Seoul Hotel Tips by jburron

First, the price. Most nice rooms in Seoul are $100 to $250 a night...not at Kobos. A room is 80,000 won (USD 70). Free DVD player and 30-40 to borrow (not rent!). Free coffee, minibar/fridge, hot/cold water cooler. Cable. Internet access: 3,000 won (USD 2.50) for like 6-8 hours worth. Whirlpool bath, shower with steam bath. Some room with big-screen TVs.

Best of all, Ben Hur Hotel is opening next door and Hotel M is also coming soon in the area so competition should keep prices in check.

UPDATE: Ben Hur and Hotel M just opened closeby. See their review too.

Unique Qualities: Price. Location is pretty good (40 mins to airport, all highway driving; 30 mins to downtown, 45 mins to Kangnam). Staff are light on English but there are some good Western bars nearby: Wa Bar, OB Park and Wingswing (great sandwiches!). Subway, Tony Roma's and Outback Steakhouse are a 10-15 minute walk away (just across lovely Yeouido Park). Also 5 min walk to Hangang (Han River) riverside park.

Two things: window is like 2x4 feet large, and no balconies (but no view anyways) and bathroom door is frosted glass...which is a little weird, but for a 1/2 price savings these are pretty petty things.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: US$40-80  » Currency Converter
Phone: 82-(2)-782-9092
Address: 13-12 Yeouido-Dong, Youngdeungpo-Ku, Seoul
Directions: Take subway to Yeouido Stn. and/or take cab to "Manhattan Hotel in Yeouido" then don't go to the Manhattan, walk behind it 2 streets, take a right and Kobos is on the right. Can also take airport limo (Hannan Bus) to Manhattan and walk from there.
Website: http://www.koboshotel.com/index.html

I didn't stay here but I know the staff and a few people who have made Fraser (as it's called) home for many a month. Fraser is an extended-stay serviced residence hotel. Contracts can be long term (1 year), month-to-month or a few days long. Everything is very Western inside (except the sizes are Koreanized a bit, read: smaller). It's located in the tony area of Insa-Dong (right downtown) and has a raft of amenities included.

The staff are all pretty proficient in English (some better than others: the lovely ladies of the S&M (sales & marketing) dept. are fluent, front desk are alright and service staff tend to be less so). If you stay here you'll be surrounded by foreign dignitaries (ambassadors and their staff often have residency here) and multi-national executives (the likes of Coke, P&G, British American Tobacco).

Amenities include: local calls, 20 pieces laundry per month, airport transfer, utilities, businessday housekeeping, weekly garbage and linen change, and businessday breakfast buffet as well as the usuals (pool, exercise room, rooftop driving range).

Unique Qualities: Prices are high, though. The one-bedroom (660 sqft) is 6,300 USD a month (rack rate...negotiate it down from there) and the penthouse (hard to get because they are in demand) with 1,700 sqft of space is 13,000 USD a month. There is a sale on this summer that puts the mid-range rooms (2-bdrm Deluxe, Executive, Premier and 3-bdrm Deluxe) down from a range of 7,000 USD 8,500 USD to a range of 4,350 USD to 5,300 USD a month. (10% VAT on everything.)

Higher rooms (except for penthouses) are smaller, but have better views.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$120-180  » Currency Converter
Phone: 02-6262-8888
Address: #272 Nakwon-Dong, Jongno-Gu, Seoul
Directions: On the edge of Insa-Dong and near Jungno-sam(3)-ga Station (Line 1,3,5) just get off the train and take the exit nearest Line 5. Go to the right of the "Born to be Chicken" restaurant (under the overpass). The Fraser will be right in front of you.
Website: www.fraserhospitality.com
Other Contact: central reservation65-62-700-800

I stayed here during my first trip to Seoul in Nov 99. It was quite a good spot. Not all that convenient compared to the downtown places like, say, Westin Chosun or Fraser Suites, but it it nice to get away from the city for a while, too.

Actually, Walker Hill is still in Seoul, but it is perched high up on a hill and feels more like you're not in the middle of a dense city (yet, you are).

Unique Qualities: The Walker Hill was the centerpiece to one of the SK chaebol's a few decades back when it was built. Since then it has retained a top-class feel (and clientele) with many visitors from Japan (some floors are pure Japanese) and elsewhere. The show (see my review) is a sight to be seen--half Korean, half Nevadan/Vegas. There's also a casino, if that's your pleasure.

The rack rate is 340,000 won a night (USD 300) plus 10% VAT and service charge (Diamond Suites in the Tower are 3,100,000 won!) so you'd better have the corporate card for this one.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$180 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: 02-455-5000
Address: 21 Gwangjang-Dong Gwangjin-Gu, Seoul
Directions: Free shuttle every 20 mins from Kangbyun Station (Line 2) and Gwangnaru (Line 5) as well as from Incheon Airport (12,000 won) or kimpo (6,000 won). Any taxi will know as well.
Website: http://www.walkerhill.co.kr/english/service/about/greeting.php
Other Contact: fax 02-452-6867

Saw the room in preparation for some friends coming to town. It's a brand new hotel similar Kobos next door (see my review on that one also) but the rooms have some extras...like a massive projection TV in the one I saw. For 80,000 won (USD 70) it's a great deal compared to the 100-200 you'd pay elsewhere.

Unique Qualities: Price. Location is pretty good (40 mins to airport, all highway driving; 30 mins to downtown, 45 mins to Kangnam). Staff are light on English but there are some good Western bars nearby: Wa Bar, OB Park and Wingswing (great sandwiches!). Subway, Tony Roma's and Outback Steakhouse are a 10-15 minute walk away (just across lovely Yeouido Park). Also 5 min walk to Hangang (Han River) riverside park.

One drawback: window is like 2x4 feet large, and no balconies (but no view anyways).

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$40-80  » Currency Converter
Phone: 02-783-2233
Address: 13-11 Yeouido-Dong, Youngdeungpo-Ku, Seoul
Directions: Take subway to Yeouido Stn. and/or take cab to "Manhattan Hotel in Yeouido" then don't go to the Manhattan, walk behind it 2 streets, take a right and Kobos is on the right. Can also take airport limo (Hannan Bus) to Manhattan and walk from there.
Website: http://www.hotelbenhur.com/
Other Contact: quite the site!