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Home » Product Reviews » Hotel Review: The Plaza Hotel Seoul, Korea

Hotel Review: The Plaza Hotel Seoul, Korea

May 6, 2011 Paris B 17 Comments

I had a bit of hotel emergency before I headed to Seoul recently. I was keen to stay at the Ibis Hotel Myeongdong which Nikki had raved over, but I left my booking too late and there were no rooms available for the time I was visiting. Needless to say, I panicked 😛 With just 2 weeks before I was leaving for Seoul, I still had no hotel room and no idea where to stay.

view from plaza hotel
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View from room window

It was while I was scouring Agoda (where I place most of my hotel bookings) that I saw a new offer pop up for The Plaza hotel. A quick check on Tripadvisor told me it was recently refurbished in 2010 and people who had stayed there recently said it was nice. It was a Buy 3 Free 1 offer – perfect for my length of stay so I booked it.

Part of the reason I booked it also was because there is a direct Airport Limousine bus operated by Korean Airlines to the hotel. It drops you on the hotel doorstep! Well, the back door but right at the hotel nonetheless, which is very convenient for arrival and departure. Turned out, I did not need that service because I had a friend there who insisted on doing the airport run which was very very sweet.

I arrived at the hotel at about 9am and the room wasn’t ready. I wasn’t very upset because from previous experience in Japan, these countries are quite strict about their check in times which was at 2 or 3pm. I could leave my luggage however, and I was told to return at 11am when a room would be ready. So, I took a short 10 minute walk to Myeongdong for coffee and to check out the place.

The Plaza hotel is very well located for tourists. A 5 minute walk out the front door takes you to the City Hall subway station; Deoksugung palace and from there, about another 20-25 minute walk to Gyeongbokgung palace. The back entrance to the lobby takes you to the Sogong-dong Underground Shopping Arcade which leads you to Myeongdong, and tourist shopping heaven. The back entrance also leads you to Namdaemun market, which is just 10 minutes away across 2 streets.

the plaza deluxe twin room
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The Plaza Deluxe Twin Room

I’m very glad I stayed at The Plaza. Other than the location, the room I booked (deluxe twin) was wonderful. The beds were firm but not hard, soft but not too soft. There was a thick warm duvet which was perfectly warm and snuggly on cold days. I hope they change it for something lighter for warmer days because the room can get a little warm. It was perfect for the time I was there and I had wonderful sleep every night.

But what I found most fun about the room is how high tech it was! When you enter the room and insert your keycard into the slot by the door, music plays and the curtains open automatically! When you remove your keycard, again music plays and the curtains close. Yes I was thrilled 😛

I read on Tripadvisor that some people found the rooms small. I did not find it small. It was compact and comfortable but it might be because I’m Asian and of small stature. There was enough space for me to move around and leave my shopping bags.

Everything in the room is controlled by this electronic panel by the beds.

control panel
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I played with the curtains the most 😛 And there is a curtain between the bathroom and room too which is a little odd. You see, the bathroom wall facing the room is clear glass. So you could really sabotage someone who was in the shower, if you opened the curtains at the wrong (or right) moment 😛

glass shower wall
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I honestly have no idea why they built it this way 😛

And I showed you the toilet controls before this, which was awesome 😛 The toilet seats are lovely and heated, just how I like them on a cold chilly morning. The Japanese and Koreans really know how to make themselves comfortable!

toilet controls
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And most luxurious of all was that they provided us with Molton Brown toiletries! Molton Brown is a range of luxury bath and body products from the UK. Awesome!

molton brown toiletries
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The rain shower was perfect after a long day out, and the water was warm and very comfortable. There was tea and coffee provided everyday as well as 2 bottles of complimentary mineral water, which did save on our having to buy water everywhere.

rain shower and tea and coffee
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Those of us who can’t be without our internet connection would be happy to know that there is free Wifi throughout The Plaza hotel, even in the rooms. The signal was not very strong in the rooms, but the connection speed was super fast! Korea certainly bears up to their reputation for having one of the fastest internet speeds in the world at this point in time!

If there is one drawback, is that my room faced the City Hall square and the traffic. It can be quite noisy if they have events going on in the square which is almost everyday. The days I was there, there was a stage set up almost everyday for different events and early in the morning of May 1, there was a very loud rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow and Wonderful World. That can be off putting, but when I travel, I use ear plugs so all was right in my little world 😀

I enjoyed my stay at The Plaza hotel and if I return the Seoul and can get rooms there at a good price again, I’ll certainly be sure to be back 🙂

Paris B

The Plaza hotel is at 23 Taepyeongno 2-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul. The Deluxe Twin room costs roughly US$216-240/room/night. I got mine for about US$180/room/night on Agoda. The hotel website is here www.hoteltheplaza.com/

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About Paris B

Paris B is a 40-something beauty and skincare enthusiast with a practical and very critical view of beauty products and the world of beauty. Her mission on My Women Stuff is to deliver clear, honest reviews and facilitate discussions about beauty trends and life, tempered with a healthy dose of humour. Let the buyer's remorse be ours not yours! When not testing the newest skincare creams and lotions, or playing with makeup, find her testing her culinary skills in the kitchen at Chez PB. Read more about us here or leave a comment below or connect with us on social media at Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

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17 comments ... Read or JOIN THE DISCUSSION

  1. Cece says

    May 6, 2011 at 8:32 pm

    I enjoyed reading this. Is it easy to navigate around the city free-and-easy if we can’t speak the language?

