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ON THE customs declaration form when you enter South Korea you'll find some probing questions that will teach you a lot about yourself. The form enquires, politely, whether you are bringing in "pornographic materials (book, CD, photos etc)... illicit drugs such as opium or heroin... internationally protected endangered animals?" The list goes on. It is perhaps wise to tick the box that says NO. Of course if you happen to be smuggling in panda bears, Royal Bengal tigers, or a woolly mammoth, do it discreetly and keep your cabin bags firmly shut. On the KAL Limousine (a bus) heading into town you might find another note: "If you see any suspicious thing or person, please report to the driver." I must confess, in immigration queues and in KAL buses, I usually look guilty as hell though the woolly mammoths look cool, calm and composed (or is it decomposed?)
South Korea is a study in baffling contrasts. The "Land of Morning Calm" is anything but. In the years of financial lassitude and despair, Korea had something one would have been tempted to call an "economy". Now money is being made everywhere and not just at expatriate condominiums where landlords demand a year's rent upfront which they then invest and turn into profit - returning the original principal at the end of that period. In the old days when the won wobbled, landlords who lost their money in scams did the honourable thing. They jumped off high buildings to prove to their tenants that there is a direct link between gravity and dud investments. What their tenants did thereafter has not been adequately chronicled.
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| Deoksugung Palace |
Seoul is purposefully mid-stride in its very own version of the American Dream. Morning calm has been steadily replaced by 4am-awakening office workers, beetling traffic, modern skyscrapers, glitzy hotels, and de rigueur student demonstrations where setting police on fire with Molotov cocktails is regarded as an intrinsic part of the university curriculum. There is a bit of the Wild West in all this and it’s fabulously entertaining.
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Amidst the liberating thrum of industry and heavy machinery, people scurry about their work. This is a busy, busy place. And it is growing fast. Everywhere you turn there are tall buildings, tall church steeples and tall advertising billboards. People are shooting up too. One stunningly tall office lady caught my eye. Being a rude foreigner, I enquired what her height was. “About 1.2 kilometres,” she responded, flashing a brilliant smile through purple lipstick (another hallmark of the South Korean capital).
Seoul is a modern hi-tech city where Samsung and LG have pretty much wired up every aspect of life, from TVs in refrigerators to mobile phones that can (from the other side of town) turn off the electricity at home and, perhaps, lock your mother-in-law in the toilet. Then you have establishments like Kazen, an upscale high octane gas club – yes club – where members roll up in the latest Porsches and BMWs to have their cars topped up with the city’s most expensive petrol by long limbed lovelies in miniskirts and minks. Kazen has all the appeal of a trendy disco, complete with mood lights, and even offers a members-only lounge where drinks and coffee flow freely while mink-clad ladies sashay about. Will this catch on? Who knows.
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| City Hall gardens in bloom |
This is a city on the march, be it the next generation of Seoul business hotels, fancy Seoul shopping with ingenious new rip-offs of designer brands, trendy dining outlets, or the ubiquitous karaoke-crazed nightlife. There’s something for everyone.
Incheon International Airport
You’ll be forgiven for thinking Seoul is the Mad Hatter’s Ball. It is. And this is precisely what makes it such an interesting assignment for business or leisure. Relax. It’s not all toil. The new Incheon International Airport (www.airport.or.kr) is a gleaming modern marvel that could easily be plonked down next to the Louvre without anyone batting an eyelid. It is efficient and quick, and involves a minimum of walking. From aircraft gate to taxi can be accomplished in 20 minutes unless you have the Moscow Circus in tow. Regular KAL Limousine Buses do a one-hour shuttle to most Seoul hotels in fast-developing Kangnam (also Gangnam), as well as to the central City Hall and Myongdong areas across the Han River. The one-way adult fare is 13,000 Korean won (approximately US$1 = W930). On the way out, rummage through the Fendi, Celine, Bvlgari, Chanel, Calvin Klein,Burberry, Salvatore Ferragamo, Boss, Furla, Coach, and Gucci outlets. Pick up a duty-free Johnnie Walker Black Label (US$29), Hermes silk tie (US$135), some "Sulwhasoo" Yunjo essence to keep your skin young (60ml at US$65), Chanel "Chance" 50ml eau de toilette US$54 or, if you’re too lazy to walk, visit the Korean Air SkyShop on the Internet (www.cyberskyshop.com). There's an Internet Lounge with access at US$3 for an hour.
