The presidential suite at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Gangnam, South Korea exudes luxury. This beautiful bathroom has a window that gives bathers a dazzling view of the city’s lights. The rest of this five-star Gangnam hotel is just as impressive. A few of the hotel’s highlights consist of four restaurants, boutique, bar, deli, an indoor pool, cabanas, a golf driving range, and a fitness center with a variety of the latest strength and cardiovascular equipment. The fitness center has a Hinoki sauna, which according to Ritz-Carlton’s site is a sauna created from a Japanese cypress, well-known for its soothing fragrance and flattering shades.
A multilingual staff is a must for guests who do not speak Korean, and the staff the Ritz-Carlton speak multiple languages, which is helpful for navigating the city. The rooms contain the usual amenities, iron, ironing board, housekeeping services, and room service, but the Frette cotton sheets, European bath products, shoe shine service, and turn-down service present a few comfortable extra touches for guests.
The hotel is near an enormous and luxurious underground mall, the COEX, an aquarium, Mega Box, an almost-too sexy 16-screen movie theater and the COEX Convention Center, which includes a casino and the Korean World Trade Center. The 375-room Ritz-Carlton is near Seoul’s subway system (the Samseong Dong station), and luxury department stores. The Ritz-Carlton is in the center of all there is to do in Gangnam. Where can you listen to music and experience a little Gangnam style? As far as the Gangnam nightlife is concerned, Once a Blue Moon, a jazz club, with a restaurant and bar, and Club Ellui are a couple of classy Seoul clubs of note for the stylish crowd.
Photo courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Seoul