Review Le Meridien Myeongdong, sleeping with points in the heart of Seoul

New York or Bangkok, Tokyo or Dubai, one certainty in my travels is that I will stay in a different neighborhood each time which are in a city "already" seen and 9 times out of 10 will also be in different hotel. Seoul is no exception, This year is the second time I have passed through the capital of Korea South and after staying at the Garden Inn in Ganganam district, this time I moved to Myeongdong to try not one, but two Marriott struttuer.

The first hotel in chronological order was the Le Meridien, and although I knew that the Next night's moxy was nearby, I absolutely didn't realize it was in the same building. Basically, two hotels under one roof, both from the Marriott group. The former 5 stars the latter 3.

Reservation

As I have explained in several articles I am not the one who chooses dates and destinations, But I adjust based on the flights I find. In this case. I first booked a ticket with Asiana to try out its A380 And then, almost under date, I thought about the hotel.

I chose this Le Meridien for two reasons.: the first the price in 52k points for one night and the second for the location. The price was important because I wanted to get rid of the free night fruit of reaching the titanium level. One of the benefits that you can choose is precisely. A free award night, which, however, must have a maximum cost of 40 thousand points to which you can add another 15k Bonvoy from your own pocket.

Second reason was the proximity to a second Marriott facility., where I was going to spend the second night, and in this case I wanted to review the Moxy since it is a sign that I like and I think is perfect for all budgets.

Location

Myeongdong is one of the most famous and lively neighborhoods in Seoul, known for shopping, dining and entertainment. Located in the heart of the city, it attracts millions of tourists each year due to its large shopping malls, cosmetic stores, fashion boutiques and Korean street food.

It is a paradise for shoppers and beauty lovers offering products at competitive prices. In addition to shopping, Myeongdong is also a great destination for discovering Korean culture through traditional restaurants and live performances. Its central location makes it easily accessible via subway, perfect for first-time visitors to Seoul.

Check-in

I arrived from the airport, after about a 60-minute ride, by Uber. In Korea I remember it there are severe limitations with apps like Maps and the like, which is why it is not exactly easy to move independently.

I had received a couple of emails from the hotel explaining the possibility of checking in directly at the lounge, something that is common in Asia, and so I did. Here I found out that the two days of my stay in Seoul would be in the middle of the holiday of , or Korea's Thanksgiving.

Translated fully booked hotel and special restrictions in place. The attendant even tried to deny me the late check-out at 4 p.m., but fortunately for me, it is a benefit provided by the status and not at the discretion of the hotel. 

The room

I couldn't remember if when I had booked I had also used one of the certificates to request an upgrade, but I didn't, and in the end anyway I still got a better room, even though it wasn't a suite. The good thing was that the room was at the end of the corridor leading to the lounge the 1533 and within walking distance of the hotel's gym and pool.

As always, with points, you only book a basic room and then hope for the upgrade, otherwise you waste tons of points. The room was definitely nice and spacious. A small hallway with a closet and small table.

The room had a king bed, a nice windowed wall (on nothing or almost nothing) and a small sofa with a second coffee table.

Everything in the room that would be logical to expect and something more. A fresh water and mineral water dispenser in the room, never seen before, and two water bottles (for a fee). As well as the classic coffee machine, an Illy, and a stocked mini-bar.

Comfortable bed and wide selection of pillows in addition to the ever-present large TV.

The bathroom was also large, with a walk-in tub and shower and a Japanese toilet with a multifunction bidet included.

For the first time, I saw that some items in the personal hygiene kit were chargeable. By law, in order to reduce waste, toothbrush and razor are charged to guests who use them.

The hotel

The facility as mentioned is shared with the Moxy.

Both receptions are on the 4th floor.

Here at Le Meridien there is also a patisserie and the main restaurant, the one where breakfast is served.

The rest of the common areas, as mentioned is on the 15th floor: lounge, gym, swimming pool and business center. The pool is large and is suitable for those who want to work out since it is long and narrow, perfect for those who want to do laps. Few loungers and seating in general, but it is not that kind of pool and at most you sit if you want to check on the children.

The gym is all technogym and is also "mignon."

The lounge is on the opposite side of the pool and is open all day. It offers breakfast in the morning for Platinum customers or above.

In the evening, happy hour lasts until 8:30, and I must say that the offerings were complete and the environment not too crowded.

Breakfast

Sure I could have given up breakfast and put 1,000 points in my pocket, but I am here to review and so I had breakfast.

I must say it was a pleasant confirmation, as with the rest of the hotel it was quality. Only downside was the need to kick me out and then open to those on the second shift.

There is everything and more, different express cuisines, various kinds of products up to ice cream.

A sweet thought in the room

When I arrived in the room, there was not only a thank-you letter, but also a bottle of wine, some fruit, and snacks waiting for me.

As well as two small toblerones on the bed.

In addition to this personal gift, all guests could fish, unlimited, from ice cream fridges in the lobby and typical national holiday cookies here and there in the hotel.

Check-out

Moxy Seoul, this brand is always a certainty and here is also the location

For the first time I checked out by entering another hotel in the same building as the first one, but this Moxy is a different story.

In conclusion

Considering that my outlay was only 12k Bonvoy points I can only be satisfied, the counter value for the same reservation was a whopping €400, and I was really surprised to learn that it was a holiday and that the hotel was sold out since I had booked the room with the points only a few weeks before arriving, not months before.

The verdict

Finding rooms with normal-priced points during a very high season is worth 1 extra point on the hotel rating alone, because they could have simply blocked availability and instead didn't

8.5

Pro

• Location
• Room
• Price

Against

• Nothing to report