Grand Mercure Imperial Palace Seoul Gangnam

“A Royal Experience Indeed. Actually, Imperial.”

This stunningly beautiful hotel is situated in a convenient, while relatively calm, Gangnam area. The already memorable interiors are made even more unforgettable by the excellence of the staff (all exquisitely polished in their elegant uniforms). Mrs.Magan Kim, the delightful and super efficient c… more

This stunningly beautiful hotel is situated in a convenient, while relatively calm, Gangnam area. The already memorable interiors are made even more unforgettable by the excellence of the staff (all exquisitely polished in their elegant uniforms). Mrs.Magan Kim, the delightful and super efficient concierge manager, made sure we could only be utterly comfortable and content with every detail of our month-and-a-half stay. Eline and all the others at the concierge desk were helpful with all sort of details, from hair salons bookings to taxis. Our housekeeper Soelma was excellent: very hardworking but always cheerful, and going the extra mile. The restaurant of this hotel serves delicious buffets for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and my only regret is that it was impossible to taste everything. What I had was, however, superb, and once again, the professional service elevated the experience further, under the perfect supervision of the regal maître d’. And the valet service personnel was always so courteous and helpful, that we would have liked to give them all a standing ovation. We want to go back. Obviously!!😄

less

“I had a great stay! The hotel is beautiful and the rooms are spacious, comfortable, and gorgeous!”

Fantastic stay and fantastic team. The staff is so helpful. I lost my passport on the other side of Seoul and the manager, Megan Kim, went out of her way to help me get it back. I would have never recovered it without her help!

“Modern rooms, amazing food, outstanding staff.”

Centrally located in the heart of Gangnam, we had a very pleasant and convenient stay at the Imperial Palace. Staff were warm and welcoming, the rooms very modern, and the food was amazing. Breakfast and evening lounge service were also delectable, with a wide range of selection that is truly Korea… more

Centrally located in the heart of Gangnam, we had a very pleasant and convenient stay at the Imperial Palace. Staff were warm and welcoming, the rooms very modern, and the food was amazing. Breakfast and evening lounge service were also delectable, with a wide range of selection that is truly Korean. Welcome drink also had a nice selection, and we were able to do evening tea at the lobby which had amazing decor and ambiance. Concierge and reservations helped us change our rooms to the residences side as soon as we saw availability, which was a good choice as we had great amenities and appliances for our use. We were also pampered with Penhaligon’s amenities, which were lovely. A few downsides during our stay - there is no in-house spa just yet, the car service is with a third party provider (with whom we had a terrible pick-up experience), the shower booth would also flood the bathroom (this happened in both bathrooms). The staff did try to make up for these to the best of their abilities, so special thanks to Alex Noh, Chris Yoon, as well as Joshua, Sam & Rose of concierge. I’d stay here again because of them.

less

“Over-priced, over-rated, over-the-top decor”

Location is not good as there is nothing to do, not even bars or restaurants, around it. At least there is a Starbucks next door. You must take a cab or the subway to get anywhere for food. The lobby is over the top, and soon you feel you're back in the 70's. Lots of old furniture, mirrors, yellow-… more

Location is not good as there is nothing to do, not even bars or restaurants, around it. At least there is a Starbucks next door. You must take a cab or the subway to get anywhere for food. The lobby is over the top, and soon you feel you're back in the 70's. Lots of old furniture, mirrors, yellow-stained marble (not natural stain, though) - seems like it was ages ago when this hotel last saw a face lift, which is something easy to get in Seoul! Hotel restaurants are extremely expensive (US$10 for a soda, anyone? $100 for dinner buffet without alcohol, $60 for Chinese food, $30 glass of wine, etc). Absolutely a rip off! Concierge was clueless. Reception staff nice and efficient. Room was average size but decor was terrible. You will be able to see yourself from many different angles in the bathroom. There are mirrors even in the shower stall! Paint peeling off the wall. Good luck figuring how to flush - lots of buttons and no translation into any other language. But it was fun pushing buttons to see what happened. Mattress was hard. I only saw 2 electric outlets in the room and both were hidden inside a drawer. Some did not even work. Go figure! Light controls for the room are attached to the side of the night stands - again quite an interesting place to put them. Feels like the hotel is playing tricks with the guest! Free wifi and 2 complimentary bottles of water everyday. Bathroom toiletries were average. Mini bar, bath robe, slippers available in the room no coffee / espresso machine as you'd expect from a so called 5- star hotel. Just a keg to heat water and pour over instant coffee. Don't remember if there was a safe. Very quiet, though, which I appreciated. Hallways smell of stale air. Anyway, Seoul has lots of much better hotel choices, at similar or even lower rates. Avoid this place! It probably had its glory days decades ago but it's time to close shop.

less