Signiel Seoul Korea | Prestige Hong Kong (Mar 19)

Signiel Seoul has joined the ranks of Korea’s
very best hotels, so zaneta cheng checks in
to check out just what the fuss is all about

Seoul is your oyster at the Signiel Seoul, though on first impression this might not seem to be the case. Opened around two years ago, the luxury hotel sits high in the clouds, occupying floors 76 through 101 in the Lotte World Tower above Jamsil, an area south of the river on the eastern side of Gangnam. The tower is currently the world’s sixth-tallest skyscraper and though Jamsil isn’t known to be particularly central, once you’re ensconced in the hotel’s indulgent surrounds that hardly seems to matter. 

I arrive at the 76th-floor lobby one winter afternoon to be greeted by breathtaking views of Seoul’s city sprawl set against the gently rugged mountains of Bukhansan National Park – and, seemingly, all of the city’s well-heeled who are either checking in with their children for the weekend or taking tea amid friends and furs at Bar 81, which I’m told is the largest champagne bar in the country. With one exception, French chef Yannick Alleno oversees all of the dining at the hotel, so the eats are unparalleled.

From bellhops to front-desk staff, check-in is efficient and obliging, with English spoken politely and professionally – though even if it weren’t so quick, the views would make time go by in a flash. I’m handed the swipe cards to a Grand Deluxe Room, my home for the next few days, and up I go to settle in. 

One of the perks of owning the building as well as the hotel it’s in is that Lotte Group has ensured that all the Signiel’s rooms not only have a view, but also a great deal of space in which to enjoy it – the smallest is still an ample 430 square feet. Each is an elegant cacophony of marble, wood and fabrics, with floral motifs a dominant element in the decor (Koreans hold certain blooms associated with royalty in high regard): my carpet depicts magnolias and a calming tapestry features the Hibiscus syriacus, the country’s national flower, known here as mugunghwa. 

Because this is Asia there are plug ports aplenty, with cables for a variety of phones coiled neatly in a row in the bedside drawer, occupying real estate more normally given over to a Bible. A selection of teas, including an Asian pear blend by Alleno, is also something to write home about, as is a turn-down service that every evening provides a different cocktail with which to enjoy the sunset.

That the bathroom is a sanctuary is no surprise: they take their baths seriously in Korea. The wet room contains a shower and a bathtub, and in place of salts or bubbles there’s bath tea for a soothing soak. Outfitted in dark marble, the sit-down vanity area makes freshening up a joy, while closets can be accessed from both the hallway and the bathroom. The body lotion is rich and fresh, ensuring bath time is as much of a pleasure post-soak as during – and as an added bonus, Diptyque products are generously supplied on request.

Modest my accommodation most certainly is not, but at the top of range there are palatial Royal and (for the slightly more democratic) Presidential suites that, I understand, are more regularly occupied than one might expect. Indeed, dignitaries are in residence on the very weekend I’m there – granted their furnished spaces are larger than mine, as are their bathtubs, but we all share the same sensational view. It’s in the hotel’s Korean Suite, however, where guests are treated to a traditional Korean sitting room, replete with heated tatami mats to walk on and furnishings of a bygone era, that luxury and local culture are most successfully braided together.

If I’m feeling peckish between meals, I can pop down to The Lounge, a guests-only space for tea and nibbles that overlooks the mountains. Otherwise, there’s dinner with a modern twist at Stay by Yannick Alleno, where I can also have breakfast each morning, or the one-Michelin-star Bicena that serves traditional Korean dishes with a contemporary twist.

Add to the above an Evian Spa, a pool and a gym, and you’ll appreciate why this hotel is difficult to leave – but if you can manage to tear yourself away, the concierge is only too delighted to help. Hotel cars and taxis are a phone call away but for guests who, like me, prefer travelling on foot, the subway is an easy indoor walk away through the sprawling Lotte Mall. Simple enough, you say – but you’ll also understand why so many of my best-laid plans are abandoned in favour of kicking back and taking in the city outside – be it the silvery afternoon glint, the orange glow of dusk or the solar system of lights at night – from my perch at the top of the world at the Signiel Seoul.