After spending a few days at the Four Seasons in Seoul, we arrived at Signiel Busan expecting the same level of luxury and service. Unfortunately, the reality was rather different.
We arrived more than two and a half hours before check-in. Rather than simply asking us to return at 3 pm, the hotel invited us back at 1:30 pm for an early check-in. When we returned from lunch around 2 pm, we were asked to wait at the entrance to the Lounge for 20 minutes without even being offered a glass of water. Not the welcome one expects at this level.
We had booked a Premier Double Suite with Ocean View. The young staff member who escorted us was pleasant, but his limited English made any meaningful interaction difficult. He could recite his prepared welcome speech, but struggled to answer questions. The experience felt mechanical rather than genuinely hospitable.
To be fair, the suite itself is excellent: over 80 sqm, modern, elegant and spotless, with a superb ocean view from the bed.
Unfortunately, the small disappointments soon began to add up. The Nespresso machine was accompanied by an explanation promoting Signiel’s own-brand coffee, which felt more like a cost-saving measure than a thoughtful touch. We never received the card supposedly provided to request fresh sheets, the bathroom had just one bath mat, and only one towel per person was supplied.
Two bottles of Evian were provided and regularly replenished, which was appreciated.
But the final straw was the swimming pool. Guests are required to wear swimming caps, which is perfectly understandable. However, unlike the Four Seasons in Seoul, where swimming caps and goggles are provided, Signiel expects guests to purchase their own cap for KRW 25,000 — for an item that would cost a fraction of that at retail.
At around €1,000 per night, this is not about the money. It is about the message it sends. After the hotel’s own-brand coffee, this felt like yet another penny-pinching decision that has no place in genuine five-star hospitality. Instead of feeling valued as a guest, you begin to feel like a customer from whom every last won must be extracted.
A beautiful suite and a spectacular view cannot make up for a service culture that seems to prioritise procedures and additional revenue over genuine guest satisfaction.
Thankfully, I remembered that for our remaining nights in Seoul, I had chosen not to stay at another Lotte property.
