Hotel Review: Conrad Seoul

Background & Booking

I had a trip planned to visit Seoul for the first time. Originally, I was booked at the Fairmont across the street, but then I found a standard room available on points at the Conrad Seoul and decided to use my Hilton Honors Points. I used 70,000 Hilton Honors Points a night, and I booked for 5 nights, so I took advantage of the 5th-night free offer for booking with points. This would be the second Conrad I’ve tried, with my first being the Conrad Tokyo which I loved.

Takeoff Points

Date of Stay: March 2024
Room Types: 2 Queens Deluxe Accessible & 2 Queens Premium
Pros: Great location, solid rooms, and friendly staff. Love how it’s connected to the IFC Mall and Hyundai Seoul Department Store
Cons: Parts of the room could use a refresh, no complimentary Conrad Rubber Duck/Bear

Fora Travel Benefits

I work with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays. Fora is a Hilton Impresario Travel Agency. With Fora’s partnership, you can get special perks when booking with me. This specific property features:

• Daily breakfast for two guests per room, served through in-room dining or in the hotel restaurant
• Upgrade of one category, based on availability at check-in
• Double Hilton HHonors points for the stay
• $100 equivalent hotel credit once during the stay

Additionally, at the time of posting, there is a 3rd-night free offer with Hilton Impresario.

If you are interested in getting these perks and want to stay at the Conrad Seoul, feel free to email me at takeofftotravel@fora.travel and I would be happy to help you plan your trip.

Hotel & Location

The Conrad Seoul opened in November 2012 and has a total of 434 guest rooms. The immediate area around the Conrad Seoul is the Yeouido Business District. My favorite part is that it’s connected via underground walkways to the IFC Mall, and the Hyundai Seoul Department Store. These malls have great restaurants, coffee shops, and stores, and it’s nice to see such lively malls. I had a few great meals in the restaurant wing of the IFC Mall.

It’s also connected to the Yeouido Subway Station on Lines 5 & 9. Taxis are quite inexpensive in Seoul, so since I was traveling with my parents, we opted to share a taxi most of the time. For example, it was about 25-30 minutes from the hotel to the Gyeongbokgung Palace/Bukchon Hanok Village via Uber/Taxi and it cost about 15,000 Won ($11 USD).

Arrival & Check-In

I took a Taxi that I called via the Uber App from Seoul Incheon Airport (ICN). The ride took 45 minutes on a Tuesday at 6:30 PM and was about 55 km. It cost 49,000 Won ($36 USD).

When we arrived at the hotel, we saw some crowds waiting in the porte cochere, and it turned out the San Diego Padres were staying at Conrad Seoul for the MLB Seoul Series season-opening games. I found that kind of cool, and I even saw the pitcher at breakfast. The last time I stayed with a professional sports team was about a decade ago when I stayed at a Marriott in Boston and the Denver Broncos were also staying there.

The lobby was bustling with activity, and I was quickly checked in. In a pre-arrival email, I let the hotel know I wouldn’t need the accessible room that I booked, as I only booked it since it was the only standard award redemption available. When I checked in, the friendly associate let me know that they were fully committed for the first night, but they proactively already assigned me to a Premium room type for the remaining four nights. She then explained the benefits for Hilton Honors Diamond Members, where I would receive Breakfast for 2 daily at Zest (or the Executive Lounge), and have access to the Executive Lounge. I also noticed on a pamphlet she handed to me, that Diamond Members can receive an upgrade up to the Premium Category only (so no Suite upgrades).

Two Queens Deluxe Accessible

Our room for the first night was in the Two Queens Deluxe Accessible. The Deluxe category is the starting category at the property. Our room was located on the 15th floor, and I was initially surprised at how large the room was upon entering. Since the rooms were mostly identical, I’ll just share more of the key differences of this room and some photos.

The beds were much closer to the ground and the bathroom was open-concept without a separate door for the toilet. With regards to the toilet, the Deluxe Accessible room had a much nicer bidet version with more settings, and it was newer. Also, the hallways were much wider in the accessible room. Lastly, the Deluxe Accessible room did not have a Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer like the Premium Room did.

Two Queens Premium Riverview Room

Our room for the remaining four nights was the Two Queens Premium Riverview Room located on the 30th floor. Upon entering the room, I was a bit taken aback by how much smaller the room felt than the previous room. Both rooms are stated to be 516 square feet, which is a solid size, but the accessible room felt larger.

Upon entering, there is a walk-in closet space with nice wooden hangers, robes, slippers, and an iron/board.

The room itself had two queen-sized beds, with nightstands on both corners and in the center. In the center nightstand, there was a JBL speaker in the room that also served as a clock, as well as a device that had the room controls on it. At the window, there is a sofa lounger for one and a desk with a spinning chair.

The beds were comfortable, and it’s nice to see 2 Queen Sized beds internationally, making the room great for sharing with friends or family. Room cleanliness was on point, but one thing I disliked was that the AC did not have a fan function that one could leave on, but rather it only got activated when cooling the room down/warming it up.

Next to the TV, was a cute console that had mini-bar items for purchase, as well as a Nespresso Machine and hot water pot. And on the desk, there was a Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer which was a nice touch and a perk of staying in a Premium Room Type, as the Deluxe Room did not have one.

In terms of the view, it was nice to see the River and more of Seoul in the background.

Bathroom in Premium Riverview Room

The bathroom looked quite nice, with a separate shower and tub, along with dual sinks and a separate W/C. The shower had both a rainfall showerhead, and a wand, plus the water pressure was good. There was also a TV engraved in the mirror.

