Four Seasons Seoul Review: Is It Worth the Hype? (Club Room + FHR Benefits)

We've been to a handful of luxury hotels across Korea, but the Four Seasons Seoul had been on our list for a while. It holds a Forbes Travel Guide 5-star rating for the seventh consecutive year and earned its first Michelin Key, so expectations were high. We booked one night in October 2025 through the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) portal for $962, staying in a Club King Room. Here's the honest breakdown.

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Location: As Central as It Gets

The Four Seasons Seoul sits right in the heart of Gwanghwamun, and the location is genuinely unmatched. Step outside the front doors and you are greeted by:

• Gwanghwamun Square with the iconic statues of Admiral Yi and King Sejong
• Gyeongbokgung Palace, Korea's largest royal landmark, just a short walk north
• Cheonggyecheon Stream right across the street, perfect for an evening stroll
• Insadong just minutes away for traditional tea houses and local art

If you're driving, the underground garage is easy to access and has EV charging stations. Self-parking is complimentary for hotel guests. Valet is available for 30,000 KRW per stay, which is reasonable for this location.

One thing that genuinely surprised us: despite being surrounded by busy streets, buses, and even protests going on during our stay, we could not hear a single thing from inside the room. The noise suppression is incredible.

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Check-In: Express at the Club Lounge

Since we booked a club room, we were escorted directly to the Executive Club Lounge on the 28th floor for an express check-in. The staff were warm, professional, and made the whole process feel effortless. Our mom was with us that day (she wasn't staying overnight) and without missing a beat, they offered her coffee while we sorted the paperwork. It's those small, thoughtful gestures that remind you why this brand has the reputation it does.

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The Club King Room (Room 2711)

The room is spacious and beautifully designed with genuine Korean touches throughout: the tojakgi ceramics on the nightstand, Korean art on the walls, and a curated selection of Korean books for guests to browse.

A few highlights:

• Anniversary setup: The Four Seasons team surprised us with a handwritten letter, chocolates, and an adorable Four Seasons bulldog mascot (the Seoul property's mascot, still unnamed as of our stay)
• Tablet for room service requests: No need to call. You can schedule turndown service, request amenities, and more from the in-room tablet. More hotels need this.
• Bose speaker for pairing your phone
• Hidden stationery drawer inside the desk: pens, highlighters, clips, erasers, HDMI cables, postcard sets with beautiful Korean envelope designs, and a jogging map of the neighborhood
• Smart TV with Netflix sign-in + HDMI input + Chromecast support. No YouTube app, but they thought of everything else.
• In-room safe tucked into the furniture (not in the closet, took us a second to find)
• Unlimited complimentary garment pressing with club access. We sent six pieces including a hanbok and everything came back perfectly the next morning.

The bed is that signature Four Seasons balance of firm support and plush softness. We slept extremely well.

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The Bathroom

Big, well-designed, and stocked with Diptyque amenities, a lovely touch. A few standout details:

• Rainfall shower with a handheld attachment and a built-in bench. Genuinely large.
• His-and-hers sinks with a magnifying mirror and a clock (actually useful when you're getting ready)
• TV mirror above the vanity: pull open the cabinet and there's a screen for Netflix or TV while doing your hair or makeup
• Remote-controlled Toto toilet with a bidet (Vincent approved)
• Bathtub with bath salts provided, big enough for two, just barely
• Philips hair dryer and plush Four Seasons robes (lighter weight than some other properties, much more comfortable)

Note on amenities: Due to Korean government regulations limiting single-use plastics, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and shaving kits are not provided automatically. You can request or purchase them, but pack your own to be safe.

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Turndown Service

They tidied the bathroom, organized stray cables, replenished water by the bedside, and the standout touch was eye patch masks left on both pillows. Very Korean beauty, very thoughtful.

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Hotel Amenities

Golf Zone (10th floor): complimentary, first-come first-served, 30-minute sessions. Staff will extend in 5-minute increments if the bay is free.