Seoul taxis and metro
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| Kangnam building: classical is in |
Despite its intimidating size and bluster, getting around Seoul is relatively easy. Regular metered taxis start at around W1,900 with comfy deluxe taxis (largely for tourists and businessmen in a rush) starting at about W4,500. A cross river ride in a deluxe cab from, say, the Westin Chosun near City Hall to the JW Marriott in Kangnam, will likely be in the region of W12,000. If you prefer a cheaper regular cab, tell the bell boy, or he’ll whistle up a gleaming black deluxe taxi with a white-gloved chauffeur and a fast-ticking meter.
While there’s no dearth of taxis at Seoul business hotels, another good option is the subway train network. The metro is pretty extensive and well signposted. The fare is about W1,000 from City Hall to Kangnam and, to make things utterly simple, stations are numbered (maps are in English, Chinese and Korean), and tickets can be bought at ticket windows saving you the bother of figuring out vending machines. It’s all quite civilised.
If you do find yourself in a pickle, grab any passing Korean and holler “BBB”. This refers to the volunteer translation service (www.bbbkorea.org). BBB stands for Before Babel Brigade. According to booklets handed out at the airport, your newfound Korean friend will then dial 1588-5644 on his mobile phone and connect you to a translator. Of course, depending on your approach, he might panic and run for it or clobber you with a large ginseng root. Or, for travel information, simply dial 1330.
Shopping in Seoul
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| Myeung-dong shoppers |
Old Seoul, around City Hall, Myongdong and Namdaemun (South Gate) Market is cluttered and convivial with buildings and streets on a human scale. Across the Han River in Kangnam, the city blocks are gargantuan and roads dauntingly wide with up to eight or more busy lanes to traverse should you dare to sprint across. No chickens ever cross the road here. (The grand Namdaemun edifice dating back over 600 years succumbed to a blaze in early February 2008, destroying one of Korea's best loved landmarks.)
For an authentic peek into Seoul shopping, late in the evening venture to the wholesale Namdaemun night market which is at its obstreperous best in the wee hours. Crammed into the side alleys and underground shopping arcades are stalls selling everything from jeans, silk and a mind-boggling assortment of clothes to mountain gear, flowers, saplings, chocolates, DVDs, celadon vases, and the ubiquitous Korean movie heartthrobs imprinted on T-shirts, mugs, posters and even underwear – all at knock-down prices. Bargain hard.
A short stroll from here is Myongdong (also Myeongdong or Myungdong) district, a ritzy, compact neighbourhood for high fashion, bars, cosy eateries, coffee shops and cosmetics (like the popular Toda Cosa, tel: 774-9557). Young people course through pedestrian-only streets, pondering the likes of Guess, Puma, Reebok, Polo Ralph Lauren, Levi's, Hang Ten, Body Shop, Samsung, Giordano, Adidas. K-Swiss and more. Pick up two DVDs for W10,000 (US$10) or grab a meal on the run. Myeong-dong has a definite buzz and is round the corner from the Westin Chosun, Lotte and Seoul Plaza hotels. This is perhaps the best spot to commence your Seoul shopping tour. The latest high-rise mall to open is Hi Harriet (www.hiharriet.co.kr) not to be confused with Marriott.
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| The huge COEX Mall |
The Lotte Department Store (10.30am – 7.30pm daily, exit at Ulchiro-2ga Station, Subway Line 2) is at hand should you prefer an indoor rummage through designer brands without hassle or try the trendy Lotte Young Plaza. There’s ample duty-free here as well along with outlets at Lotte World (exit Jamshil Station, Subway Line 2) in Gangnam. Do the same in style at the renovated Shilla Duty Free (next to the Shilla hotel) where all you need do is present your passport and ticket from 9.30am to 8pm. Pay, and collect your items at the airport after clearing immigration. Fun home appliances and stuff galore can be had at any Kosney outlet (www.kosney.co.kr). Check out retro Ferrari-red turntables from Crosley and pink utensils.
