I have 4 nights in Seoul and was looking at options on where to stay while I am in town. While my first choice is the Conrad, it is way overpriced for the period that I am in town. They were going for around 350 to 400K per night. Since I only had a limited time in Seoul, I decided to book something more casual since I wanted to maximise my time out in the city. There is no point in getting a fancy place with a lounge or what. I fall back on my secondary hotel status, IHG. This will also probably be the last year I will hold IHG Diamond Status. I chance upon voco Seoul Gangnam, a rather new IHG property in the city. The price is also fair. voco is only a year old and only opened back in 2022. It seems to be the best option since I also enjoy complimentary breakfast. voco Seoul Gangnam ended up being my first-ever stay at a voco property.
Booking Process & Pre Arrival
I book directly with IHG using my Citi Prestige card. I got the base-level Guest room. My nightly rate was around 275 SGD including taxes. This was brought down by utilising my Citi Prestige 4th-night free benefit to 217 SGD. I have often found value using the 4NF. This is one of the best travel cards in my opinion. I was extended an upgrade to one of the Premium Rooms with a Hinoki Bathtub ahead of the stay. This would usually go for around 350 bucks! Excellent value and elite recognition for being a Diamond member. Voco Seoul Gangnam features 151 guest rooms and suites spread across 11 categories. You can find the breakdown below.
| Rooms | Bathtub | Room Size | No of Rooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deluxe Single | No | 21 Sqm | 31 |
| Deluxe | No | 25 Sqm | 44 |
| Premium | No | 30 Sqm | 37 |
| Premium w Hinoki | Yes | 30 Sqm | 18 |
| Premium w Bathtub | Yes | 30 Sqm | 7 |
| Suite Luxury Bath View | Yes | 43 Sqm | 7 |
| One Bedroom Suite | Yes | 43 Sqm | 2 |
| One Bedroom Luxury Suite | Yes | 53 Sqm | 2 |
| Grand Suite | Yes | 95 Sqm | 1 |
| Royal Suite | Yes | 103 Sqm | 1 |
| Presidential Suite | Yes | 220 Sqm | 1 |
Checking In
I actually landed at 5pm but given the unexpected long wait for immigration, we only got to the hotel and checked in close to 8pm. Seoul Incheon Airport is one of the worst to fly in to given the distance from the city. We then took a taxi from Seoul Station. I did not like that the hotel did not have a proper pickup and drop-off point. It was raining quite heavy when we arrived and we could only alight by the roadside. The reception is one level up from the ground floor.
I love the look of the place. It looks so stylish and striking. I love the sharp colours and decor. I was warmly welcomed by the staff. The friendly lady checked me in and provided me with all the necessary information. I was also informed that I have been upgraded on account of my IHG status. I got breakfast as my welcome amenity. Late check-out was extended till 2pm. They are very stingy on this and go with the bare minimum for Diamond members. Only after some strong asking, this was extended till 4pm on the day of checkout. I was then escorted to the lift by the friendly lady and I love those cute lift buttons that they have.
Premium Room with Hinoki Bathtub
I was assigned a room on the 11th floor, room 1108 to be exact. My room is at the end of the corridor. The room comes with an elongated entrance way and immediately to the left, you can find the bathroom. The room is on the smaller side and only measures 30 Sqm. Space is quite a commodity over here. The bathroom is one of the nicest spots in the room and my personal favourite. It is on the smaller side but sufficient for the stay. Check out how gorgeous the place is and the look of the bathroom. It comes with a Hinoki bathtub. I love the soft mellow finishes. Taking a soak here is very comfortable. This will be handy, especially during the cooler season.
The bathroom also comes with a separate standing shower and a single sink. All sorts of amenities are found in the room and they are eco-friendly products. Toiletries are from Antipodes and I love the fig scent of them. They were amazing and lather well. The standing shower space is very spacious behind a nicely enclosed glass door that prevents water from getting over the place. Water pressure and temperature control are good but can be further refined. It comes with both a handheld shower head as well as a rainforest shower so that is something that I appreciate.
Between the bathroom and the main space of the room itself, you can find a little vanity area. This is good for placing your small and loose items. There is a power socket here and a mirror. It will be great for the ladies to get ready in the morning. With the power outlet here, it might be a more comfortable spot to get work done than at the coffee table.
Now let’s come to the main space of the room itself. It’s so stylish and gorgeous. While the footprint is tight, I love the high ceilings which helps make the place much more spacious than it is. The room is mainly rectangular in configuration. I do love the little touches and aspects of the room.
By the side, you have the minibar and the open-concept wardrobe. It comes with a sliding door that pivots between the entrance way or the wardrobe. This can act as a barrier between the bedroom area from the rest of the room or a door for the wardrobe. The minibar is well stocked with plenty of amenities and glassware. There are some packed tea and filtered coffee alongside some biscuits.
