Ibis Hotel Seoul
If you are thinking of going to Seoul, Korea for a holiday, and you are looking for a great hotel, try out the Ibis Hotel in Myeongdong.
When talking about the Ibis brand, we are naturally not making references to a backpacker hostel, but this review is about a hotel in the 3 stars and above category.
The hotel does not have a very grand entrance and it has a real budget feel from the ground floor. Frankly, the lobby looks like one of those “Hotel 81” budget hotels.
However, do persevere to your rooms, as the hotel is well worth it! All guests will need to proceed to the 19th floor reception to be checked in.
Costing about S$130/night, the rooms are not huge, but definitely bigger than the hotel rooms in Europe. Rooms are also clean and well maintained.
The Best thing about this hotel is the LOCATION!
Located in the heart of the Myeongdong shopping district, it is a stone’s throw from the nearby shops and restaurants. Looking out of windows of the hotel, I can see shops like Louis Vuitton and Chanel.
This is the picture of the high end Lotte Mall, just across the street.
And, the Metro or Subway is just 100m away! This makes travelling SUPER CONVENIENT!
In order to keep operating costs low, the hotel does not offer room service. Instead, every floor is equipped with a water dispenser for hot and cold water, and vending machines that sells essential toiletries.
This may be a bit irritating at times, as when I wanted a extra pillow, I had to take a lift up to the reception desk and take the pillow myself. This task is definitely more troublesome in winter, as I had to make myself presentable, as I wanted to avoid walking around in my pyjamas.
However, you will definitely save money, as you can’t order anything from the kitchen late at night!
For the Internet Savvy traveller, you will be glad to know that the hotel offers FREE INTERNET ACCESS.
What we liked about the room is also that the toilets are well-equipped with those high end Japanese Toilet Seats.
These seats come equipped with the usual devices to “wash your butt”, but the best thing about this equipment is the warm toilet seat! This is especially important when you are experiencing a very cold winter.
As we were there in the midst of Korea’s coldest winter for the last 70 years, this little frill seem to go a long way!
The hotel is also along the route of a shuttle service that takes you to the Airport. Costing 9000won, the trip takes about 1.5 hours, as it circles around the hotels in the Myeong-dong area, before heading off for the airport.
Overall, we enjoyed our 2 night stay in Hotel Ibis, and we will definitely come back again when we are in Seoul.
Hotel Address:
59-5 Myeong-dong 1Ga Jung-gu – 100021 – SEOUL – KOREA.
Tel : (+82)2/63618888 Fax : (+82)2/63618050