Dongdaemun Market is similar to the Namdaemun sprawl, with the addition of some trendy malls. This is a vast garment wholesale and retail area. Three fun high-rise malls are Doota (Doosan Tower, exit 4 and 5, Dongdaemun Station, Subway Line 2, tel: 3398-3114), and the adjacent Hello a_pm (www.helloapm.com) and Migliore. Doota incorporates a lively local fashion scene in its 1st Avenue section showcasing young Korean designers. The fourth floor features shoes and handbags, the fifth floor accessories and the sixth floor is all kids’ stuff (with a play area and a “breast-feeding room”. The ninth floor offers welcome respite in the form of a well stocked food court where you can finally make a pit stop and rest those weary legs. Of an evening, especially during weekends, the malls put on fashion shows and rock music spectaculars. If you’re lost, just follow the noise and lights. Or grab someone and say, “BBB”.
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| Lotte Young Plaza: Myongdong |
Continue your Seoul shopping browse at Itaewon (just down the hill from the Grand Hyatt). Itaewon remains the main draw for jeans-and-labels knock-offs with a few Korean chests thrown in. Fakes are not as brazenly displayed as in the past but if you wander the side alleys and gawk at the handbags, options will present themselves speedily enough. Other bags might be Louis Vuitton for all intents and purposes save for the monogram that reads LM. At the Yoo Young Silk shop, opposite Hamilton Hotel, find decent party ball gowns and more, all a snip at just US$100-$200. This is a shop favoured by the diplomat set.
If you prefer shopping in Seoul for some rather unique jeans with a spot of street-side art, a smattering of cafes and punk rock, head down Subway Line 2 to Ewha Women’s University, Sinchon or, a couple of stops on, to Hongik University. And for something a tad traditional with oodles of charm, drop by Insa-dong (exit Anguk Station, Line 3) to sample its tea shops, traditional restaurants, roadside snacks and alleyways. Insadong is not all tradition. It has some rather smart shops selling everything from tourist gewgaws to home furnishings and old prints. If there's time, visit the Mokin Museum (www.mokinmuseum.com), that displays these uniquely Korean wooden carvings depicting humans and animals.
Across the river in Kangnam, but spread out a wee bit, there’s much shopping to be done in the hip and happening districts of Apkujong (check out The Galleria www.galleria.co.kr) and adjoining Cheongdamdong. You’ll find Ferragamo, Missoni, Jill Sander, Ralph Lauren, a Hyundai Department Store and a lot more. The COEX mall close by the two InterCons is a vast shopping haunt with everything from Levi's, K-Swiss, Puma, SONY, Giordano, Samsonite, Calvin Klein, DKNY and more. Hobbyists can check out "Academy" hobby model kits and the kids can stare bug-eyed at the enormous aquarium.
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| Traditional streets of Insa-Dong |
In Apkujong – a major night-time haunt for the young and bopping set – you’ll also spot numerous plastic surgery outfits all hoping to redefine your bust, nose, face, bottom and pretty much anything that protrudes or jiggles. Move over Michael J.
Finally, if you're up for a bit of a trek, head across to 63 City (www.63city.co.kr), one of the tallest buildings in Seoul where the underground 63 Square offers food and fashion. To get punters interested there's even a huge buffet on offer at 63 Pavilion, an IMAX theatre and 63 Sea World boasting over 20,000 species of marine life. That's a lot. Adult admission to Sea World is around W15,000.
Seoul Sightseeing and Attractions
When it comes to sightseeing in Seoul you’ll soon realise there’s more than you can shake a stick at, from touring the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating South and North Korea, to cruises down the Han River and going bonkers at amusement parks like Lotte World (www.lotteworld.com), Everland (www.everland.com), and the COEX Mall (www.coexmall.com) where Inca villages and the Amazon rainforest await. At the Lotte World Shooting Range (www.dmtrigger.com) Alpha Males can pump lead out of anything from a Smith & Wesson to a Beretta before mincing back to their wives for a full-scale bollocking.
Fortunately, as the city has grown and modernised, it has managed to preserve much that is old and traditional. Among the do-sees if you have time, are the Chosun-dynasty Gyeongbokgung Palace, the “Secret Garden” pavilions, pagodas and ponds of Changdeokgung Palace, Jogyesa temple, and the very accessible Deoksugung Palace right next to City Hall. Tragically, the historic Nam Dae Mun "South Gate" structure - a popular tourist draw - was greatly damaged in a fire in early February 2008 but the bustling Namdaemun night market remains a must-see in the wee hours when things get busy..