    Reply
    • ParisB says

      May 8, 2011 at 11:52 am

      Thanks Cece. The city isn’t hard to navigate (you can get tourist maps in English at the airport and everywhere) but I did find that the locals don’t speak English very well so it was hard asking for directions when no one understands you. I was free and easy and I was lucky to know someone there and the people at the hotel spoke very good English so I was able to move around without too much trouble. Otherwise though, it can be quite frustrating.

      Reply
  2. yuki says

    May 6, 2011 at 10:27 pm

    Seoul!!! It’s such a lovely country… I miss it … Ibis is like right on myeongdong. Very convenient:) opposite the street of ibis is lotte plaza which isn’t really much unless u’re really rich.. All the branded stuff… I stayed at metro hotel! It was difficult to find this hotel online. I found it using a Korean map 🙂 rm130 per person per night for a deluxe twin 🙂 awesome find! It’s just a few blocks away frm ibis.

    The plaza looks very nice but way outta my budget! Yes, I wasso happy abt the heated toilet seats! Hahahaha. I hated waking up in d morning n sitting on an ice cold seat.

    Reply
    • ParisB says

      May 8, 2011 at 11:58 am

      Yeah! I love the heated toilet seats best. The Koreans and Japanese certainly know what they are doing! LOL I actually got some excellent deals at Lotte Plaza – there was a huge sale going on and loads of promotions hehe… Thanks for sharing your hotel – it’ll be a good alternative since the location is just as awesome 😉

      Reply
  3. AnT says

    May 6, 2011 at 11:51 pm

    Omigosh! Why the bathroom wall is made of clear glass? Not only can sabotage in shower but even if one were to pee…. Eeeeee……

    Reply
    • Shay says

      May 7, 2011 at 12:17 am

      Same as kempinski in jkt and crown plaza in KL. Seems like it’s fashionable.

      Reply
      • Deepa says

        May 8, 2011 at 2:40 am

        Also, same as the Novotel KL which is near Pavilion… the window enabled us to see what the occupants in the Loo was doing. Outrages and kinda kinky. LOL…;)

        Reply
        • ParisB says

          May 8, 2011 at 12:07 pm

          LOL!! Looks like is most certainly is an ongoing trend!

          Reply
      • ParisB says

        May 8, 2011 at 12:00 pm

        Seriously? Fashionable? -_-

        Reply
    • ParisB says

      May 8, 2011 at 12:00 pm

      haha…. yeah if you are travelling with someone mischievous! 😉

      Reply
  4. Nikki says

    May 7, 2011 at 12:42 am

    Wow, I like the music and the curtains that move! Freaky but COOL! hahaha I am glad you were able to book a hotel that’s centrally located and you can walk your way around the spots 🙂 Eeeek I wouldn’t mind trying this hotel IF i’ll go back! I seriously want to visit Seoul again! You made me miss my trip 😀

    Reply
    • ParisB says

      May 8, 2011 at 12:01 pm

      I want to go visit again too! LOL I loved this hotel for all its high tech fun and for the excellent shower and beds. But the price was super ouch!

      Reply
  5. Sam says

    May 7, 2011 at 12:58 pm

    I love electronic curtains – one of my quirks when looking for a hotel!
    Never been to Seoul, but the Plaza looks great!

    Reply
    • ParisB says

      May 8, 2011 at 12:03 pm

      Haha I am so backward – this was my first time playing with electronic curtains 😀 Such a thrill!

      Reply
  6. beautyknot says

    May 9, 2011 at 1:06 pm

    Thanks for your great review, the high-tech amenities is very interesting, I have yet to stay in this kind of hotel before. The hotels that I stayed in Korea previously were all quite “ordinary”.

    Reply
    • ParisB says

      May 9, 2011 at 1:45 pm

      You’re welcome. I hope its been helpful! 😉

      Reply
  7. iheartkoreanbeauty says

    November 15, 2011 at 3:18 pm

    Room looks great and not small at all, will keep this one in mind, thanks!

    Reply

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My Women Stuff by Paris B

Welcome to My Women Stuff, a beauty blog based in Malaysia, written by veteran blogger, Paris B. What you can expect is honesty, critical views & a healthy dose of shared life lessons sprinkled amongst beauty product reviews. What you shouldn't expect is a page filled with unnecessary narcissistic photos. MWS is a blog for those who love to read, because we love to write! Read More about MWS and Paris B

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