The Shilla Seoul

Spectacular view on N Seoul Tower and mountain, room is well sized with wardrobe and very comfortable desk, bedding is extremely comfortable and the mattress and pillows are incredibly soft, all toiletries are from Molton Brown, gym has all the equipment and helpful staff, swimming pool is excellent, the room is properly cleaned twice a day. Staff is extremely professional and friendly, willing to go extra to help us with any questions. Concierge service is one of the best I have experienced globally. We had breakfast and dinner at The Parkview- it serves the most delicious and sophisticated food. The Library bar has a fantastic view, serves delicious coffee and live music and signing takes place in the evening. Dongguk University Station is 5 mins walk and Namsan hiking route is 15 mins walk away. Hotel has a selection of amazing luxury shops on the basement floor, including contemporary fashion designers. The Shilla has a wonderful Korean art displayed including Park Seo-Bo and Lee Bae.

We would love more storage space/shelves for clothes.

I don’t know much about the Shilla’s history but stepping into the hotel felt like I was stepping into an institution. It is outdated though, but it comes across as cozy rather than grimy because of the upkeep. It’s outstandingly clean. The service at reception isn’t the greatest compared to other high-end hotels in Seoul. We weren’t told about details such as needing to book breakfast beforehand if we wanted to pay the guest price, or that there’s a car service between the parking and the hotel. They did end up giving us the guest price for breakfast though to amend for their mistake, but parking is a hassle if you have a car. You have to park and either wait for a car to take you up the hill to the hotel, or make your way up a very long staircase.

No one told us about what’s on offer at the hotel Parking is way too far Breakfast is mid and overpriced The hotel is generally overpriced for the rooms it has

The room was spacious, clean, and beautiful. The cleaning staff did an incredible job. The other staff was also super professional and friendly. The golf facility is very lovely, and the breakfast was just perfect. Very kind of them to give us a room on the higher level (I asked them if it was possible). Also, close to Myeongdong for some shopping!

The bar in the room was NOT complimentary. In a 5-Star high-end hotel, I expect the bar to be complimentary. Also, W20'000~ for a beer at the pool is ridiculous. W50'000 to use the outside pool facility is also ridiculous - I shouldn't have to pay extra to use what 5-Star hotels generally offer WITHIN the room price.

Professional staff, exceptional food at the Parkview breakfast and dinner buffet, exceptional coffee at the Library, stunning view, comfortable bedding, best smart toilet, concierge is next level - helpful with even complex requests.

The Shilla is one of the best hotels in Korea, we stayed here three times. However, this time was slightly disappointing because of the initial state of our room. The room was next to the lift, which cause occasional noise. It felt like the room stated empty for too long because it took a long time for aircon to get going and bathroom tropical shower was blocked and there were holes in our bedding. Staff were helpful and fixed everything within 24h.

The gorgeous grounds, the location, the service

Room was only prepared for one person, although I was paying double occupancy. Housekeeping was very patchy - they forgot to put down the blinds one night, I found hair on the floor when I checked in, there was a persistent smell in the toilet. Another down side was that there was only one phone in the room by the bed. Usually there is always a phone on the desk. I couldn’t find basic things like a pen to use in the room either. Room service menu was a bit dull and I wasn’t properly introduced to what the hotel had on offer - spa, shopping, grounds, restaurants etc

Very nice and well kept interior and amenities, staff was very friendly. Spacious rooms with nice views. Good location. Very nice restaurant with Layeon in house (that deserves its third star back…)

Overall too much business-like all around the hotel when travelling privately - conventions / trade shows, constant business talk around is unavoidable. Would therefore personally not go again (unless on business travels)…. Surprising that a lot of reception staff doesn’t speak proper English - not great if solving some problems and you are misunderstood (esp over the phone)

Everything was immaculate, well managed, cleaned each day of our stay. The staff members are highly trained, highly professional, exceptionally courteous and helpful. They provided amazing service. Very nice room with a great view!

Our room was right underneath the restaurant on the top floor and it was noisy whilst they were cleaning late at night which was after 10pm. For the money we paid for the room, we expected better acoustics in the room. Also, the food and coffee in the lounge cafe were vastly overpriced.

I like how the hotel setup such as shopping mall within property, and the free shuttle from the bus stop or train station. The hotel room is pretty spacious and pretty quiet too. The room in dining is really good. The lunch buffet was great too, and afternoon tea was splendid. FYI all the staff including housekeeping speaks English.

I think this hotel is not for everyone. Especially on the budget wise. Knowing Seoul cost of living is quite expensive, but if budget is no question for you, Shilla Hotel is for you.

Room size was perfect with a nice view. Breakfast was great, there was a vast selection to choose from, however, it was too busy. I found myself having to wake up extra early to beat the inevitable rush around 8 am. The location is also good - close to a metro station, the hotel provides a shuttle service which makes a big difference. The concierge staff were also very helpful.

For a 5 star hotel you expect perfection and my stay wasn’t perfect. The lamp shade in the room had stains on it. Also, the hotel did not respond to messages before I checked in. All in all, I don’t think this hotel is for you if you want a more bespoke service that boutique hotels offer. It probably suffers from the fact that it is so huge. I did not get a chance to use the pool!

The staff were super friendly, accommodating and warm. Anything you needed they did it efficiently and with professionalism. Food was absolutely delicious, especially room service meals. Room was extremely clean and fresh every day, also very big, felt very lush and spacious. We also used the laundry service that was perfectly done and super speedy.

It was disappointing that on the weekend, despite pre-paying, we had to wait for up to half an hour for a table at the buffet breakfast.