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| Westin Chosun: new rooms/ photo: hotel |
And for a taste of Korean art and culture, only marginally bordering on twee, try a meal or a folk performance at the recreated Korea House (tel: 2266-9101, www.koreahouse.or.kr). The best views of the city are on panoramic display atop Namsan hill, from Seoul Tower.
Dining and nightlife in Seoul
Dining in Seoul is a riot. But it’s not always expensive. Dishes at mid-range restaurants will cost around W4,000-W6,000. Dump ersatz Western and go for delicious Korean bulgogi (marinated beef strips), galbi (spare ribs) and lots of spicy kimchi (cabbage pickled in chilli). A set course of bulgogi usually arrives with rice, soup and assorted vegetables. It is in Myong-dong that I was introduced to putae-chigae, a spicy noodle and frankfurter soup which my host informed me dated back to the days when American GIs handed over leftover rations to the locals who then cooked up a storm with lethal amounts of kimchi and whatnot. If your palate can manage this, it comes highly recommended as a simple but tasty meal.
The intrepid may wish to sample the street side pojang-macha tents that spring up in the evenings all over town serving intriguing dishes and soup. In Seoul’s minus-20C winters, the tents are a great way to stay warm as they practically zip shut.
While there is a veritable riot of eateries and bars in Apkujong and Cheongdamdong, the Once in a Blue Moon (tel: 2549-5490) jazz bar is worth a special mention. Blue Moon follows a similar format to Tokyo’s Blue Note where heftily-priced tickets are snapped up for dinner shows and live performances by talented local bands and occasional international artistes.
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| Park Hyatt: "Axis of Business" |
Sit back to bebop, fusion or swing. Itaewon has its share of clubs and bars like the popular Limelight that gets throbbing only after midnight. Limelight has a mix of Koreans and foreigners and plays a mix of techno and hip-hop. By night, Itaewon’s bars draw drunks and bosomy ladies in miniskirts who are keenly interested in economics. They will want to see your wallet. Japanese and American economies are of particular interest to these business students.
For something laid-back, venture out to Samchongdong, an old district in the hills, where you’ll find Jazz Story. Drop in for a broad selection of music from jazz to folk. The smart set intent on wowing their date with vertiginous views may wish to drop by the Top Cloud restaurant perched on the thirty-third floor of Jongno Tower. The best views are from the bar. Park there.
But for something completely different, head to COEX and Gimme Five! (tel: 551-3388, www.gimmefive.co.kr) an ultra cool sports and entertainment bar where scantily-clad lovelies sashay through the flashing lights and clinking glasses. The place calls itself a “sexy sports club”. It is all that and more. Play pool, blackjack, baccarat, or watch a boxing match. The Gimmee Girls do their best to make the trip worthwhile. Gawking foreigners can blend in easily and the drinks will not crimp the wallet unduly. The place has gone through a major revamp.
Your concierge will likely discourage you from visiting local karaoke parlours that do not always welcome foreigners. Drinking is copious. In Korea you even have so-called "deli" drivers who you can drive you back (in your own car) should you get completely legless. Now, that's service. I was directed to the Mool Nightclub at the Riverside Hotel in Gangnam. I spent two hours in a traffic jam, paid a small fortune to the driver, walked into the club only to get bumped out (no foreigners), and spent a small fortune and a further two hours in a black deluxe cab to get back to my hotel. Welcome to Friday night in Seoul.
Seoul business hotels, Kangnam
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| Grand InterContinental: Crisp and busy |
Finally, a brief Seoul hotel guide and a peek at some Seoul business hotels, conference hotels and trendy lodgings. While business downtown is brisk and rooms are not always easy to find, hotels at the fringe or farther out tend to be a lot quieter and prices softer. Larger convention-driven hotels also tend to offer better bargains during off periods and business hotels are cheaper over weekends.
