I used to enjoy hopping between different hotels during our vacations. It gave us a chance to experience different hospitality brands and explore different neighbourhoods.
The novelty of trying out new places comes at the expense of convenience though. We would have to pack up, check out, transport our luggage and then check into a new location after just a few days.
That process can become quite tiresome, and we find ourselves increasingly warming up to the idea of staying put in just one hotel.
Especially in cities that we’ve visited in the past, where we’re already quite familiar with and have a good idea of where to stay.
For Seoul, that home base for our future trips will be the Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotel & Residences (Google Maps, Naver Maps).
Booking & Pricing
During our previous stay in 2019, we booked a cosy 29 sqm Superior Room Queen. When we went back again for our recent vacation in May 2023, I chose a spacious 53 sqm Residence Deluxe Room King.
The room photos on the Novotel website looked really nice, and the long list of available facilities was quite impressive. It was effectively a serviced apartment that could be booked for short stays.
In addition to what you’d find in a typical hotel room, there was also a washer/dryer, small refrigerator, well-equipped kitchenette, induction stove top and microwave oven.
Five months before our check-in date, I booked a fully flexible rate with no prepayment required. After applying the standard Accor members app booking discount of 10%, our four night stay came up to ₩1,025,145 nett, inclusive of all fees and taxes.
At around ₩256,000 (S$256) per night, it was a very reasonable price given the size of the room and the amenities included. I think it helped that I booked it several months in advance, for a stay during the travel shoulder season.
Getting There
The easiest way to reach the hotel is by taxi, which is what we did coming from the Ryse Hotel in Hongdae. It only cost ₩15,000 and saved us the trouble of lugging our luggage while navigating the subway.
If you’re coming directly from Incheon Airport, grabbing a cab is also an option but it would expensive. Depending on traffic, the fare can range from ₩80,000 to ₩100,000 for the hour-long ride.
A much more cost-effective choice would be to take Airport Bus 6001. For ₩17,000 per adult (₩12,000 per child), it will ferry you straight from the terminal to almost outside the Novotel. Simply alight at the “Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun / Euljiro Co-op” stop, which is less than 100m from the hotel entrance.
Because the route runs in a loop, the trip back to the airport starts from the very same Novotel bus stop, making it convenient and easy to remember. The bus fare can be paid using cash or by tapping your T-money card. Just make sure to have sufficient balance before boarding.
Location & Connectivity
First time visitors to Seoul will most likely choose to stay in Myeongdong, which is what we did during very first trip in 2016. Dongdaemun, despite being a famous destination for fashion shopping, is typically further down on the list.
One upside is that hotel rates tend to be lower than the more popular Myeongdong, Hongdae or City Hall. And given the excellent public transport system in Seoul, it’s as easily accessible as the other neighbourhoods.
Specifically, the Novotel is just a 4 minute walk away from Exit 12 of the Dongdaemun History & Culture Park subway station. Be careful not to confuse it with the Dongdaemun station one stop down, or be prepared for a substantially longer trek.
The station name is quite a mouthful, and it feels like a missed opportunity that it wasn’t renamed when the adjacent Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) opened in 2014.
It’s a striking piece of architecture, with a brushed aluminum exterior and smooth spaceship-like lines. The futuristic façade of the DDP makes it a natural venue for a continuous rotation of modern art installations.
Being an interchange station for Lines 2, 4 and 5, the connectivity of the Dongdaemun History & Culture Park subway station is unbeatable. Here are examples of stations you can reach directly without having to change trains:
- Line 2 (Green): City Hall, Hongik University (i.e. Hongdae), Gangnam
- Line 4 (Light Blue): Myeongdong, Seoul Station
- Line 5 (Purple): Jongno 3-ga, Gwanghwamun, Yeouido, Gimpo Airport
Residence Deluxe Room
Entering through the door felt like stepping into a well-furnished apartment. There was a dining table with comfortably padded chairs, and a large sofa complete with a coffee table and an ottoman.
To the left of the sofa was an induction stove and small sink. Pots, pans, crockery and cutlery could be found inside the cupboards, more than sufficient for whipping up a homecooked meal. For simple re-heating of takeaways or leftovers, a microwave was also provided.
We were tempted to buy a dozen fresh whole abalones from Lotte Mart, and use a frying pan to sauté them in butter. But since we were still struggling to visit all the restaurants on our list, that eventually didn’t happen. Next time perhaps.
What we did end up using was the large 8.0kg capacity Samsung washer/dryer. Printed English instructions were provided and Papago real-time image translation helped decipher the machine settings.
Having a washer/dryer opens up the possibility of travelling very light and packing less than half the clothes needed for a trip. Which frees up more space to haul back more souvenirs, snacks and groceries.
