The welcome
Like other big luxury names setting up in Seoul, the Four Seasons has done so in maximum style, in a new, superbly designed glass tower. If only my taxi driver could find the entrance. He pulls up to the hotel’s Maru lounge, facing the main avenue, and suggests I get out. With no doormen in sight, I refuse. He disappears inside, and a staff member comes out, jogging alongside the taxi to the driveway, tucked around the corner. He makes sure I’m checked in at a counter in the lobby, which is all dark marble and warm woods, with hanging panels and soaring ceilings.
The neighbourhood
Located on the broad Saemunan-ro in the Jongno-gu business district, the hotel is a 30-minute ride from Gangnam, but a 10-minute walk from the gates of Gyeongbokgung Palace, where you can watch the colourful changing of the guard. It’s a longer walk to the K-beauty shops of Myeong-dong.
The room
My deluxe king room is UAE-sized, most striking for its three angular, floor-to-ceiling glass window frames that open the entire side of the room to a sweeping view of the city. In the daytime, the room is flooded with natural light, unless you opt for a muted effect with automatic shades; at night, with the blackout blinds and mood lighting, it’s a stylish, shady sanctuary, with textured cream walls, dark-wood panelling and decorative mirrors. Lights are controlled by a finicky master switch, but built-in converters compensate. The toilet (with electronic bidet) is in its own room, with separate sink, across the white marble hall from a larger washroom, with shower and bath, visible from the room if you roll back a panel. Other welcome touches: a Nespresso machine and walk-in wardrobe.
The service
Extremely keen and thoughtful. The doormen remember my name and brief taxi drivers in Korean, passing me cards with directions for my return. After I leave a note telling housekeeping how much I liked the welcome gift of a jar of green plum tea, it’s replenished. Small technical problems with the safe’s lock and in-room tablet are promptly fixed.
The scene
Chic local power lunchers pack the restaurant, Boccalino, outnumbering hotel guests, who seem to come from North America and the Gulf.
The food
In Boccalino, I opt for the breakfast buffet (45,000 won [Dh148]), including one hot western or Asian dish of my choice. I have the hanwoo beef bulgogi, a Texas-sized, beautifully tender piece of meat accompanied by a big bowl of soup and all the usual side options such as kimchi. Yu Yuan also has a brunch of high-end dim sum (88,000 won [Dh290]) that includes a succulent Peking duck. The fresh daily sushi options at Kioku, by Tokyo’s Michelin-starred Sushi Sawada, melt like butter in my mouth; a nine-course omakase menu costs 250,000 won (Dh823).
Loved
The range of top-notch restaurants, each in their own uniquely designed settings, and other recreational options, such as the indoor computerised driving range for golfers.
Hated
Despite having a massage in the three-storey spa, I had to pay an extra 55,000 won (Dh181) to use the pool area with a Korean sauna, which wasn’t standout.
The verdict
A destination hotel in a destination city.
The bottom line
Rooms at the Four Seasons Seoul cost from 369,325 South Korean won (Dh1,205), including Wi-Fi and taxes.
This review was done at the invitation of the hotel.