Kangnam’s main street is very much the “axis of business”, not evil, despite an amusingly ironic name – Teheran-ro. This is where you’ll find that bastion of capitalist excellence, the recently-opened Park Hyatt Seoul in all its zen, minimalist glory. The gleaming modern glass structure is bang next to a subway stop. The design, tone and inspiration are overwhelmingly grey – from the grey-black uniforms, to the grey-checked corridor carpets and the grey lobby reception counter on the twenty-fourth floor. The greys are broken by bright colour patches - blocks of magenta and orange. Service is attentive and friendly. The Park Hyatt Seoul offers 185 rooms, 42-45sq m, again minimalist with a somewhat Swedish feel, plenty of natural light, pine, sculpted granite outcrops, flat-screen TV and square bathtubs and basins beckoning a communal plunge. Wireless Internet is available and guests may plug in for W26,400 per day. WiFi is free in the lobby. Electric sockets are two-pin square. The inroom safe is a tad small for a laptop but will handle most other personal items. After hours, check out the Spa and Fitness Centre.
Right across the busy road and traffic, is a Kangnam hotel icon, the Grand InterContinental Seoul. If the Park Hyatt is head-scratching understatement, the InterCon is a business classic with everything where you’d expect it to be. The place is reassuring, warm and brisk. It features a signature atrium lobby in muted tones, stylish rooms, a wealth of meeting and banquet facilities and hi-tech add-ons. Room renovation is complete and meeting space has been expanded.
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| Ritz-Carlton Deluxe/ photo: Ritz |
Seamless access to the COEX convention and exhibition centre, the City Air Terminal and the World Trade Center is a huge plus for executive travellers and those looking for a conference hotel with access to entertainment. Kangnam, with its I.T. industry and tech offices, attracts a fast set that stays an average 1.5 days. Where they go the remaining .5 days is a mystery. (Downtown around City Hall, on the other side of the Han River, is where you’ll find the banks and finance establishments.) Broadband is available inroom at the Grand InterContinental Seoul at W25,000 per day.
For special pampering, check in to a Club InterContinental floor where canapés and cocktails flow and continental breakfast is on the house. Inroom enjoy a DVD player, a spacious room, large work desk with three-pin (square) sockets and an Internet cable, flat screen TV on a swivel stand, and a BIG inroom safe that will easily house a laptop. To work up a sweat – or cleanse the pores – simply pop by the Metropolitan Fitness Club, or the Clarins Institute. And, right around the corner, is the COEX InterContinental Seoul where business travellers can unwind with a 25m indoor lap pool, a golf driving range and health bar. Guests can use the facilities at either InterCon.
Other useful Kangnam pitstops include the Lotte Jamsil (bang next to the Lotte World amusement free-for-all), The Ritz-Carlton Seoul, Renaissance Seoul Hotel, and JW Marriott Seoul. The Ritz-Carlton, Seoul has 410 rooms and 47 suites featuring expensively cool Frette linen, CD players, and high-speed Internet (about W22,000 for 24 hours). Broadband is available at 50 percent off on the Club Floors. Try a renovated suite or a traditional Korean Ondol room with floor heating and a deep-soaking tub. And at Club Level, The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge pours on “five times daily food and beverage presentations”. Rooms are quietly pastel with starched white linen on the beds. Some offer balconies. There's a CD player, some classical music, and a key safe that will not hold a laptop.
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| JW Marriott: Kangnam option |
The TV is a small boxy LG though as a consolation there's one in the bathroom too. You can ask for an iron, and ironing board to banish those crinkles and creases. It's free. Suites come with a fax, iron, ironing board, two TVs and Bulgari toiletries. The hotel interior, from the six-storey atrium lobby to the rooms, are neat and welcoming. Plunge into the indoor pool, sweat it off in the sauna, or head for the outdoor golf driving range. At reception you will come across a message that reads: "We kindly ask that our guests avoid blue denim, shorts and athletic shoes." This eliminates around 90 percent of the US population and about 100 percent of the Asian population but a few smartly-clad business travellers do get through to enjoy this hotel's excellent service.
The JW Marriott Seoul is a modern highrise with quick access across the river to downtown Seoul by car or subway. There is shopping nearby for those inclined to exercise their cards, and a raft of renovated business and conference amenities for the more discriminating. High-speed wireless Internet is available from the lobby up to the fifth-floor Grand Ballroom. All rooms are Internet equipped and a 24-hour spin will set you back just around W25,300. To make things easier, there’s a keyboard at hand. Lie back in the newlook bed and use the TV screen as a giant monitor. The in-room safe won’t quite manage a laptop but it will house a camera and video with ease. Electric sockets are two-pin round. The jewel in the crown at the JW Marriott Seoul is its spacious Marquis Spa & Fitness Club incorporating indoor golf, a humungous indoor swimming pool, a rock climbing wall and even a deep pool for SCUBA diving.
