Seoul
South Korea


The Experience

Long before hip neophytes like the W called Seoul home, there was the Shilla -- a bastion of modern Korean design and architecture with a private 23-acre park and linked to one of the city's highest-end shopping centers. Although built in 1979, the Shilla's spare, 23-story facade and prime downtown location have helped it stay on the cutting-edge despite the hip competition. A recently completed two-year renovation also helps, adding a new jazz bar and redesigned restaurant.

The Rooms

Despite the hundreds of rooms, there's still a calm quiet in each; embrace it fully by requesting a view of Mt. Namsan (though it's rather far away); city views fill your room with neon unless you shut the heavy drapes. While rooms weren't part of the renovation, they still feel fresh, with Asian touches such as porcelain vases and platform beds. Unfortunately, though, they're very Western in design, with beige-patterned walls and heavy wooden furniture -- there's really no sense of place. And space, being at a premium, is tight: Standard rooms are a mere 280 square feet; you have to jump up a couple of categories to get enough room to truly relax.

The Service

Unlike many international five-star hotels, the Shilla includes free high-speed Internet service (in some rooms), in-room mineral water and traditional tea, and even use of hotel cell phones. Such generosity of spirit sets the tone for the rest of the hotel, with a level of care and attentiveness found only in the East -- and increasingly less so. Stop worrying about confirming your flight; at the Shilla, it feels as if the entire hotel is worrying for you.

The Highlights

A major component of the hotel's recent face-lift was a massive expansion of its spa, one of the few places in the hotel that feels Korean. The existing space was already pretty impressive, with its huge indoor and outdoor pools and Zen-like traditional Korean spa, a classic Asian experience with body-scrubbing services, saunas and carbonated hot and cold baths. But now, branches of L'Institut de Guerlain and the La Clinique de Paris bring French flair into the calm space. It may be an odd fit, but it works, with soothing Vichy showers and Clinique products. Of the hotel's four restaurants, the newly renovated Parkview is a must, with its alfresco terrace and truly international menu, including sushi, steaks and dim sum. Round off your stay with a stroll through the on-site sculpture garden.

-- David Kaufman

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