Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Premier Suite Experience

For this staycation, I decided to visit Novotel Dongdaemun, a place I’ve been to five times for afternoon tea. I made the reservation through Accor Group’s hotel app, All.

At the end of November, there was a Black Friday event, and I was lucky enough to book at a price discounted by about 50%. The reservation page didn’t mention any restrictions.

According to the official website, the Premier Suite I booked includes access to the Executive Lounge. Lounge access at this price? Oh, thank you, Novotel Dongdaemun!

The next day, I received a call from the hotel. They informed me that there was an error in the listing and that the room was actually “room-only.” They offered to cancel the reservation, but I decided to proceed as planned.

Even without lounge benefits, I could pay for breakfast on-site, and since I intended to write a hotel review, it wasn’t a big issue.

A few days later, Novotel Dongdaemun called again, admitting their mistake and confirming that lounge benefits would be included. (What generosity!)

On the day of my stay, I arrived for check-in after 6 PM. Although I had requested a high-floor view, I didn’t have high expectations due to my basic membership tier and late arrival. However, I was assigned a room on the 16th floor out of 3–19 floors. (Applause!)

Since the hotel shares its space with a residence building, there are only 1–2 rooms of the booked type per floor. The check-in process was already off to a satisfying start.

On the same floor as the reception, there’s a lobby lounge bar where guests can enjoy afternoon tea. I briefly greeted the manager, who is also an acquaintance. (It was nice to see you!^^)

As it was dinner buffet time, the manager seemed busy, so I just said hello and headed to my room. Upon entering, the bathroom and bathtub immediately caught my eye on the right.

When I pulled up the blinds, I was greeted with a direct view of Namsan Seoul Tower from the bathtub. Wow! It was closer than I expected, and the tower view combined with the spacious bathroom was fantastic.

The room itself is a corner-side room with curtains on both sides. When I opened the curtains, the windows weren’t full-length, and the view was partially obstructed by walls. The cold weather outside made the room noticeably chillier when the curtains were open, so I quickly closed them after taking some photos.

The king bed, measuring 180×200 cm, was very spacious and in good condition. After taking some photos of the room, I headed to the Executive Lounge on the 19th floor.

There was a long queue, likely because guests wanted to secure window seats. The lounge has about 15 tables, and takeout is also an option for some guests. Since it was December 30th, the lounge was already busy, and I can only imagine how crowded it must have been on Christmas or New Year’s Eve.

As I was alone, I occupied a two-person table and started enjoying Happy Hour. The buffet-style offerings were quite good, making the lounge a great value.

When the first menu items ran out, they were replaced with different dishes. For example, fried assortments and lasagna were swapped for chicken and pasta. The lounge operated in two sessions that day, with each session lasting about 90 minutes.

Back in my room, I relaxed with a half-bath while enjoying the night view of Namsan Seoul Tower. Be careful not to let water overflow, as the drainage is only inside the bathtub.

The bathroom amenities included standard Novotel items, with Molton Brown products added for the suite. Since one side of the bathroom is a full-length window, it can feel quite cold.

Next up was breakfast in the suite. On weekdays, regular breakfast is served at Food Exchange on the 20th floor, while on weekends, it’s held in the Executive Lounge on the 19th floor. Although it was a weekday, the lounge breakfast was offered due to the high number of guests staying on December 31st. (Takeout options were available on the 20th floor.)

For a lounge breakfast, the selection was excellent. While there was no live station, omelets and fried eggs were prepared in advance. The bakery items were particularly impressive.

After breakfast, I returned to my room to relax. Check-out was at 12 PM, which felt significantly later than 11 AM. Since I had checked in late the previous day, I missed the lounge tea time.

However, during check-out, I was informed about the To-Go service. They packed a box with nuts, baked goods, and two types of tea bags. It was a perfect staycation. Thank you!