Le Méridien Seoul, Myeongdong

The hotel is brilliantly placed for Myeongdong, City Hall, and Cheonggyecheon Stream. Its lounge is attractive and well designed, and the room was clean with nothing visibly missing. But coming back from breakfast to find my room door left open was a serious security failure. I made a formal complaint. I couldn't sleep well because the bed felt too narrow. The view was a concrete office building, so I kept the blinds closed. I submitted requests well ahead of time and got no acknowledgment, not even a printed welcome letter. On check-in day I messaged to ask about early check-in and requested an update closer to arrival. Nobody followed up, and I had to ask at the front desk myself. Breakfast was a letdown after all the praise I'd read. The yogurt and juice seemed store-bought, the pastries were weak, and the Korean options felt overrepresented for an international hotel. The egg station was adequate, and coffee and other drinks were below average. The evening hors d'oeuvres were decent, but weaker than at other Le Méridien hotels I've visited. In the lounge I was told to sit in a particular spot, while a group of Chinese guests who didn't speak English could choose the large sofa area freely. It was hard not to see that as different treatment of locals. Staff knew I had Titanium status, but that didn't lead to anything tangible. It's hard to recognize this as the same Le Méridien I loved back in the Starwood days, before Marriott took over. The service falls far short of what I thought the brand stood for.

The hotel is modern and fairly new, and it was handy for exploring Seoul, though the area was definitely tourist central. For this price, I expected a more luxurious feel from a five-star place. Breakfast wasn't good enough, so we had to go out and buy it every day. The building entrance and elevator are shared with the cheaper Moxy hotel. There's no laundry here, but Moxy let us use their washing machines for free, even though they were very busy.

We stayed five nights for my fiancée's birthday, and April Kim and the rest of the staff made it cozy and memorable. They arranged a birthday cake and helped with reservations, which made us feel really cared for. There was a small communication mix-up at first that worried us, but the team was very apologetic and attentive afterward.

I used to stay around Kangnam when I came to Korea for work or family gatherings. Now I've found the nicest hotel in Myeong Dong, Le Meredien Myeong Dong. The food is the nicest in the area, and the service has been the most comfortable I've experienced. I sometimes head to the Moxy side for western-style lunch too. Myeong Dong is where visitors come for shopping and nearby sights. The breakfast and dinner buffet is solid for the money in this area. Have fun in Korea!