Bedroom
Photos on the hotel’s website showed a Studio layout a large combined space. Our room, on the other hand, was a 1-Bedroom configuration, with a door separating the living and sleeping areas.
Both blackout and day curtains were installed, allowing us to adjust the amount of natural light entering the room. A separate thermostat controlled the temperature and aircon setting for just the bedroom.
The bed itself was comfortable, with a relatively firm King-sized mattress that was to our liking. Unfortunately, the pillows were too soft and we had to stack two of them to achieve the right height.
One small inconvenience though was the tiny bedside shelf on both sides of the bed.
The entire left side was taken up by the smart home console, which was immediately unplugged and moved away. I know it’s an in-thing nowadays, but we still find it spooky that an AI is always listening.
On the other side sat the hotel landline, which also got unplugged and stashed to make space for my mobile phone and the TV remote.
Bathroom & Toilet
If you’re a bathtub person, then sorry, you’re out of luck. There’s only a shower stall available. So, leisurely bubble baths will not be possible.
Which was perfectly fine with us, since we prefer showering and find it awkward to do it standing in a tub. The area is roomy and the door does a relatively decent at keeping the outer floor area dry.
Fans of Japanese-style bidet toilets will be glad to know that one is installed. It seems more and more common to find it in higher-end Seoul hotels which, in my opinion, is a welcome development.
The bathroom is connected to both the bedroom and living room via two separate doors. This makes access more convenient regardless of where you’re entering from, but it did make the toilet seat placement a bit awkward.
Hotel Facilities
Front desk staff were professional and everyone we interacted with spoke fluent English. If you’re worried about the language barrier, it’s definitely not a concern at the Novotel Dongdaemun.
We didn’t make use of the common facilities, but the hotel has all the usual suspects including a restaurant, bars, fitness centre and two pools (indoor & outdoor). For a more detailed list, the official hotel website is the best source of information.
Our 2019 room rate included breakfast at the hotel restaurant, and I recall it being quite impressive. It had extensive Korean and Western options, including many hot food sections serving dishes like bulgogi and freshly-made omelettes.
For our recent stay, we opted not to include the hotel breakfast in order to save precious stomach capacity for all the delicious K-food that we had planned to eat. All we had was black pour over coffee and small bites like rice cakes or roasted sweet potatoes.
Until Next Time
The ten day vacation we had was great. One big contributing factor was having a comfortable place to come back to, after long and continuous days of walking, eating and sightseeing.
We’re not night owls and don’t stay out late anymore. So, a nice home-away-from-home to spend our nights relaxing definitely enhanced the travel experience.
Judging from the frequency of our past trips to Seoul, our next flight there is likely going to be in 2025. No prizes for guessing where we’ll be staying then.
Seoul Spring 2023
Trip planning: Hansik, sijang and hanok (Seoul Spring 2023)
Our flights are booked, hotel rooms are reserved and all that’s left is to count down to the day that we finally take to the skies again.
Up in the air again with Singapore Airlines in Business class
For our very first post-pandemic flight, we redeemed 208,000 KrisFlyer miles for a pair of Business class return tickets to Seoul.
Ryse Hotel is right in the heart of bustling Hongdae
During our previous trips to Seoul, we stayed in Myeongdong, Dongdaemun and City Hall. This time, I decided to try a new neighbourhood in the Western part of Seoul.
Comforting pork soup at Donsubaek for our first meal in Seoul
After a six plus hour flight and faced with an unexpected drop in temperature, a piping hot bowl of pork soup really hit the spot.
Masan Seafood and their ugly delicious agujjim
Monkfish may possibly be the ugliest fish in the world, but it also happens to be one of the most delicious.
A relaxing afternoon interlude at Tteuran Teahouse in Ikseondong
As you step through the heavy wooden doors, you can’t help but feel a sense of serenity sweep over your entire body.
For jeongmal delizioso Korean fusion food, head to Banjoo Iksun
Beautifully browned potato dumplings and generous chunks of smoky bacon floated on a pool of vibrantly green perilla leaf cream.
Traditional Korean rice cakes and pour over coffee for breakfast
Rice is a staple in many Asian countries. Besides being the main source of carbohydrates, it’s also used to make different types of sweets.
Lotus Lantern Festival at Gwanghwamun Square
The lantern displays were just one component of the week-long festival leading up to the Buddha’s birthday celebration, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Baek Nyeon Baekse just took the top spot in our samgyetang shortlist
Samgyetang, or ginseng chicken soup, is easily one of our favourite Korean dishes. It’s great on cold, rainy days and even better when we’re feeling under the weather.
