South Korea Luxury Holidays

Sejong Hotel is very conveniently located in Myeongdong, which was probably the best part of our stay. It is easy to get around Seoul from here, and there are plenty of restaurants, shops and other things nearby. The hotel itself, however, feels quite old and dated. The rooms and common areas could use a significant refresh, and at least one of the elevators was not working during our stay. Breakfast was also not included with our booking. Check-in is largely self-service using a computer, although the staff we interacted with were helpful and pleasant when we needed them. There were also ongoing labor protests outside the hotel during our stay relating to former hotel workers. I don’t know enough about the dispute to comment on the underlying issues, but as a guest the protests were noticeable and a little uncomfortable. Overall, the location is excellent, but the hotel is showing its age. It probably was a very nice hotel in its day, but today I think there are likely better and more modern options around Myeongdong. I would choose it primarily for the location rather than the hotel experience itself.

Apparently there is talk of this place closing down. Pool isn’t in operation and looks like it hasn’t been for some time. A few dead cactuses dotted around in pots near the cafe and breakfast room. Breakfast was good and a very handy CU convenience store in the foyer. About AU$12 for a k.ride to Hongdae.

Unique

I requested makeup room, but I was pushed back for three hours because they have a priority rooms to be cleaned. My room was never mad up because I had to give up and rest. It was unacceptable. I left at 11 AM came back at 2 pm.It still wasn’t done. That was the only thing.

Great property. Excellent buffet breakfast! Beds were very comfortable with great bedding. Excellent customer service!

Apparently there is talk of this place closing down. Pool isn’t in operation and looks like it hasn’t been for some time. A few dead cactuses dotted around in pots near the cafe and breakfast room. Breakfast was good and a very handy CU convenience store in the foyer. About AU$12 for a k.ride to Hongdae.

I requested makeup room, but I was pushed back for three hours because they have a priority rooms to be cleaned. My room was never mad up because I had to give up and rest. It was unacceptable. I left at 11 AM came back at 2 pm.It still wasn’t done. That was the only thing.

Stayed 4 days. The service was the biggest disappointment for me. Overall, it felt not warm or genuine. When I checked in, the front desk agent seemed like she was just trying to get through the process as quickly as possible. She was giving me information, but it felt like she wasn’t really paying attention to whether I was following what she was saying. There wasn’t really a moment where she paused and asked if I had any questions. It felt more like, “Let’s get this done and move on.” There were also a couple of small things that really surprised me. When the bellboy brought my luggage to the room, I gave him a cash tip. His immediate reaction was an audible “Ah?!” It was quite awkward and honestly made me feel embarrassed, almost as if I had done something strange or inappropriate. I’ve stayed at different luxury hotels in Asia, and that was definitely not the kind of reaction I expected. Then, four days later at check-out, something else happened that I found quite surprising. The front desk agent greeted me, took the room key card from me, and then just carelessly flicked it into a pile with the other cards, almost like throwing a playing card.