Good-value hotel is in the heart of Gangnam Style-land
Check-in
You want Gangnam? You want style? Well, do we have a hotel for you. Try Voco Seoul, a member of the ever-expanding InterContinental brand of four-star “upscale lifestyle hotels”, which are spreading around the world nearly as rapidly as a viral pop hit. And, speaking of such, it was Psy, the now middle-aged Korean K-pop sensation, who a little over a decade ago scored a monster global smash in the form of Gangnam Style, the earworm to end all earworms.
The lobby.Credit: Alamy
This 151-room hotel is right in the grip of Gangnam, which is the amorphous and affluent “South of the River” district of the Korean capital. It was ruthlessly satirised in the song (look up the English translation for the lyrics) and accompanying outrageous video which remains one of YouTube’s most-viewed music videos with billions of hits.
The look
Built inside what appears to be a low-ceilinged erstwhile high-rise office block, Voco Seoul Gangnam’s pleasant yellow, blue and white colour scheme feels understated considering the hotel’s ritzy and pop cultural location. It’s mere steps from Garosu-gil, one of the Korean capital’s hippest streets and the embodiment of Gangnam Style. This Tokyo-like, gingko-tree lined avenue is flanked by fashionable boutiques and, yes, in- your-nipped-and-tucked-face cosmetic surgery centres (for which Seoul is a virtual world capital) with the backstreets beef cheek to jowl with cool restaurants, bars and cafes.
The room
One of the hotel’s King Rooms.
My decently proportioned (for Seoul), 30 square metres upper floor city view room features a king bed and a bathroom with a combined rain shower and the bonus traditional cypress timber bathtub (bathing rituals for Koreans, like the Japanese, are a fundamental part of life). There’s also an always welcome complimentary minibar, high-speed Wi-Fi, Australian-brand Antipodes bathroom products and a 140-centimetre smart TV.
Food + drink
The hotel’s in-house Amarillo eatery serves excellent and moderately priced “international fusion cuisine”.
You won’t suffer hunger pangs in this affordable capital of a nation where food is a national pastime, if not obsession. Eating and drinking options, across all forms of price points and cuisine – including the various Korean schools of cooking – abound right across Gangnam and on the opposite side of the river, easily reached from the hotel via the city’s brilliant subway system. If you’re up for some respite from the ubiquitous and numerous varieties of kimchi, South Korea’s national dish, as well as Seoul’s rather hectic pace, the hotel’s in-house Amarillo eatery serves excellent and moderately priced “international fusion cuisine” in a relaxed setting behind reception.
Out + about
The majority of the most popular, and for that matter traditional, tourist attractions in Seoul are across the river. But electing to stay in livelier Gangnam provides a glimpse of the capital’s more contemporary side. Gangnam Style fans should make a pilgrimage to the daffy but fun monument to the hit which is sculpted to represent the pair of overlapping hands from the horsey dance sequence of the video.
The monument is directly opposite the entrance to COEX, Asia’s largest subterranean shopping centre which features not only a wealth of shops and cafes but also the architecturally striking Starfield public library (not your usual mega-mall amenity). Further afield, but still in Gangnam (just), are the trio of floating man-made islands, known as Sebitseomis, a cutting-edge cultural, dining and marina complex positioned right atop the Han River.
The verdict
With South Korea’s increasingly dynamic capital now challenging Tokyo as a must-visit North Asian city, Voco Seoul Gangnam offers a wholly agreeable, well-located and reasonably priced stay.
Essentials
King bedrooms from $237 per night. Voco Seoul Gangnam, 44 Dosan-daero, Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea. See ihg.com
Our rating out of five
★★★★
Highlight
The hotel’s location, right in the midst of Gangnam Style-land, brings the hit song to life, should that be your thing. It is a lot of fun.
Lowlight
The hotel is located on the sort of wide, multi-laned and relentlessly busy main road that proliferates in Seoul. Do cross at the lights.
The writer stayed as a guest of the hotel and visited Seoul courtesy of Korean Tourism and Qantas. See visitkorea.or.kr; qantas.com
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