When Korean executives need a quick meal, Hanilkwan is where they go
Bibimbap is a dish that requires audience participation, and it’s always fun to mix all the ingredients into a beautiful mess.
Strawberry tea and desserts at bright and breezy Mil Toast
The Wife went with a hot Strawberry Tea, not knowing exactly what to expect but confident that it was a good choice. South Korea was, after all, famous for their high quality strawberries.
Watching the Lotus Lantern Parade from our seats at Jongno 3-ga
You know that an event is a huge deal when a 3km stretch of road, right in the heart of a major city, is shut down for several hours on a busy Saturday night.
Bus ride to Mangwon Market for our Korean street food fix
Dessert was in the form of spicy eomuk skewers, from the very first stall we saw when entering the market. Just look at that fiery and luscious sauce!
The hanjeongsik at Hangaram was easily our best meal in Seoul
Despite being mentally prepared for the large number of incoming items, when the food started arriving, we were hopelessly overwhelmed by the non-stop cascade of dishes.
Mall hopping at The Hyundai Seoul and Starfield Coex
Given a choice between hiking up a mountain or wandering around an airconditioned mall, I choose the latter. Any time of the day, any day of the week, any week of the year.
Jeon and makgeolli at John Makgeolliano in Yeonnamdong
One mission of our recent vacation in Seoul was to drink as much makgeolli as possible. And since jeon is the perfect accompaniment to makgeolli, we found an interesting place to have both.
Wandering the jinjja yeppeuda alleys of Ikseondong Hanok Village
Of all the neighbourhoods we’ve been to in Seoul, Ikseondong is the prettiest by far. Here are five memorable places that we visited.
There’s a reason why Myeongdong Kyoja is so popular
After mixing everything into a beautiful mess and taking in a big mouthful, the first thing that hit me was a pleasant nuttiness, followed by deep umami. The noodles were firm and chewy, releasing flavour with every bite.
The Wife walked into Pleats Mama and almost didn’t make it out
I could tell that she was very pleased with her purchases, and I was pleased that she was pleased.
The complete Hanwoo K-BBQ experience at Majang Meat Market
Our 422g platter with four different cuts of Grade 1++(9) Korean beef cost ₩71,000 at the butcher’s shop. The total bill after adding the table charge, drinks and transport came up to only ₩89,800.
Buying African beans from Blue Bottle Coffee in Samcheongdong
A wide selection was on display, together with their origins, tasting notes and prices. They were sold in unusually large 300gm bags, with blends going for ₩25,000 and single-origins for ₩35,000.
Our very first taste of ganjang gejang, courtesy of Keun Giwajip
I found out the hard way that ganjang gejang is an acquired taste. One that, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to acquire.
Strolling down Gyeongdong Market for a truly local sijang experience
One thing we like to do when visiting a foreign city is to explore grocery stores and traditional markets. It gives us a chance to glimpse into the lives of people going about their day-to-day activities.
The tragic fate of the jjukkumi at Najeongsun Halmae
Somewhere in the Yongdu-dong neighbourhood, within the Dongdaemun-gu district, a brass octopus stands at attention, solemnly saluting all who walk past.
Jeolla-do grilled eel two ways at Songgang Freshwater Eel
In South Korea, jang-eo (장어) is considered a health food that boosts energy, and is especially popular during the hot summer months.
Shopping for souvenirs at Emart Cheonggyecheon
Grocery shopping is probably not on the minds of most tourists. But coming from a non-agricultural country like Singapore, the opportunity to bring home fresh, tasty and cheap produce was simply too good to miss.
Last minute dash for Goraesa Eomuk just before boarding our flight
The Wife had a look in her eyes that hinted that she was thinking about buying one of everything. But she managed to restrain her impulses and only picked out three pieces.
Our 10 day Seoul itinerary and how much we spent
We spent a total of ₩5,450,000 for our entire trip. Here’s the cost breakdown by flight, hotel, food & drink, shopping, transport and other travel-related expenses.
And just like that, The Wife turned into a kkaennip addict
I can still remember the precise moment that it happened. We were having dinner at Hanilkwan and one of our banchan was a simple salad of shredded cabbage and kkaennip, tossed in a light vinaigrette.
StarHub Giga data roaming works like a charm
We used gigaRoam in Seoul and had no issues with mobile data access throughout our entire trip. It was easy to buy, seamless to activate and convenient to extend, making it the default choice for our future travels.
Lotte Mart Seoul Station is a Korean snack food paradise
Our extensive haul only lasted us a few weeks. We could have stretched it out a bit longer, but when faced with a convenient stockpile of addictive Korean snacks, the first thing that goes out the window is self-control.