There is also a mini fridge below that is well-stocked with both water, non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks. The minibar is complimentary here and replenished during daily housekeeping.
The wardrobe comes with both bathrobes, bath slippers, an ironing kit as well as hangers. They could have provided more hangers. The drawers here also provide some additional storage for your stay.
Mounted on the wall opposite the bed is a huge Smart Screen TV. It’s of a good size and this is perfect for movie nights. It comes with plenty of local TV channels. The TV also supports casting capabilities for you to screen content from your phone. I love the TV.
The centrepiece of the room is the plush king-size bed. It’s a dream to lay on. I love how plush and smooth the bedding is. The mattress has a nice balance between being firm and soft. It offers great back support and I slept like a baby. The bed also comes with two soft pillows and two firm pillows. On one side of the bed, you can find a nightstand with power outlets readily available. They are very thoughtful in providing a multi-function cable that you can use to charge various types of phones. They provide a remote that allows you to control the lighting, air conditioning and even the television. The only thing that is manually controlled here are the curtains.
The view from the room is alright but nothing too outstanding I did get a slightly unblocked view and you can even get some of the mountains in the surrounding area. By the window, you can find a couch with a coffee table. The setup is gorgeous. This also sorts of acts as the working and dining desk in the room. The power outlets within reach do make this spot a little workstation. But with only the couch, it can get rather uncomfortable for an extended period of working. Left on the table is a Korean snack welcome amenity.
Given the small size of the room, it is also quite a struggle to open up your suitcase so naturally the only area where we can open up our huge languages is the sofa area. The soundproofing isn’t very good too and sometimes you can hear noise from the corridor. Housekeeping is on the ball here. Everything is tidied and refreshed daily.
Fitness Centre
The fitness centre is located on level three. It is right next to the laundry room. The facility is of a good size and comes with the usual gym equipment that you need. The place is very well maintained and new. There are bottles of water provided for guests’ usage.
Self Service Laundry
They also have a laundry room on level three for guests’ usage. This is beside the gym. I am sure that it will come in handy especially for long staying guests. There are a couple of washer and dryer over here. You can also get detergent from a vending machine here.
Self Service Kitchen
This is one of the more unique amenities out there and it is a very nice idea. They have a self-service kitchen facility for guests’ usage. The communal kitchen is located on each floor. You get access to the facility on the corresponding floor that you are staying in via your key cards. It is just a small space but handy if you would like to prepare your meals. Given the small footprint of the room, these will come in handy for dining or getting takeaway too. Each of these kitchens comes with a dining table, TV, water machine, fridge, dishwasher and a fully stocked kitchen.
Breakfast at Amarillo
Breakfast is served at Amarillo on the same floor as the reception from 6.30am to 10am on weekdays. On weekends, this is extended till 10.30am. The breakfast service features an open kitchen and a selection of delicacies. I enjoyed this on account of my IHG Diamond Status as part of my welcome amenity. Breakfast usually goes for around 38000 KRW for Adults and 22800 KRW for Children. The restaurant has a capacity of 84 pax.
I was down for breakfast at around 8.30am. It is rather quiet given that it is the weekend. I appreciate them extending the time on the weekends. The restaurant is very gorgeous and vibrant as well. Everything is self-service over here with à la carte made-to-order eggs.
Here are some pictures of the breakfast. You can find the salad bar with both fresh vegetables and premade salad, fresh fruits, cold cuts and pastries near the entrance. The almond pastries are very good and fresh.
In the middle of the restaurant, there is a live station that you can order eggs from. They were delicious. By the side is the drinks corner with fresh juices and some continental selection.
The main buffet line is located in the corner. The selection is quite good with a good number of hot dishes. It is not overly huge but everything is high quality and delicious. There are also some instant coffee machines and packaged tea here for guests’ use. I do wish that they could offer barista-made coffee drinks from the bar. That shouldn’t be too difficult. Hot dishes consist of both local and international items. The stir-fried beef bulgogi is quite good. There are also some mushrooms, tomatoes, fried rice and sausages. There are some slight variations from day to day.
Conclusion
I gave my first ever voco stay to this destination. voco Seoul Gangnam is a very new property and the finishing is very good. I had a lovely stay here and enjoyed the accommodations. It is very close to perfect. It is always nice to stay in a property this new. I love the stylish decor. The pricing is very fair as well. Given how expensive Seoul hotels are, it is a good compromise if you are an IHG elite member. Although it is out of the core tourist area, you will have no trouble getting around with the metro station nearby and affordable taxis in Seoul. I appreciate that they have facilities catered towards long-term stay guests. There are plenty of eateries opposite the hotel. I would love it if they could have a proper drop-up and pick-up area.
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