24 Hours at the Conrad Seoul

When you think of Asia, you mostly think of China, Japan and Thailand. But while Thailand and China is more traditional, you sometimes might wonder where all the new technologies are produced and all the new stuff is invented. Well beside Japan, another super cool and technology-oriented country is South Korea. With brands such as Samsung and LG as well as Hyundai, this country has definitely a remarkable amount of famous exports. Due to the cool appeal of the hotels in South Korea, I always wanted to go to Seoul and this year we could finally make it. With Seoul being such a vast city with different areas, I wanted to stay at different hotels to make the best out of each area. So for the arrival day with a late arrival, I thought it might be ideal to choose the Conrad Seoul. Not just is the location ideal, between Incheon Airport and the centre, also is the design very attractive and chic. 

Once we drove through the gate, I was impressed of the enormously high ceilings and the elegant yet fresh looks. We entered the doors and were welcomed in a friendly way by the lady from the front desk. Check-in went smooth and efficient, we got the keys and were shown the way to the elevators. Having to say that we were in the room at 1am, there was no need for a tour nor help with the luggage. Situated on the 28th floor, our room looked simply amazing, with warm earth tones, leather and lots of light brown wood. I loved the room layout, the design and all the services they offered. While we were only interested in trying the heavenly beds to help us regenerate from the upcoming Jetlag, I really appreciated all the details such as the hidden television, the semi-walk-in wardrobe, spacious work desk and the perfectly presented minibar plus Nespresso coffee machine. We were lucky enough and got a room on the higher floors with access to the Club Lounge. On the next morning - after one of the best sleeps I have ever had - we were surprised with amazing views of the river, the business district and the skyline of Seoul. It was simply perfect to start the first day of our trip like that. 

I would say, beside the amazing beds, the other highlight was the spacious and super elegant bathroom in beige marble with a window to the bedroom that could be made blind via a button. Next to the double basins with a set of Aromatherapy Associates toiletries (some of my favourite ones and definitely reviving after a long flight), there was a separated toilet and walk-in shower plus a deep soaking tub. It provided an absolutely comfortable experience and the bathroom was indeed nearly as big as the bedroom!

On the next day, we were ready to explore the Club Lounge on the top floor of the hotel which offered panorama  windows with magnificent views of the city. I was totally into the entire interior design of the hotel with a mix of elegance and simplicity. While I was impressed of the breakfast buffet and the amazing presentation, which was simply vast for Club Lounge standards, I missed my egg dish. Unfortunately we were not asked if we want to have eggs nor were we shown a menu so that's why I thought they do not offer any kind of freshly prepared egg dishes. There are kind of egg and other hot dishes at the buffet so you can always have a hot option. Coffee can be picked up at the Nespresso coffee machine and fresh orange juice was also good. In addition to the breakfast service (which is available until 11am on weekends) the Conrad Seoul also offers an Evening cocktail from 5 to 7pm where you can have a selection of Amuse and cocktails plus wines. Unfortunately they only serve coffee and soft drinks throughout the day. 

Normally there is also a truly wonderful pool and fitness area, however there was maintenance going on during our stay so we were not able to use the pool facilities. Anyways we would not have had a second since we wanted to see the city of Seoul and the historical part, but once we would have stayed for two nights, I would have definitely made it to relax a bit. 

After having stayed at the Park Hyatt and the Four Seasons Seoul as well, I have to mention that beside the location (which is not that ideal for those wanting to stay in the old and central part of Seoul) the Conrad Seoul would be my first choice for another stay in Seoul. The value for money is simply the best of all the three hotels and due to the chic design, spacious rooms, amazing views and friendly staff there are plenty of reasons to choose this hotel when going to the South Korean capital.

We were exclusively invited by the Conrad Seoul for editorial purposes. However our review has not influenced by that.