Marriott sister-property Renaissance Hotel Seoul was one of the first off the blocks when Gangnam started developing in the late Eighties and it remains a familiar landmark. The exterior is unprepossessing but the freshly renovated interiors are bright, contemporary, and a lot more welcoming of light than the earlier dark-wood crypt of a lobby.
Rooms feature the usual toys along with Broadband (W22,000 for 24 hours – public areas are wireless), two-line phone, a work desk and a steady supply of in-room movies. New beds have made an appearance enabling work and play in even greater comfort.
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| Room at Imperial Palace/ photo: hotel |
Beer from the minibar will set you back just W7,500. The inroom safe is not laptop size. Meanwhile guests will relish fine dining at the chic new-look restaurants. Cell phone rental costs W15,000 per day (plus call charges). The Novotel Ambassador Gangnam offers a fun pub, a decent fitness centre, indoor pool and a golf driving range. The 365-room hotel is near COEX. Broadband here costs around W15,000 for 24 hours. There is a fitness centre, a swimming pool and the obligatory, if refreshing, sauna.
This place is not to be confused with the Novotel Ambassador Doksan (in southwestern Seoul) that offers two bars, two restaurants and five meetings rooms as the solitary deluxe offering in the neighbourhood. And for something cheap and cheerful, quite literally, there's the wallet-friendly Hotel Ibis Seoul.
If you favour bold and brash with gold trim, clubby wood-panel walls, faux-European flourishes, classical busts, bronze lions, art, and marble floors, look no further than the Imperial Palace, just down the road from the Renaissance. It is the ultimate in whimsy, a sort of Barbie meets Louis XVI. When I dropped by there was even a Mercedes convertible in the lobby. This is a big hotel with lots of bustle, brass, and business facilities. The Club floor rooms are bright and airy with plenty of cream and gold, a small safe with jewellery compartments, white work desk with three pin square sockets and an Internet cable, and a BMW of a toilet seat in the bathroom. Beer from the minibar will set you back around W7,000. One-day Internet is priced at W25,000. After hours check out the Spa Ondol an interesting Seoul spa option or spoil yourself silly in a Spa Suite. Of course, you could even spend an afternoon exploring the statues and paintings decorating the lobby. Take in classical busts, bronze lions, old lamps, and paintings from European masters. Nothing is understated at the Imperial Palace and care has been taken to demonstrate unmitigated opulence at every turn.
Seoul Hotel Guide, Downtown
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| Smart Lotte Seoul New Wing |
If you want an address in the heart of Seoul, look no further than the Westin Chosun which has become something of a landmark, one block from City Hall. The original Chosun Hotel was established in 1914. The Westin Chosun - featuring renovated rooms - is very much a business travel and Seoul conference hotel choice with crisp service, elegant interiors and a great location. Expect anti-allergy carpets, a slim safe, an Espresso coffee-maker, and a 32-inch flat-screen TV.
Plug into Broadband at around W22,000 for 24 hours and, in Westin Executive Club rooms, use the mobile phone provided free. The phone is free but, alas, calls are not. This is a feature much in vogue at several Seoul hotels. Try out a Family Room that accommodates three, with a large double bed and and an extra single bed.
Completing the ensemble are an indoor year-round pool, fine dining, good meeting facilities and even an extensive pillow menu (from Japanese soba to moulded, goose down and even a full length hugger). The Westin is in the heart of the business and financial district, walking distance from sightseeing, the subway, and the rough-and-tumble of Seoul shopping. This is a sound choice for small meetings or more.
Next door is the Lotte Hotel Seoul which also sports a renovated New Wing which adds a fair bit of class and faux-European touches to brighten up the pace of the old block. The older wing actually has a brighter, airier lobby with marble flooring and pine-wood pillars though its rooms remain largely unchanged. As before, the list of restaurants is impressive.
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| The train system is efficient |
In The New Wing catering for businessmen, all rooms have computers and W22,000 will buy a day’s worth of Internet access. You’ll also find a complimentary mobile phone and a printer. Certain room categories including Club Floor include a fax machine too with breakfast in the lounge and free use of a meeting room. The New Wing offers smart service in addition to piped choral music and strangely soothing chamber strings. The old wing offers WiFi in the rooms.
