This was my choice for 4 nights in Seoul for a family trip.

I surprised myself as I would usually gun for Myeongdong but this time priorities were space for 3 adults (which Myeongdong hotels typically don’t quite provide), club lounges access, and anywhere that my Marriott / Hilton status will benefit us.

So with Hilton being a little lacklustre according to my online stalking, I settled on this property after seeing mostly flattering reviews online. And its rare for Courtyards to feel like a full service Marriott which seemed to be the case.

Address –  9 Namdaemun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul  04526 South Korea. Website.

Contact – Tel: +82 2-2211-8000. Email: cy.selsn.info@courtyard.com.

Location – The property is marketed as being in the Namdaemun area while being close to Myeongdong. So its not quite smack in the action but near enough with a 5mins walk (unsheltered). It is also 5mins walk away from City Hall metro station which is a intersection of 2 lines which makes for easy getting around. The every popular Namdaemun market as well (which I didn’t go to) as Shinsaegae Departmental Store and Duty Free is also close by for the non-Myeongdong loots. It is also 5mins walk from the nearest hop on and hop off bus stop which makes for easy sightseeing.

Once you get your bearings, the routes are quite easy to navigate.

Price – I booked 2 rooms for the 3 of us in this permutation:

• Suite Seoul Tower for 1pax:  Member Rate @ KRW261,735++ per night = KRW1,151,634 (SGD 1,336)
• Premier King Room for 2pax: Member Rate Advance Purchase Rate @ KRW152,016++ per night = KRW668,871 (SGD 806)  –> to be upgraded to Executive Premier Double Room due to my Platinum Elite status with Bonvoy.

This ensures that all 3 of us get access to the Executive Lounge – yays to chilling! I toyed with different permutations actually but this makes the most sense in terms of cost given my 4NF benefit from Citi Prestige.

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Prior to Arrival – Because the connecting feature was important, I emailed the hotel to ask if there is any way I can confirm the connecting arrangements prior to arrival. To my surprise, they were happy to oblige and were very patient with my multiple correspondences. It was a good start!

Getting There – we took a deluxe taxi (orange color) from Incheon Airport and with a slight jam on our way there, it cost us KRW116,000 (SGD132) despite the fact that the taxi was almost too small to fit our 3x 29inch luggage. Expensive. An airport bus would have been cheaper but it seems to stop at Frasers which without bearings was a concern for us to get to (but in actual fact, its just around the corner. On hindsight la).

Check In – Tired from the 1-hour plus drive following the red-eyed SQ608, we floated up to the check in desk around 930am and was told only the Premier room was available and the Suite is slated for late check out till 4pm. Definitely not ideal after such a long journey but better than nothing. The whole check in process also took very long – Ashley from the front desk was really nice but super (maybe too detailed). It took another 30mins before I got my keys and on my way up to the room.

Rooms –

Suite Seoul Tower – standing at 53 SqM with a separate living area, this was a nice room indeed! The door opens up into the wardrobe and spacious living room equipped to sit 4pax, a big TV, and a view of the Seoul Tower.

It is then a right turn into the master bedroom which is fitted out with a comfy king bed and a round-ish sort of work desk + chair.

Finally, the big bathroom with double sinks, a bathtub, and separated shower and toilet. One of the bigger bath room spaces I’ve seen. The space is also spotless so housekeeping did a fantastic job. Toiletries were FLOR de MAN branded – never heard of it but does it job fairly okay.

Executive Premier Double – comparatively, this room felt a little squeezy at 26SqM for 2pax with big luggage. So thank goodness for connecting Suite. Does what it does at being a nice and clean room – highly functional for a trip.

Executive Lounge – the spot where we spent a lot of time at (as always)!

Located on the top floor of the hotel on 22, the lounge is a big L shaped and comes with its own reception. The whole place is decked out in warm brown tones and because of the glass panels, gets ALOT of sun in the mornings. Just look at those sunrays!

Breakfast was a simple affair and repetitive most days but I’m contented with not having to look outside for food after waking up. You’ll see the usual pastries, yoghurt, cheeses, cold cuts. With just eggs, bacon, and strong coffee – I’m good!

Evening Cocktails was not the most extensive I’ve seen but quality of the food was generally high and quite sufficient for dinner. I could see efforts in making sure that there was variety throughout my 4 nights which was nice. Alcohol wise, there was the usual beer suspects, red, white, and basic spirits.

Day 1 food:

Day 2 food:

Day 3 food:

Day 4 food:

Facilities – I managed to hit the gym 3x during the trip and found it adequate for quick workouts. Located at B1 of the hotel, the place is fitted out with treadmills, cross trainers, free weight, and a good amount of other weights / cable machines. I never saw more than 2 other pax including me.

Service – service was quite good in general, especially at the concierge and executive lounge. Staff were all attentive and helpful and smiley. But I did have 2 hardware issues – the door to the suite was wonky and wouldn’t close easily if you don’t give it a Herculean push. Plus, the toilet in the room stopped flushing properly after the first night. But both issues were rectified fairly quickly.

Elite Recognition – I have to give a shout-out for their excellent level of Elite recognition during my stay. I mean, really, A+ for effort. I got a little ‘gift’ almost every day of my stay (even if one of them seemed to be a mistake)!

Day 1 – a fruit platter, a small bottle of white (I love the attention to details – 3 wine glasses!), and a plate of macarons. A personalised card thanked me for celebrating my birthday at the property too. I mean, my birthday was 8 months away but whom am I to correct them. Hehe.

Day 1 evening – chocolates for 3pax:

Day 3 – beauty masks, cookies, and ginseng water:

Day 4 – vouchers for breakfast at the main restaurant, a bookmark, and heat packs:

Check Out – painlessly processed at the front desk. We also opted to arrange for a jumbo taxi back to Incheon for KRW95,000 which was super reasonable.

In summary,

a great option to be close to Myeongdong and yet be accessible to the metro and hop on and hop off bus stops. Definitely a good base for a short trip once you are familiarized with the surroundings. Its not an expensive choice too!