StarwoodGuy: Around the World With Starwood Hotels in 30 Days. Day 2

Day 2 Westin Chosun Seoul

After I left the Aloft Gangnam Seoul I took an Uber trip over to the Westin Chosun in downtown Seoul. Uber had been big news in Seoul recently with UberX having already come and gone and scandals about the cost of Uber in the city being broadcasted all over local media. Typically I would take an Uber from the airport but the reports online of huge costs scared me away. When my driver arrived I was pleasantly surprised with the Hyundi Equus. My father being German had told me he would only ever have German cars (for the record I have owned a Nissan, a Jeep Wrangler, two Volkswagens and two Audis- and now I am happily carless) but to my amazement a few years ago my father told me he had switched from his Audi to a Hyundai Genesis which he says is the best car he has ever owned at a fraction of the cost of a Mercedes. Either way, the driver was great and so was the car, the traffic on the other hand was a nightmare. No matter where you go in Seoul people warn you about how bad the traffic is in the city. It is almost some odd badge of honor. The roads are wide and efficient, the planning seems in place, the transit system is great, but the city is just so packed the traffic backs up.

The hotel greeted me with great enthusiasm and whisked my bags away before I knew I was in the minimalist lobby. The room was not ready so the Concierge gave me a map and a quick run down on what to see in downtown Seoul before having me escorted to the Club Lounge for afternoon tea while I waited the brief ten minutes for my room to be ready. Once in the room I was pleased with the suite upgrade, especially the massive bathroom with dual vanities, all in marble and with a beautiful shower and tub. The electronic toilet was a little terrifying but very interesting.

Walking around the city as opposed to driving was simple. The Westin is in the heart of downtown so it was close to all of the areas I was planning to visit. I was very impressed with the wide side walks with integrated bike paths throughout the city, making them spacious despite the huge numbers of people walking around. I stopped by the Gyeongbokgung Palace, inexpensive to enter at only 3000 Won or around $3.00, and then saw the National Korean Folk Museum next door. A walk through the Bukchon Hanok Village neighborhood with older Korean style dwellings now filled with trendy shops and restaurants was a definite highlight. On my walk back I stopped in at the very busy Insadong and Myeong-dong shopping neighborhoods, the first with a mix of small street vendors with local items and food, the second with many food vendors as well but much larger mainline stores.

After four hours of walking I was exhausted so I showered and headed up to the Westin Club Lounge on the twentieth floor of the hotel. The views from there were stunning. The Lounge serves afternoon tea from 2:00 pm till 5:00pm, then switches to dinner from 6:00pm till 8:00pm. The food was extensive, I ate quite a few of the beef medallions and had more then one glass of wine while getting some work done. It is quite a large space but it did get very busy. The dozen or so attendants were very helpful and kept the place immaculate, the only complaints were from several groups who came in at around 8:00pm to find most of the food being removed already, though they did warn us last call was coming at 7:45pm. An extra hour of service would likely be appreciated but there is so much food right outside the hotel door there is no need to just eat in the Lounge. I poked my head into Sushi Cho, the sushi restaurant adjacent to the Lounge on the 20th floor. It was quite empty and I was full so I just had a quick drink at the sake bar with an amazing sunset view before going on another stroll through the still bustling Myeong-dong area. There is also a convenient Starbucks in the hotel and several other restaurant options as well. Incidentally, a Venti Iced Coffee was $4.75 US as opposed to $3.23 in Seattle, but considering how high the cost can get in some cities such as London, it was still reasonable, though I might not get three a day at those prices! I also noted that the lobby pastry shop the Menagerie, had a great selection of dessert treats, and the hotel wonderfully had dropped a selection off in my room as a bedtime snack. There was also a bucket of ice set up in the room with turn down service, something I love at hotels and one of the best little extras I think a hotel can do to make things easier for guests.

The next morning I woke up early since my jet-lag was kicking in and I went to the very impressive gym at the hotel. After a workout I opted for some time in the sauna area, separated for male and female. I have to say this was one of the most impressive facilities I have seen at any hotel, including various Luxury Collections and Four Seasons properties. I am a big fan of the spa at the Grand Wailea in Maui, and this sauna area came close. The locker room keys came on simple elastic wristbands attached with electronic tags which were able to be worn in the water. There were twenty showers to rinse of in first and subsequently to shower in. The products were all Elemis, and there was a large steam room and a large dry sauna, as well as three large pools set at differing temperatures, twenty, thirty and forty degrees celsius respectively. The cold pool had a strong ceiling jet that powered down on a tight muscle in my back but it was so strong I was worried it would take my skin off.

After my workout and relaxation I was starving. As a Platinum option breakfast was also offered downstairs but I headed right to the lounge for a quick bite, where once again there was a wide selection of food with sausages, bacon, eggs benedict and many breads and croissants as well. At check out the lobby staff rushed to get my bags, and the Concierge who had helped me at check in with a map and directions for sightseeing came to say goodbye. Overall it was a great hotel with an amazing lounge, an exceptional level of service, and beautiful rooms and amenities throughout. I would highly recommend the Westin Chosun. The location is perfect for most of the downtown tourist attractions. I missed out on the Sheraton and W in Walkerhill, which are both apparently wonderful as well, just a bit of a distance from the heart of it all. I think those properties are likely much better if you are looking for a quiet visit, but the Westin was as close to perfect a hotel experience as I have had in a long time.