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That's right. Thompson Hotels, having finished with their monopoly on New York, is expanding overseas to Seoul, Korea.
We have to say, this destination is shocking. We thought for sure a London property was in the works. Yet today a press release was making the rounds of the interweb that Jason Pomeranc and co. are heading off to Seoul.
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by juliana
Have you heard about Seoul's hotness? South Korea's hipper-than-thou capital is gaining street cred due to a recent opening of a 10 Corso Como, a Fashion Week growing quickly in international regard, and not to mention the popularity of Korean TV dramas around the world.
The development of Seoul as a sort of new Tokyo (albeit slightly more affordable) is creating a distinctive thirst among tourists and locals alike: for luxury and high design.
This is why, in a city where women wear high heels everywhere, the Metro Hotel Myungdong looks and feels so good. So it doesn't have the best views, but then what is a great view in a city planned without much regard to green spaces and well...city planning?
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by JetSetCD
You know the scene. You open the door to your brand new hotel room, run over to the window, open the blinds and bam, you are hit with the anti-view. Maybe you are looking down a dirty alley, witnessing a drug deal, staring at an air shaft in the face, or seeing a brick wall. Whatever you are viewing it is not extremely pleasurable. Help out your fellow hotel mavens by uploading your anti-views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number with the not-so-easy-on-the-eyes view.
Before we talk about the view from Seoul's Metro Hotel Myungdong, let's talk about what their website promises:
A Journey ... Not the Same ... You will have plenty to feel satisfied about, plenty to smile about in Metro.
That's a big promise and if we check the view from this room, we're not smiling too hard or feeling enormously satisfied yet. There's a lovely concrete jungle, if you can smile about that kind of thing, and some weird architecture going on with the building next door. What are these big squares all about, and who is meant to see them, other than guests at this level or higher in the Metro Hotel? It kind of looks like a part of the building that they've put on in the wrong place.
We shouldn't be too hard on the Metro Hotel's view--Seoul's a huge city and there can't be too many killer views from Seoul hotels. To its credit, the Metro is centrally located and offers reasonably-priced rooms from around $100 a night. There are 75 rooms that include an internet connection, satellite TV channels and double glazed windows to keep out some of the city noise.
If you're still balancing up the bad view versus the decent hotel ideas, here's a quote from the Metro's website to tip the scales: "Seoul's Metro Hotel fits like a well-made Korean glove." Say no more.
[Photo: xeeliz]
Related Stories:
· Hotels in Seoul [HotelChatter]
· Travel Stories in Seoul [Jaunted]
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by amandak
The Lotte Hotel Seoul just won a gong as the "Best Individual Hotel in Asia", as decided by Global Traveler USA magazine. The Lotte Hotel is a 1349-room extravaganza, recently refurbished (and 370 rooms were added brand new), and with a new grand lobby on the 14th floor.
While its specialization is "super-deluxe service for business travelers", there are obviously enough rooms for everyone and tourists also pick it for the central location. A few gripes include the expensive charges for the internet and the hotel's so big that it can sometimes feel a bit impersonal.
The Lotte Hotel is actually part of a huge complex called Lotte World which also includes an amusement park, sports center, water slide park, folk museum and a huge shopping center--promoters describe it as a mini-city. So you could go to Lotte World, stay in the luxury of the Lotte Hotel, and never actually see Seoul, apart from the trip from the airport. But that'd be a bit Seoul-less, wouldn't it?
[Photo: paris03]
Related Stories:
· Lotte Hotel Seoul reviews [TripAdvisor]
About 10 years ago the Hotel Shilla in Seoul put some cool tech features in all its guest rooms. We're still waiting for them to show up elsewhere.
At the hotel, a bathroom break in the middle of the night is almost a pleasure. You turn on the bathroom light and it doesn't come on all the way. It starts off dim and gradually gets brighter. When you turn it off it gradually gets dimmer again. No blinding light when you turn it on, no stumbling back to bed in complete darkness, with spots swimming in front of your eyes.
The second feature is probably more of a pain to initiate, but it's brilliant. Whenever the phone in your room rings, the volume on your TV set immediately gets lower automatically. No fumbling around for the remote control, no "Hold on a minute while I turn down the TV."
Considering that a hotel in Korea has had these features in place for a decade now, why are we still waiting for the simple things like this to spread?
Related Stories:
· Shilla Seoul reviews [TripAdvisor]
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by Tim L.
Hotel Maven hmlauer clues us in on the ins and outs of W Seoul:
I stayed at the W in Seoul back in June. Definitely one of the coolest places in town - both for locals and travelers. The rooms are very space-agey in feel. Everything is either red or white. And the views of the surrounding area are pretty great (assuming it's not cloudy). The only downside is that it is at least a 15 minute taxi ride from the central business district. But I'd definitely recommend it.
We here while the W is on the outskirts of Seoul, they do offer a free shuttle to the Subway station, however, you are still a good distance from the city--guess it all depends how close to town you need to be.
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by markj
Emirates Airlines is celebrating the launch of its new daily flights to Seoul by giving away complimentary hotel stays to First and Business Class passengers.
Just fly to Seoul on Emirates between May 1st and July 31 and you can get up to three complimentary nights at the Ritz Carlton Seoul.
The "just fly to Seoul" part is easier said than done, we know.
Related Stories:
· Ritz Carlton Seoul Deal [Emirates Airlines]
· Ritz Carlton Seoul Reviews [TripAdvisor]
0 Comments - Add Yours by markj
The third international W is now open for business.
W Seoul-Walkerhill, located on the slopes of Mount Acha, will be the first property to offer rooms by color and scent.
Before you get carried away, there appear to be four room types:
Wonderful Room, with its red and white interiors; Media Room, complete with a round bed, Jacuzzi bath, private projection LCD screen and home theatre system; Spa Room colored in grays with a bath that sits at the edge of the window, and Scent Room, which allows guests to pre-select from a customized menu of aromas for the room, and includes an outdoor terrace.
W is offering some sort of Jag transportation package, and complimentary spa treatment, as part of their grand opening offer.
If you find yourself in Seoul you may want to look into this place.
Doesn't it seem like a new W is popping up every week?
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