I will start off saying that the Novotel Suites Ambassador Seoul in Yongsan was a very good hotel, but it’s a little out of the the main part of the city and in a bit of a wasteland that is being redeveloped.
You get to the hotel along a long elevated walkway from Yongsan station. It’s a bit of a trek but you get used to it. If you have luggage use the lift to get to ground level.
It was only when I arrived that it dawned on me that there were actually 2 different types of Novotel’s in the same building. There’s the standard Novotel hotel but there’s also a Novotel that’s just suites. Probably positioned at longer term guests. I guess I just didn’t pay attention when I booked and I’d booked a room in the Novotel Suites. There are also two other hotels in the same building, an Ibis Styles, as well as a Grand Mercure.
Novotel Suites Ambassador Seoul Yongsan, 용산구 청파로20길 95, Seoul, 04372, South Korea
My check-in was quite late as the plane landed around 8:30pm, and it took about an hour and a bit from the airport once I’d cleared immigration and picked up my luggage, so I got to the hotel around 10:30pm. I was in my room, exhausted, not too long after that.
I was up on the 33rd floor which gave me some great views over south western Seoul. I was high enough not to hear any noise from the building site next door.
The suite itself was very nice. A huge comfortable bed, decent bathroom with shower, a good sized TV, a little kitchenette with a microwave, and an all in one clothes washer/dryer.
As I was in a suite I had breakfast included which was at the Food Exchange on the 2nd floor. The selection was pretty good with both asian and western options.
There was a small lobby bar on the ground floor called Mega Bites where I used my complimentary drink voucher. After some busy days I’d have a drink and a snack here. The prices weren’t too over the top. You’re definitely paying a hotel premium but not too over the odds.
There are other restaurants in the complex hosted by the other hotels but I didn’t try them. There is also a small, but well stocked, convenience store on the 2nd floor of the Ibis Styles if you need anything.
Check-out was just as fast as check-in and I only needed to pay for the drinks and snacks that I had at Mega Bites.
Overall, this was a fairly decent place to stay, but I didn’t like the location. You always needed to jump on a train or get an uber to go anywhere.