Across the road, the Seoul Plaza (formerly the Radisson), soldiers on, overlooking the dancing City Hall fountains. All rooms offer high-speed Internet priced at about W20,000 for 24 hours. This is a modern, European-style place (in the Japanese sense) with a gymnasium featuring virtual reality exercise equipment, golf driving range and a wood-floor aerobics studio. There is a Fitness Club with pool and a well equipped business centre. Business travellers can opt for the Club Plaza floors and those looking for a Seoul conference hotel should note that the banquet halls here can handle up to 1,000 guests.
On the eastern flanks of Mt Namsan is a private enclave of peace, enclosed in traditional gardens sprinkled with stone sculptures, ornamental trees and flowers. A private road winds up this idyllic hillock to the neatly boxy, red-brick Shilla Hotel, another Seoul landmark. The Shilla has been completely renovated over a two-year period. This is a Samsung affiliate company and, unsurprisingly, you’ll encounter Samsung mobile phones in the rooms, a Samsung fax in club rooms, and a Samsung monitor in the lift to catch quick CNN excerpts. The latest Samsung mobile phones are on display in the lobby – but they’re leashed for security. Still, you can drool. The hotel is fully wireless enabled and rooms offer plug-in Broadband as well. Next door, the highrise 303-room Hotel President that largely handles Japanese group business has just completed a major overhaul of its lobby.
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| Shilla: Business and Duty-Free |
Ladies can have their fill of pampering at the Guerlain Spa. Or plunge into the Shilla Duty Free (bring along your passport and ticket). Floors 14-20 are Executive Floors with one executive lounge per floor to ensure there’s no scrum for the breakfast buffet. The in-room Elsafe is HUGE (toss in the computer and the kitchen sink), and, wait for this, the complimentary mobile phone for guest use actually features a camera. No scrimping at The Shilla.
One of the loveliest views is to be found at the Grand Hyatt Seoul from where vistas stretch out over the city and river to distant hills and Namsan. The lobby exploits this to the fullest with floor-to-ceiling glass frontage looking down to the open-air pool (there’s an indoor facility too) and gardens. The Grand Hyatt is a stylish address with lots of wood, marble and the clatter of elegant feet. JJ Mahoney’s is still a popular after-hours haunt for a quick tipple and risqué conversation. Internet is available in rooms at W25,000 per day and the Regency Club offers five floors of the Hyatt’s “hotel within a hotel” concept for busy executives. There is WiFi in the lobby. Standard rooms have had a facelift as have the meetings facilities. The Grand Hyatt, with its panoramic views and great location, is a good Seoul conference hotel choice. Recreation facilities are abundant and the outdoor pool doubles as an ice skating rink December to February as the Big Freeze descends.
On the other side of Mt Namsan, the Millennium Seoul Hilton is an old timer with a new name and a reasonably jaunty stride. The 22-storey hotel marries Italian marble and European flourishes with hi-tech features like rooms with their own fax machine, data ports and a Reuters news feed.
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| W Seoul: Try scented rooms |
Farther from the action and miles from the pack when it comes to design eccentricity, is the funky new W Seoul-Walkerhill. Perched on a promontory right above the Han River – and a snaking expressway – the W is less a hotel than a fashion statement for the hip and gloriously reckless. It combines an ultramodern exterior with eclectic furnishings seemingly borrowed from a Manhattan nightclub or a trendy Hongkong bar.
Look at goldfish in glass bowls, peruse potted cactus, and enjoy the chill-out music that, unabashedly, plays through the lobby at an audible - though not inconsiderate - volume. The danger in such a plan is the disorienting effect the décor can have on someone used to navigating faceless hotels the world over, from boxed-in receptions to boring toilets. The W sails through. And there’s nothing boring about it. The lobby, set in steps like an amphitheatre, rises up around the reception with cool lounging areas and mod snuggeries. The funky Woobar runs along one side with tall, white, mod bar stools that seem a bit too delicate to support a German beer belly, but do an adequate job with svelte Asians. Do vodka shots in a test tube at W2,000 a popI felt a bit underdressed in my suit, tie and overcoat. Here you need large dangly jewellery, BIG earrings, a sashay and a certain je ne sais quoi.