Toiletries were provided by Byredo, in the Mojave Ghost scent. Amenities such as mouthwash, dental kits, shower caps & vanity kits were also provided.

There were a few issues with the bathroom, one being that the shower had an annoying chemical cleaning smell which dampened the shower experience in our room. And, the bidet-style toilet was a disappointment, as it only had cold water, and the seat control panel had seen better days. The bidet-style toilet in the first room we had was a different brand and in much better condition. Lastly, some of the fixtures in the shower like one of the hangers had begun to rust, so some touch-ups would be warranted.

Service

The daily housekeeping service was quite good, and they provided nightly turndown as well. They left a tea sachet every night which was cute, but I would have preferred a chocolate. They always replenished the water bottles as well.

The team at the concierge lounge was also great, and they remembered me by name from day 1. They assisted and made it super easy to change rooms, and were always helpful with any questions. The chat function on the Hilton App worked well, and the hotel team was very responsive.

Executive Lounge

The Executive Lounge at Conrad Seoul is located on the top floor (37) of the property and is open from 7 AM to 10 PM daily. The views of the Han River and the City are quite nice, and it is a pretty large space.

The Food & Beverage Services during my stay included:

• Breakfast Buffet: 7 AM to 10:30 AM
• Weekdays Croissants & Danishes 11 AM to 12 PM
• Weekdays High Tea 2:30 PM to 4 PM (additional guests over 2 adults is KRW 22,000)
• Evening Cocktail 5 PM to 7 PM (additional guests over 2 adults is an extra KRW 60,000)

There are two sides for seating in the lounge, one straight as you enter, and one towards the bar on the left.

At all hours, there are sodas and juices in the fridge, tea and coffee, and a few snacks/one fruit. Pretty basic outside of their themed hours.

Evening Cocktail Hours

I visited once during the Evening Cocktail hours from 5 PM to 7 PM and there were some alcoholic and beer options. There were also some hot dishes as well.

The cocktail hour had a good selection of food and drinks, though I wouldn’t say it’s worth KRW 60,000 ($44) for a 3rd guest.

Overall, the Executive Lounge is a nice spot to have some soda or tea throughout the day, but the snacks are on the more basic side outside of the high tea and cocktail hours.

Dining

The Conrad Seoul has a variety of dining options on-site. Starting with the lobby level, FLAMES is the lobby lounge serving snacks and drinks.

Next to Flames is 10G, which serves specialty coffee, drinks, and desserts. It’s like a Starbucks, and easy to grab and go.

On the second floor, there is Atrio, which is an Italian restaurant. And, there is also a Noodle Bar.

VVERTIGO is a rooftop sky bar and restaurant located on the 9th floor. It’s open for lunch and dinner and closes at midnight on weekdays, and 1 am on weekends.

The cool aspect about VVERTIGO was that they had Igloos you could reserve as long as you hit a minimum spend.

On the top floor is the 37 Grill & Bar, which is also located near the Executive Lounge.

Zest & Breakfast

Also on the second floor is the main restaurant, Zest, where the breakfast buffet is served.

The restaurant is quite large and spacious and is a buffet-style restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast for two was included here for me as a Hilton Honors Diamond Member, and any additional guests were KRW 67,000 ($50).

I liked the decor and seating variety. One day, I got a huge booth which was nice.

The buffet is quite expansive, and it’s shaped like a t. There are American options, Korean options, an egg station, and even a noodle station. I found the selection to have a great variety, and the taste to be quite good. You can also order coffee and tea drinks from your table.

One day, they had a “pop-up” donut station which was cute.

And they gave these fig newton style snacks each morning, which I found yummy. Not sure if only elite members get it, but I was a little embarrassed they had a “Diamond Member” sign along with it.

Overall, I enjoyed the breakfast at Zest quite a lot!

On our last morning, we had an early flight and weren’t going to make it when they opened Zest. The hotel does have an express-style breakfast that they can deliver to your room at any time. We opted for that on our last day and got a banana, pastry, coffee/tea, and yogurt delivered to our room. It was basic but better than nothing when you can’t catch breakfast at the restaurant.

Amenities

PULSE8

The luxury fitness club at the Conrad Seoul is called PULSE8 located on the 8th floor. There is a Sauna (for a fee), Gym, Studio for fitness classes, Indoor Swimming Pool, and Golf Practice Ranges. The amenities are open from 6 AM to 10 PM except the gym which is open 24 hours.

Spa

On the 9th floor, is the Conrad Spa. On weekdays (Mon-Thur), hotel guests can get a 10% discount for treatments of 90 minutes or longer.

Since I had to get another Conrad Bear and Duck to match my Tokyo ones, I was happy that the Spa sold them, while I do wish they had given them as a welcome amenity. Both the bear and the duck together were about $18 USD.

The Verdict

The Conrad Seoul is a solid property in Seoul. While I did enjoy my stay at Conrad Tokyo more, I appreciated Conrad Seoul for the location connected to both the IFE Mall and Hyundai Seoul Department Store. The Yeouido Business District was a solid location to establish a home base, with the Seoul Subway system or an inexpensive taxi available to take you to most of the tourist parts of the city. I found the rooms to be a comfortable size, the service was attentive, and the breakfast was pretty good.

Have you stayed at the Conrad Seoul before? How was your experience? Comment below!

Cheers,

Ty

Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!