This is a quintessential large, bustling Four Seasons city hotel with unique local Seoul features. The service is polished, intuitive and anticipatory, with the front desk and concierge teams working seamlessly together, overseen by the perspicacious and knowledgeable Director of Guest Experience. The agent checking me in even apologized for the unavailability of a room upgrade and offered complimentary admission to the Jjimjilbang/Korean sauna normally only free for guests staying in suites. I was touched by the gesture, but let’s all try remember that an “upgrade” should be just that: an unexpected treat vs. expectation. Never reserve a room category where you wouldn’t be happy absent an upgrade.
A factor to consider when contemplating a stay here has nothing to do with the hotel’s operations and everything to do with its location. The Four Seasons Seoul is smack dab in the center of city’s historic center, right around the corner from Gwanghwamun Square, the living monument to Korea’s royal heritage and the center of Seoul’s political and cultural life, along with Gyeongbokgung Palace and the heavily-branded United States Embassy. On the plus side, the metro and almost all of the major historic and tourist sites are within easy walking distance. On the other hand, it is ground zero for protests, organized athletic competition and comeback concerts alike. During my stay, supporters of ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol engaged in a spirited and vociferous march calling for his release from prison and reinstatement. I found this a wee bit puzzling given he was impeached, removed from office and sentenced to life in prison for illegally usurping power and declaring martial law, which would presumably have frowned on this very type of protest. The next day, the entire area was closed for the Seoul marathon. And then there’s national treasure, K-pop band BTS. They chose the square to launch their comeback tour after a four-year hiatus in performing. This event drew 22,000 ticketed fans along with 225,000+ additional revelers – a gathering so large that officials prohibited all vehicle and pedestrian traffic, had the subway bypass stops, deployed elite special forces assisted by 6,500 police officers, 70 riot police units, 3,400 additional security personnel, 102 fire trucks and 803 firefighters. The country even raised the level of its terror alert warning. If it’s action you seek, you’ll be in the heart of it. The hotel’s website describes Seoul as “Asia’s city that never sleeps.” Believe it.
Speaking of sleep, despite all the raucous cacophony from the streetscape and environs, along with lively activity in the public spaces of the hotel, my non-upgraded guestroom was a spacious, beautiful oasis of quiet repose, a magical fortress of silence. The room was functional and spacious, and bed itself was sensationally comfortable. I don’t know if it was the pillows, the linens, the bed itself or some magical combination, but this is one fantastic center for somnolence. The bathroom amenities are also top notch, especially the whizzbang Daelim Bath smart toilet. Housekeeping was standout as well, maintaining the room morning, noon and night in immaculate condition and also providing unbidden additional sybaritic bath salts.
The guests staying here are a classic Four Seasons crew; not quite White Lotus, but a White Lotus-adjacent pastiche of life’s rich pageant. Management consultant case teams. Young Presidents’ Organization members out on a junket. Multi-generational families. Wedding revelers. Government sorts in formal suit and tie. Beautiful People with NY Yankees and Maybach baseball caps wearing sunglasses indoors clad in logoed luxury leisurewear. One morning at breakfast in The Market Kitchen, I sat near a gentleman who bore a striking resemblance to currently incarcerated CryptoBro Sam Bankman-Fried. Despite the expansive selection of local and traditional western breakfast options available from the buffet – along with made-to-order omelets -- he limited his plate to a prodigious mountain of approximately 40 rashers of bacon. Whether your breakfast wishes are sufficiently capacious to take advantage of all that’s on offer, including a healthy selection of K-Street Food and artisanal kimchi, or you prefer to start your day with pureplay bacon, rest assured you can indulge in unlimited bacon to your (but probably not your cardiologist’s) heart’s content… and a whole lot more. This being Seoul, among the friendly human waitstaff there is the additional novelty of having the bussing staff comprised of fleet robots ferrying plates, cutlery and glassware back for cleaning, as they glide back and forth over glass floors that showcase ancient architectural ruins found onsite beneath the restaurant. I found the extensive culinary offerings spanning a wide variety of local, regional and international cuisine across eight individual outposts, all overseen with ubiquitous alacrity by F&B Director Emanuele Accame, to be consistently excellent. if you are looking for a interstitial change of pace from local offerings, I particularly enjoyed dining in the Boccalino Italian restaurant.
The fitness center is at once well-equipped and expansive. Because it is a membership club for local residents in addition to a workout facility for hotel guests, it enjoys consistent use. For folks stateside, it’s a lot like the experience at an Equinox (although the chilled towels are not scented with eucalyptus). Bring your swimsuit to enjoy both a 25M swimming pool along with a fantastic and fun “Vitality Pool” very similar to the one found in the Four Seasons Prague. In it you’ll experience billions of blasting bubbles that will restore and rejuvenate after the rigors of exploring Seoul.
Whether you’re a tippler or teetotaler, one experience you will not want to miss is a visit to the Charles H. speakeasy, consistently ranked among the best bars in Asia. Tucked behind an unassuming closet door, this ingenious use of subterranean space opens to reveal a beautiful coved ceiling covered in New York subway tile and lights. The delicious drinks are prepared with precision, but the atmosphere is downright mind blowing, including some of the most unusual sound design I have ever heard. The only way I can describe it is Benny Goodman meets Buena Vista Social Club meets Squirrel Nut Zippers. It’s not a place where you’re likely to hold an intimate conversation, but you can bet all of your senses will be engaged.
What’s more, the Charles H. has something I have never encountered before: a speakeasy within a speakeasy, the intimate eight-seat H. Bar. The vibe in here is completely different from that of Charles H. – hushed, streamlined and retro-futuristic in a mashup of Art Deco with Mos Eisley Cantina. In H. Bar you’ll find a head barman/mixologist named Odd concocting an eight-course progressive tasting of cocktails created from local seasonal ingredients. You might think it unusual to meet a man named Odd, but as it turns out, every first-born son in his family, hailing from Fredrikstad, Norway, has been named “Odd” since before the time the city was founded in 1567. Odd has a special left-handed knife honed only on one side that he uses with great skill to carve sparkling gems from some of the purest ice I have ever seen. Why, I learned as much about how to make pure ice back at home from Odd in a single conversation as I have from years of studying Jeffrey Morgenthaler, one of my ice-making heroes. In any event, in a world filled with "me too" experiences that are anything but unique, Charles H., H. Bar and indeed Odd are sui generis.
To extent luxury and near-luxury travel is defined as much by exclusivity as it is by underlying quality, this property faces some structural headwinds. It’s big and busy. The pace of vehicle flow at the porte cochere, multiple groups of arriving and departing guests, luggage and accompanying bell staff, local residents accessing the hotel's amenities, visiting health club members, group travelers using the front desk area as an assembly point with accompanying signage, multiple front desk staff and highly visible security personnel make the lobby a lively and dynamic environment that could overwhelm more traditional luxury travelers prioritizing calm as an essential hallmark of the guest experience. But for those who seek a comfortable sojourn in the heart of the action, supported by a hardworking and talented team operating with the Swiss precision of General Manager Michael Schmid, there may well be no better choice for a stay in Seoul. I had a bang-up stay and bet you will too.