The lifts feature glowing orange and green Roman rings (that can actually be used, though caution is recommended) and rooms are redolent with mystic scents. Pick a flavour. Chances are your partner will never smell your armpit – thank heavens. The rooms look through glass walls onto the bathing area. The Scent Rooms are red-and-white affairs with gauzy drapes while the Spa Rooms are in blue and grey. The Media Rooms put some great toys at your disposal. If all this is too much for the senses, pick up a canister of oxygen from the minibar or a feather pillow.
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| Grand Hyatt Deluxe/ photo: Hyatt |
Laptop enthusiasts can surf wireless or plug into Broadband at W22,000 per day. The safe can handle a notebook and the electric socket is three-pin square. Other interactive distractions include a hypnotic spiral that mimics your body shape, and a “Wooden Mirror” in the lobby with hundreds of small fluttering panels that imitate your action as you walk past. Who says a hotel can’t be fun. The price for this sensory bacchanalia is an hour’s drive to town. If you can afford that luxury, why not?
The adjoining Sheraton Grande Walkerhill has a fight on its hands to step out of the W’s shadow but it is sprucing up too. On the slopes of Mt A-Cha, this is a holidaymaker’s retreat with a full-fledged casino, golf driving range, duty-free, and the colourful Walkerhill Show, a traditional Korean revue. Its arsenal includes a broad range of cuisines and an extensive conventions menu. In-room Internet is available, and the big safe will handle a laptop without any fuss. The Sheraton Towers wing is for business travellers with top-end amenities while villas like the Aston (at 15 million won a night) are purely for the rich and richer.
On the northwest fringe of the city, is the Grand Hilton Seoul. The Grand Hilton Seoul is very much a conventioneer’s hangout with extensive and modern facilities though the building itself shows some age. It is located in a green area about a 15-minute drive into town when the traffic is kind. There are hiking paths leading up the hill and a 6km jogging path to the Han River. Executive floors offer computers with high-speed Internet access, fax and copier machine, and complimentary breakfast and refreshments in the Club Lounge.
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| Toda Cosa cosmetics Myung-dong |
A beer from the minibar will set you back around W6,500. The in-room safe alas is not large enough to manage a laptop. Guests also get use of a conference room for two hours and a free pressing of a suit or dress. The fitness centre features a half-Olympic-size indoor pool and there is no lack of workout options here, from aerobics and treadmills to saunas and massage. This is an all-in-one Seoul conference hotel. Internet is available in all rooms at around W20,000 per day.
Back in town, the Sofitel Ambassador is in the thick of things with modern facilities and a European flavour. It offers business amenities, conference facilities and a renovated fitness centre. The centrally located four-star Koreana even offers a barber shop, a game room and arcade.
A 432-unit serviced residence, the Somerset Palace Seoul, marks the Ascott Group’s first foray into South Korea. Said to be the largest serviced residence in the country, the Somerset Palace overlooks the Gyeongbok presidential residence and the Kangbuk central business district. Nearby are multinational companies, and embassies. Guests have high-speed Broadband Internet access, the latest in home entertainment systems and fully-equipped kitchens, in addition to a fitness centre and more.
Take your pick of Seoul business hotels or leisure escapes. Remember, if lost, just holler “BBB”. Or hop on your woolly mammoth and head for the nearest police station.
Seoul budget hotels and youth hostel
Finally, if you really really really need a budget hotel or a place to kip without unduly denting your wallet, try your luck at the Seoul Youth Hostel at Mt Namsan. There are 50 rooms accommodating up to 306 persons. There are kitchenettes for home cooking and even a rooftop cafe with great views across the city.
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| Shoes galore at Doota |
Rent a bicycle, or a laptop here, and get exercising, sight-seeing, or working. Other options include Seoul Backpackers (with free Internet access) and a garden near the Duksung Women's University School of Continuing Education, and Namsan Guest House on the lower reaches of the mountain in central Seoul with free Internet and breakfast.
I departed Seoul stopping only at the airport for some last-minute shopping and to ponder a conundrum. One of the most popular cigarettes in Korea is a brand called THIS. “What’s that?” I asked the girl at duty-free. “This?” “No, that.” “That’s THIS,” she responded ungrammatically. “So that is THIS but is this, that?” She rolled her eyes and walked off.
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