Around the World With Starwood Hotels in 30 Days. Day 1

Day 1   Aloft Seoul

Before I get to the Starwood hotels, I need to give a little background on the great flights I took.  My first major flight of the day was JAL 0017 from Vancouver to Narita, a half empty Boeing 787-800.  My entire Business class row ( a 2, 2, 2 configuration) was empty.  I was in the first row of the second section of the business class cabin, in row 7 seat A, with my neighboring seat C empty, along with the two middle seats D and G, and the opposite window seats K and H all empty.  It felt like flying in the old days, with only half the flight filled!   Starting in the lounge in Vancouver, the Japanese Airline Service was impeccable.  I had done web check-in but an agent came to the lounge personally to ask me if I would prefer a different seat.  I had a four hour layover since my Alaska flight from Seattle to YVR was so early.  The shared Premium Plaza Lounge caters primarily to Asian carriers (though KLM/Air France had their own empty section) and the service and food there was quite good.  Croissants, a variety of fresh juices and Cappuccino and other coffees and teas for breakfast, with a variety of sandwiches, cakes, and other desserts throughout the day, along with soups and sashimi options.  Once onboard the entire cabin crew was efficient and unbelievably attentive.  There is no First Class, only Business Class on the JAL 787, and though the seats are comfortable they are angle lie flat, not fully flat.  JAL is currently updating their fleet as are many carriers, but since it was a daytime flight I did not mind the angle since I was struggling to stay awake.  As a side note, I had originally booked on the JAL 777 service from SFO to HND but dropped this after reading TripAdvisor reviews that since this SFO flight was a red eye I would sleep through much of the service and I was also itching to get on the Dreamliner.  Amazingly a week before the flight I was able to use 50,000 British Airways Avios points to get a Business seat on the YVR-NRT flight and there were three other Business seats available using points.  The food on my flight was delicious, I sampled both the Western and Japanese options, the Tumi amenity kit was basic, but the constant flow of warm scented towels was much appreciated.  I watched several new release movies then jumped into the oldies, or relative oldies of the nineties, starting with Pretty Woman.  What I found most amazing were the Boeing claims of better air quality on the plane.  I wear contacts and after a four or five hour flight I typically need to replace them.  In this case I used re-wetting drops but that was all, I had no need to switch them out for my glasses after ten hours in the air.  

The second was flight JL959 from Tokyo to Seoul, a 767-300.  Transferring from my Vancouver flight to the next section of the terminal was easy, I did not have to clear customs, I just went through an empty security check point and headed to the very busy Sakura Lounge in JAL’s international lounge area.  The upstairs First lounge looked much nicer, but again there was only Business on my next flight.  The lounge was good with a few sandwiches, cocktails and wine options, as well as some sashimi, but it was very crowded and there were no showers, something I would have loved after twenty hours on the go already.  The smoke from the smoker’s room was a little annoying as well for me since I am a non-smoker.  The two hour service offered a few wine options and an extensive sashimi plate and Häagen-Dazs ice cream for dessert.  The flight crew was as equally attentive as they had been on my previous fight, and I loved that the entertainment system was the same as on the previous plane so I was able to pick up right where I left off in my last movie. 

On the 8th of April I finally arrived at my first Starwood property, the Aloft Gangnam Seoul.  I chose the KAL (Korean Air Limousine Bus) for transit into town since it received the highest reviews from my web searches on transit options from Incheon Airport into Seoul.  It was quick, empty, and inexpensive at 16000 won or around $15.00 US and very efficient.  Unfortunately the driver would only take me to the nearby Intercontinental Hotel, but it was only 3000 Won or around $3.00 US to get the rest of the 5 minutes by taxi.  Once at the hotel I was eager to try Starwood’s new keyless entry system using my iPhone as a key, but sadly when I arrived the room number came up on my Starwood app and it was successfully saved to my Passbook but the mobile key was apparently not working.  It was 11:00 pm Seoul time and I had not slept since I left Seattle so I went right to my room to take a shower and get some rest.  I was upgraded to a King river view room at check in as a Platinum member.  As with most Aloft rooms, things were tiny but efficient.  Two universal desk chargers were integrated at the desk so my laptop and phone could charge, the closet housed the refreshment bar with two complimentary waters chilling, coffee, tea and green tea, and two robes hanging in the closet.  The robes pleasantly surprised me, I only need one since I am traveling on my own, but I often ask for two robes at Starwood Hotels across various brands when traveling with others and this almost never happens for some reason.  The bed was comfortable, the view of the river quite good, and the bathroom clean and compact with Bliss amenities as with W Hotels.  

On the morning of the 9th I started to explore.  The location of the Aloft is in the heart of the Gangnam neighborhood, made famous to many by the Psy song Gangnam Style. Typically I choose breakfast as my Platinum Amenity but I had eaten a week’s worth of food in three lounges from Seattle to Vancouver to Tokyo not to mention the food on the flights, so I opted for walk and food on the go. I poked my head into the restaurant to see what the breakfast looked like, it was an extensive buffet with eggs, bacon and breads as well as some local options as well.  The gym was compact but it had everything you need from a hotel gym.  I headed out from the small lobby on a two hour walk around the area.  It seemed difficult to call it a neighborhood since it is a collection of large streets with some amazing parks dotted between, but there is not a cohesive feel to the area.  I started in the shopping district of Gangnam with high end stores such as Armani and Prada lining both sides of the street and then looped around and took in Dosun Park, the Samneung Park, the amazing Bongeunsa Temple, and the COEX Center.  The Temple was a particular highlight, but I always feel strange being a tourist in a religious site when others are praying in their sacred environment and I am trying to snap pictures. 

Overall the hotel is very simple and efficient and a great option for a solo business traveler, but I would not recommend it for couples or families on longer stays since even my upgraded room was compact and the few much larger suites with balconies are apparently often full.  If you are not doing business in the Gangnam area or at the COEX or World Trade Center there, you are likely better off staying closer to downtown, which is where I was headed next.

Plaza Premium Lounge

Plaza Premium Lounge Seating

Plaza Premium Lounge Additional Seating

Lounge snacks

JAL 787-800 Business Class

JAL 787-800 Business Class

JAL 787-800 Coach Class

JAL 787-800 Coach Class

JAL 787-800

Business Class Amenities

Business Class Menu

 

View

JAL 767-300 TV and Legroom

JAL 767-300 Business Class Seat

JAL 767-300 Dinner

KAL Limousine Bus

Aloft Room

Aloft Bathroom

Night River view

Day River view

Aloft Gym

Aloft Restaurant

Aloft Bar

Map of Hotel Location Courtesy of Google Maps:

http://bit.ly/1CzjL2i