therefore didn’t have too many expectations heading into the OTB lounge at Walkerhill. I found the lounge and staff to be superb and the facilities clean and taken care of. I appreciated the help and information they provided immensely, even though I only walked away with W1,000 in the end. The drawback for me personally is that this is a foreign only establishment and coming from a multicultural family, that means that my husband wouldn’t be able to attend with me. This is also not a family-friendly establishment, if your family members are under the age of 19.
That being said, this would be a great place to experience OTB with foreign friends in Korea. The Sheraton also has a pool and numerous high-end restaurants on the grounds so a whole day of fun in the sun, good food and betting could be had which make it an all around great experience.
This was my first experience with horse racing in Korea or anywhere, and the group that invited us, also invited us out to see the horse racing track south of Seoul. If you haven’t been, you can visit the Seoul Horse Racing Track and that is a bit more family friendly and was really quite the experience.
Now more about the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel which is perched atop Mt. Achasan in Gwangjin-gu in Seoul, Korea. We headed out to see what this five star hotel was all about. Our room was pristine and inviting and had all of the amenities that one would expect in a 5-star hotel.
Views from the room look up into the surrounding hills and mountains or look out upon the Han River. From the Korea Racing Associations new OTB horse racing lounge to the numerous restaurants, the sauna and the pool, it’s the perfect place for a layover, a staycation and more. There are even glamping tents on the grounds as well! Here are just SOME of what you should see when you visit the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel.
What to check out in the hotel:
Clock 16 Restaurant: The restaurant has been impeccably designed and is just begging to have its photo taken or be in the background of many photos. The curves of the wood paneling and the staircase centrally located give it a little retro vibe that I was digging. The walls are all massive windows giving any seat in the house a beautiful view. The 16 in the name is said to reference both the location on the 16th floor of the hotel as well as the best hour to come in and take a seat (4:00PM) to wine and dine as the sun sets.
The Buffet: The buffet restaurant on the second floor, previously FourSeasons, features a menu dedicated to healthy eating. Seasonal ingredients from around Korea are whipped into mouth-watering dishes. This restaurant is sure to please anyone and everyone headed there with an appetite.
What to check out on the grounds:
Pizza Hill: Pizza Hill is a famous restaurant that sits on the grounds of the hotel and has beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. The trees are huge and overhang covering the road up to the restaurant and in the evenings, tables and chairs are placed on the street leading up to the restaurant and an overhang is drawn to allow diners to literally eat beneath the trees. The food is said to be exquisite and paired with the vintage wines they have on hand, the experience right out of a Korean drama.
Aston House: This house is just one of a few houses and villas that are separate from the hotel. These houses are the most picturesque locations to host weddings and events, or if you’re like Paris Hilton, to just hang out in when you visit Seoul. The Aston House is a pretty lavish mansion deeper up into the forest of Mt. Achasan and this blogger group couldn’t get enough of the chic surroundings there.
Glamping In The City: While we didn’t get to see the glamping grounds, I want to head back to see what the Sheraton Walkerhill has cooked up for their patrons there. The teepee-esque abodes along with the five-star service that the Sheraton Walkerhill provides means you couldn’t possibly go wrong with some camping fun on Mt. Achasan. The glamping grounds include a garden, kiddie pool, trampoline and a gourmet barbecue.
Outdoor Swimming Pool: We were just a week too early for the swimming pool so we unfortunately didn’t get to partake in some water fun, but the photos of people enjoying the pool were enticing. The Riverpark Pool features a standard sized adult pool that overlooks the Han River. There are often concerts at the pool as well as a gourmet pool-side buffet. From the pool to the Jacuzzi and the ambience of the hotel, it sounds unbeatable and I for one sure hope to get invited back to try it out this summer.
This summer, check out the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill to get that vacation in the city. From impeccable service to good eats, a swimming pool and the horse races, it’s the perfect place for a weekend away.
Sheraton Grande Walkerhill
177, Walkerhill-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul
Directions:
By subway: Take the subway line 2 to Gangbyeon Station, where you can use a hotel shuttle bus OR Take the subway line 5 to Gwangnaru Station,
where you can use a hotel shuttle bus.
Days: Fridays, Saturday & Sundays
Hours of Operation:
January – March: 9:00am ~ 6:30pm
April – June: Friday 11:00am ~ 7:30pm; Saturdays & Sundays 9:00am ~ 6:30pm
July – August: Fridays & Saturdays: 11:00am ~ 9:30pm; Sundays 9:00am ~ 6:30pm
September: Friday 11:00am ~ 7:30pm; Saturdays & Sundays: 9:00am ~ 6:30pm
October ~ December: 9:00am ~6:30pm
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