Fitness Center: one of the largest hotel gyms we've ever seen. Dedicated weight room, powerlifting racks, cardio suite, Pilates studio. Open 24 hours. If you don't have workout clothes, they'll lend you gym clothes, socks, and shoes between 5:30-10:30 PM. No outside shoes allowed on the gym floor; it's a Korean cleanliness thing, and honestly the borrowed shoes were spotless.

Pool Area: three options: a lap pool (swim caps required, borrowable for free), a dedicated kids pool, and a heated vitality pool with underwater massage jets. Dry sauna and jacuzzi adjacent. Very comfortable space.

Korean Sauna: available at 44,000 KRW per person. We skipped it since there are great jjimjilbangs nearby for a fraction of the cost, but the in-hotel option is there if you want the convenience.

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Executive Club Lounge (28th Floor)

Floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views of the city and Gyeongbokgung Palace. Airy, spacious, and a genuinely great place to work or unwind. The lounge serves food and beverages during three windows: breakfast, afternoon tea, and evening cocktails. We attended all three and filmed it all. Watch the full Executive Club Lounge video here:

👉 Four Seasons Seoul Executive Club Lounge

One honest opinion: the lounge food is largely a smaller selection of what you'd already get at the breakfast buffet downstairs. Unless you're spending a full day at the hotel, we personally don't think the club room upgrade is necessary if you're booking through FHR (which already includes the full breakfast buffet). The buffet is that good.

If you want to bring guests to the lounge, you can, but it costs extra:

• Breakfast: 77,000 KRW per guest
• Afternoon tea: 66,000 KRW per guest
• Evening cocktails: 165,000 KRW per guest

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Dining at Four Seasons Seoul

The hotel has six dining options:

Seafood Night at Market Kitchen

If you visit on a Friday, do not miss Seafood Night. The spread is extraordinary: live stations, sashimi, whole lobster, wagyu, and the main event is a live tuna cutting show starting at 6:30 PM, lasting about 30 minutes. Watching them break down an entire bluefin tuna and immediately serving the freshest otoro you've ever tasted is something else.

When we visited in October 2025, it was 195,000 KRW per person (~$145). Current pricing is approximately 199,100 KRW for adults and 99,500 KRW for children.

We used our $100 FHR F&B credit toward one person's portion and charged the rest separately. Watch the full Seafood Night video here:

👉 Four Seasons Seoul Seafood Night Buffet at The Market Kitchen

Breakfast Buffet

Possibly the best hotel breakfast we've had in Korea. The spread covers Western, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese, all executed at an extremely high level.

Korean highlights: haemul pajeon (seafood pancake), tteokbokki, kimchi jjigae, kongnamul, doraji (bellflower root), doenjang soup, kimbap, soy-marinated shrimp

Western highlights: house-cured bacon (genuinely melt-in-your-mouth), roasted potatoes, smoked salmon, a made-to-order station for French toast, waffles, and pancakes

The French toast deserves its own mention. We're not being dramatic. It was the best French toast we've eaten in our lives. Fluffy, not overly sweet, just melts. Get it.

Regular price: 83,610 KRW for adults, 41,800 KRW for children. With FHR, breakfast for two is complimentary, which is a massive value add given the quality.

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Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) Benefits Recap

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Our Verdict

The Four Seasons Seoul absolutely lives up to its reputation. The service is warm, attentive, and genuinely high-touch without being stuffy. The location is perfect. The breakfast alone is worth the price of a FHR booking.

What we'd do differently next time:

• Book through FHR again (non-negotiable)
• Skip the club room upgrade (the breakfast buffet via FHR is better than the lounge version, and you save money)
• Skip the Seafood Night dinner buffet if budget is a concern; the breakfast is so good you won't feel like you missed out

If you've been on the fence about Four Seasons Seoul, this is your sign. It's our favorite hotel stay in Korea so far, above Grand Hyatt and Signiel.