At Trip advisor a lot of reviewers complained the entrance was difficult to find. We admit it might be slightly confusing to find the entrance, when arriving by car, but there are bell captains, who direct you. The left lift takes guests up to the 23rd floor, where the reception and lounge are located at the top (like the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo). All rooms are located below.
The restaurant The Cornerstone, bar and meeting spaces are on the lower levels. The two elevators to the right are used if guests want to go straight to their rooms or the lobby on the ground floor.
On the top floor are the reception and the Park Lounge. A floor below is the spa.
Our room was not overlooking the COEX Mall, which most guests think is very important. We loved the fact we were overlooking the Kosmo Tower. The room was unusual shaped, like a triangle and thoroughly modern. The bed was facing the window, so when guests care for it, they can leave the automatic blinds open and wake up to great views. It was in a 45 Degree angle, so not your usual straight line. We had a similar experience with the Relaxation Room at the Hilton Madrid Airport, which comes highly recommended, too.
There is a huge wardrobe with loads of storage space, a large table, chairs, an articistic lamp and a very uncomfortable looking chair with ottoman in front of the flat screen TV and DVD player. The looks are deceiving. It was my favorite place to hang out, besides using the table. The minibar is large too and contains interesting juices and sweets. Of course there are more normal things like Pepsi, water or alcoholic beverages.
The bathroom was unusual. There were two sinks, a separate toilet, and separate bathtub and shower, like at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo or The Monarch in Dubai. It had a rock shower, and when one is submerged in the bath tub, one can have great views over the city. It's very romantic at night. The only drawback is that you either have to leave the blinds down (no views then) or rely on a second person to open and close the curtains (Panels for this are at the entrance, near the bed and the bath room.) for you, or if you don't mind being seen naked from people in the neighboring buildings, climb simply out. I had hopes my better half would hear (as we all know he's hard of hearing), when I wanted the curtains drawn again, but he didn't, so after shouting for about five minutes, I gave up and turned into an attraction for the men at the Kosmo Tower. The writing on the panel is by the way in the same color as the switches are, so it's difficult in dimmed light to identify which one is the right. When EW realized I was still standing naked and wet in the bathroom, he came to my aid. I was amused by the whole affair, being by now used to "show off" unintentionally. It had happened in the past and knowing my luck it's going to happen in the future again.
The bathroom amenities are by L'Occitaine.
On our first day we had dinner at the Park Lounge with salmon and chicken breast filled with an herb stuffing. I'm still dreaming about the chicken. Yum!
For the rest of the time we had in room dining. The Korean Breakfast comes highly recommended. It's called the Gangnam Breakfast, after the district, where the hotel is located.
The hotel is ideal located for shop aholics or conventioneers. People interested in cars, should be happy with the "Auto Strasse" (car street), which is located in the opposite direction of the COEX Mall. There are loads of car dealers, ranging from Toyota, Lexus and Hyundai to BMW, Mercedes and Audi. There is also a Seven Eleven.
There are two other hotels located on each end of the mall. Both are Intercontinental, The Grand Seoul Parnas and the COEX Intercontinental. The Grand is, as the name implies, classier, while the Coex is more modern. We had dinner at the COEX and enjoyed the contemporary, creative atmosphere. There are huge sofas, favored by families. They offer the best view over the busy lobby.
I had a memorable incident. A boy, maybe ten or twelve, and I were waiting for his mother and my fiancé to return from the rest rooms. He was fascinated with me, and after picking up some courage, he asked in perfect English, if I was a foreigner. His interest was still there, but his mother returned soon afterwards and had to leave.
Beside the hotels, there is also The Oakwood, serviced apartments, for long staying guests.
The convention center is well integrated and can be reached from the COEX Intercontinental or the mall. The Trade Center is also located at the mall. Taking photographs is a no no, even though, the building is unusual shaped and interesting. Security told us in clear terms it was forbidden.
We enjoyed our stay and when next time in Seoul would stay there again.
There are another two, maybe three parts following soon.
©2011
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