During my recent trip to Seoul, which combined both work and leisure, I stayed at the Park Hyatt Seoul in Gangnam.
The location was convenient for my business appointments, and I spent three nights in Room 2102.
Here’s my honest review of the room.
- 🏢 Lobby on the Top Floor – A Slightly Confusing Layout
- 🛋️ First Impressions – High Ceilings and a Sense of Space
- 🌆 View from the Window – Not Quite Picture Perfect
- 🔊 Noise and Insulation
- 🚿 Bathroom and Ventilation
- 🛏️ Sleep Quality – Surprisingly Excellent
- 📦 Room Service and Amenities
- ✅ Overall Impression (Room Only)
- 📷 Gallery
🏢 Lobby on the Top Floor – A Slightly Confusing Layout
The hotel’s lobby is located on the 24th floor. From there, you switch to a separate elevator to reach the guest rooms on the lower floors.
This “sky lobby” style has become quite common in luxury hotels, but I always get confused with the elevator buttons and end up pressing the wrong one. A small but recurring puzzle every time I returned to my room.
🛋️ First Impressions – High Ceilings and a Sense of Space
Stepping into Room 2102, the first thing that struck me was the ceiling height.
For a room inside a high-rise building, it felt unusually open, almost spacious beyond its actual square footage.
The interiors, designed by the Japanese design firm Super Potato (Takashi Sugimoto), feature warm wood tones and a modern, understated elegance. The atmosphere was calm, refined, and consistent with Super Potato’s signature aesthetic.
🌆 View from the Window – Not Quite Picture Perfect
Being on the 21st floor, the room offered views over Gangnam’s main road: constant traffic jams, large digital billboards, and nearby construction sites.
Unfortunately, the windows were not very clean, which made the city view appear cloudy.
Another downside was the room’s positioning. From my window, I could clearly see into the rooms diagonally opposite (including the floors above and below). Because of this, I had to keep the shades down most of the time, which defeated the purpose of staying on a high floor.
🔊 Noise and Insulation
The room faces a busy main road, and the traffic noise continued 24/7.
It didn’t feel like the windows were double-glazed, and since sound tends to travel upward, the noise reached the 21st floor quite easily.
I ended up sleeping with earplugs and noise-canceling headphones, which is not ideal for a luxury property.
🚿 Bathroom and Ventilation
The bathroom and toilet facilities looked fine at first, but I quickly noticed a weakness: poor ventilation.
After a shower, the humidity lingered, and droplets stayed on the surfaces for hours. The air felt heavy, and compared to more modern hotels, the ventilation system was outdated.
🛏️ Sleep Quality – Surprisingly Excellent
One big positive was the bed.
I usually struggle to fall asleep in hotels, but during this stay, I slept better than at home for three consecutive nights. My smartwatch even showed improved sleep scores.
Another detail I appreciated: as a Hyatt member, my preference for a buckwheat pillow had been noted, and it was waiting for me in the room. That thoughtful touch made a big difference.
📦 Room Service and Amenities
Bathrobe issue: On the first night, only one bathrobe was provided despite the room being set for two guests. On the following day, even that single robe wasn’t replenished. Housekeeping felt inconsistent.
Welcome chocolate: At first bite, I thought it wasn’t great, but the aftertaste grew on me and I ended up eating the whole bar.
Hair dryer: The in-room dryer was quite basic and left my hair dry and frizzy. A higher-quality model would have been more appropriate for this level of hotel.
Additional items: I requested a yoga mat for stretching before bed. It wasn’t delivered quickly, but it did arrive, and I appreciated the option.
✅ Overall Impression (Room Only)
What I liked
- Spacious feel thanks to the high ceilings
- Calm, modern wood-toned design by Super Potato
- Comfortable bed and personalized pillow → excellent sleep
- Convenient location: directly at a subway exit and connected underground to COEX, perfect during Seoul’s freezing winters
What I didn’t like
- Cloudy windows due to insufficient cleaning
- Poor privacy: diagonally facing rooms visible from my window
- Constant traffic noise, weak soundproofing
- Bathroom and toilet ventilation issues
- Inconsistent housekeeping for amenities
With a brand-new luxury hotel just across the street, the Park Hyatt Seoul does feel a bit dated in certain aspects.
That said, for those collecting Hyatt points or needing a convenient base in Gangnam, it remains a practical and worthwhile choice.
📷 Gallery
