A good night’s rest is no doubt important when one is travelling. Many will definitely question “But I won’t be at the hotel most of the time, why spend so much on accommodation? I just need a place to sleep!” and would often prefer hostels and guesthouses. However, should you decide to pamper yourself on a short free and easy trip to Korea, The Plaza Hotel is one you should definitely consider. As part of the Surfing The Korean Wave Familiarization Tour with Korea Tourism Organization, we were being put up at The Plaza Hotel for the entire duration of our trip and to be honest, it was no doubt a memorable and pleasant experience.

The Plaza Hotel

The Plaza Hotel reopened as a luxury boutique hotel in 2010. The newly renovated hotel emphasises on the aesthetics (which explains the sleek and well-thought of interior), quality of customer service and ultimate convenience for its customers. Ideally located in the heart of downtown Seoul, The Plaza Hotel is undeniably an ideal choice for travellers pursuing comfort and convenience.

Address: 119 Sogong-Ro, Jung-Gu, Seoul, Korea 100-864 | 서울특별시 중구 소공로 119 (우 : 100-864)
Phone: 02-771-2200
Fax: 02-755-8897

Check-In Time: 1400h
Check-Out Time: 1200h

How to get there

Located strategically beside the subway, The Plaza Hotel is undeniably easily accessible and getting to the hotel is no doubt convenient.

Subway: Get off at City Hall Station (Line 1 or 2) and walk towards Exit No. 6. The Plaza Hotel is on the right once you exit.

Bus: Get off at the City Hall Bus Stop.

From Incheon Airport:

KAL Limousine (Bus) – City Hall Route (Gate No: 4B or 11A)
Fare: 16,000KRW (One Way)
Travel Time: ~70 minutes
Bus Intervals: 30 – 60 minutes
* The KAL Limousine drops you right outside The Plaza Hotel.

Subway
Fare: ~3,950KRW (One Way)
Travel Time: ~70 minutes
Subway Intervals: 3 – 8 minutes
Directions: Board the Incheon Airport subway system → Transfer to Line no. 5 at Gimpo Airport Station → Transfer to Line no. 2 at Chungjeongno Station → Get off at City Hall Station

Taxi
Fare: 70,000 KRW (Regular), 90,000 KRW (Deluxe)
Travel Time: 50 – 60 minutes

Pickup Service (by Hotel)
Airport→Hotel: 140,000 KRW | Hotel→Airport: 130,000 KRW

In my humble opinion, I would suggest taking the KAL Limousine (Bus) upon arrival from Incheon International Airport since the bus drops you right outside The Plaza Hotel and you can save yourself the hassle of carrying your luggage up the long flight of stairs at City Hall Exit No. 6. In addition, you can catch a short nap on the bus since the ride takes around one hour. Though you could save around 10,000KRW if you take the Subway, you definitely need to go through the trouble of transferring lines multiple times with your luggage and not forgetting carrying it up the long flight of stairs. Taxi and Pickup Service is definitely out of the picture since it’s really pricey.

Room Facilities

Living in an IT-savvy generation, it is undeniable that everyone of us is highly dependant on Wi-Fi and 3G. As such, no worries at all since The Plaza Hotel provides High-Speed Internet Connection and Wi-Fi.

My favourite of all had to be the Rain Forest Shower. Though there wasn’t a bathtub in the toilet, the Rain Forest Shower was something I really really liked. It felt like a walk-in shower as instead of the usual shower head, the water falls from the top, creating a refreshing experience. To top that, Molten Brown Bath Amenities were provided (For Club Floors and above, Hermes Bath Amenities will be used instead. Yes, you’ve seen it right, HERMES BATH AMENITIES will be used.) so you do not even need to bring your own Shampoo and Soap in fear of low-quality bath amenities.

The other thing I like about The Plaza Hotel is the fact that universal adapters are being provided in the rooms so there is actually no need to worry should you forget to bring them. There are also more than enough plugs around too so if you have to charge like loads of things (for my case it will be camera battery, handphone, portable charger and laptop) at one time, fret not.

Another thing that is unexpectedly provided, which I usually do not see in other hotels, is the umbrella. Many would know that summer in Korea is probably not the best season to go, with rain and sun being totally unpredictable. As such, I really thought it was really thoughtful for the hotel to provide an umbrella in the room for people who needs them.

How could I miss out on the most important part of the room, which was the awesome awesome bed. Having an immense tight schedule daily (which involved quite a lot of walking), I have to admit that I’m really thankful that KTO put us up at such an amazing hotel because the bed is the best part of it all. It was really comfortable and imagine having four pillows and two cushions all to yourself. The comforter is so fluffy, I honestly wouldn’t mind just lying in bed the whole day.

To know what else is included in the Deluxe Room (the one in which I stayed), you could refer to here.

Breakfast

The Seven Square (Level 2)
Breakfast Hours: 0630 – 1000h

Breakfast is no doubt the most important meal of the day (that is if you even wake up early enough to catch breakfast) and at The Plaza Hotel, though the menu does not change (much), the variety (which has a decent mix of both International and Korean cuisine) is sufficient to last me a good six days.

What I would recommend: Croissant

Freshly baked every morning, accompanied with three different jams, the croissants at the breakfast place were to die for. Crispy yet fluffy at the same, I ate a croissant everyday for six days and I wasn’t the least bit sick of it. To all pastry lovers out there, please give it a try.

The Plaza Hotel Experience

Friendly hotel staff who will greet you with a bright smile and offer their services when they notice that you look a little lost. All these little actions really made my day. Their attentiveness is probably their best selling point. The counter staff at the reception are also fluent in English so I had no difficulties in checking-in and checking-out.

In all honesty, I have to admit that I was a little spoilt by this experience at The Plaza Hotel that I have no idea how I can revert to staying in hostels and guesthouses. As such, should you want to pamper yourself or your parents, I highly recommend staying here. I am sure you will have no issues trying to fall asleep (because the bed is really comfortable) and your experience will be as pleasant as mine.

Should you want to find out more about The Plaza Hotel, please refer here.

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A big thank you to Korea Tourism Organization for letting us put up at such an awesome place as part of our Surfing The Korean Wave Tour.