Sunday, October 3, 2010

Korea Report: Hotel Ibis Ambassador Myeongdong





Live reporting from Seoul Korea!!!  I've finally arrived!  You know what's so funny?  Inside the plane, I met 2 of my highschool friends and it was like instant reunion!  We  split up after immigration check and I love Incheon Airport by the way!  

Anyways, long story after we got our bags, we stayed at the airport trying to figure out how to call internationally because our mobile phones does not have automatic roaming! :(  Before I go on all our mini adventures...time check 2:54am Manila Time and it's 3:54am Korean Time and I'm wide awake!  

I'll share to you how I love the hotel I booked and I'll go to my zzz's after! 

Research after research, I've finally chose Hotel Ibis Ambassador Myeongdong, reasons:
  • location: Myeong Dong is known to be the center for shopping!  Whatever you need, you can find it down here.
  • airport bus stops right in front of the hotel!  This is super important because I hate lugging heavy luggages from subway station to another!
  • near tourist spots: N Tower, Deoksugong Palace (both can be visited by foot)
Here's the entrance of Hotel Ibis Ambassador MyeongDong at around 11:30pm (Korea Time)


Weird thing is, the reception area is located at the 19th floor!  So better head up to the elevator and press 19 (which is the topmost floor of the hotel).


Rates posted can give anyone who's not used to seeing rates going from hundreds of thousands!  I booked my hotel online via Agoda.  My rate goes approximately $114.00/night.  On off peak season, the rate would be less than $100.00/night!  Sad to say, I've waited for our Korean Visa to be approved and the prices shoot up!  No breakfast included by the way as it's a special internet rate.


I love the safety feature of the hotel.  Only those who have room keys can go to the specific floor number by swiping the "ving" card.  One swipe then press 14, which is our current floor!


Most Tripadvisor or Agoda reviewers gave positive reviews on the said hotel.  Most complain about the size of the room (especially the bath area) and some also complain that the room temperature is too warm!  I'll confirm if their complaints are true!

Standard Double Room
Bed is the right size and seriously soft!  Love how soft the pillow are!  I have nothing against the cleanliness of this room!  Lighting is just right!  Not too dark nor too bright!




The room has the basic amenities!  Flat screen Television, a minibar, water heater, 2 mugs and tea!  Sad to say, no coffee sachets included! 


Free slippers for use!  Love that it's not the usual paper slippers most hotels give!  This is way more comfortable!  Dresser includes hangers and VAULT! :)


The best part?  Free LAN internet each room!  It's not WIFI as compared to some other hotels but it's okay! I brought my laptop along with me and you can feel free to borrow their adaptor! 



Some of the reviewers complain that they don't have enough space to put on their luggage!  Thank goodness, our room does have a bench,  not sure if its meant for sitting but I have a feeling it meant for putting on our luggage so we don't need to stoop down to get our stuff!  The cushioned bench can fit 1 huge luggage and 2 bags!







The bathroom looks really modern and clean!  Amenities include towels, 1 tiny bar of soap, a universal shampoo, conditioner and body wash!  No toothbrush nor toothpaste included as you can purchase them at a vending machine available per floor!

Hi-tech toilet!  Has bidet and the seat can be warmed!  Guess the hotel is equipped for the super cold winter season!



The bathroom also includes a hair dryer!  Thank goodness for it as I need to blowdry my shoes after gotten wet from all the walking!  It's raining by the way!  Such a warm welcome eh?



What I love about Korea is their availability for drinking water!  We don't need to spend much purchasing bottled water as we always do on trips!  We carry along a sports bottle with us everywhere we go, and before we leave the hotel, we fill it up with water available again on each floor!  A bit of walk is worth it!

They offer ice....



Hot or cold water


And he said we'll be calling it a  night at 12:00am?  We've decided to take a stroll and visited Dongdaemun, known for it's night shopping!  Malls are open until 5:00am!!!  It was still raining when we went out so thanks again to the lovely Information guy of the hotel for some useful information and the lovely umbrella that hotel guests can rent --- Free of Charge!

It sounds like I've got no complaints for the hotel right?  Well, the Cons I've read on Hotel reviews are quite true...the bathroom is actually small as to compare to other bathrooms nearby hotels can offer!  I believe hostels can even offer larger bathroom space!  It's okay for us Asians but I'm sure big guys out there will find it hard to move around.

The temperature of the room is actually quite weird, it got stuck on 25 degrees celcius, we actually talked to the receptionist about it and they told us they already adjusted it to the temperature we desired!  But when we went up to our room, the minimum is still on 24.5 or 25!  I'm okay with it but the hubby isn't okay with that temperature!  LOL :)

We can't win 'em all! :)  It's still worth it and we're both happy!
I'll tell you more about Dongdaemun shopping experience tomorrow!  Time check....time to sleep! :)

Keep smilin'
Stay happy!



17 comments :

  1. sis, this is a great adventure I must say! A winner in every way!!! have fun... tell us more so we can learn from it and use your tips next time! :)

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  2. Yes, we can't win them all but am sure you'll have a fabulous time there!

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  3. wow! enjoy your korea trip atsi nikki =)

    laneige,skinfood,etc makeup heaven!!! looking forward to your stories
    i want to go to Korea too. Soon i hope.

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  4. We've had our farewell dinner in that hotel, love the buffet!!!!

    more post from you.. there's a lot of cute stuff at Insadong!

    Take care!

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  5. who cares, as long as the location is great right? :P

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  6. every time i spent some day/nights in hotels/motels there is never working computer in the room lol~ does that comp in your room working?
    have a fly in december, awe so worry about it, like incheon airport too btw :)

    have a lot of fun!!

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  7. i'm so envious and happy for you, one day, isang araw.

    i can't wait for your haul entry on what you shopped for.

    hopefully you do get to see one of the boys fr boys over flowers.

    LOL at least you get a western style commode.

    cheers!

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  8. Wow have fun on your tour Nikki ;)

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  9. Have fun on your trip, Nikki! The hotel looks great and neat and you look so cute holding the luggage and umbrella. Oh, enjoy shopping too! :P

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  10. i stayed at the EXACT SAME hotel when i was there during their extremely cold winter to spring transition, which is why i loved the warm toilet lol.
    you should try their breakfast buffet, the congee is good!
    the shops with the cute clothes are to the left of that hotel (facing outside), the cheaper ones don't allow you to fit them but the saleslady will tell you if it fits or not.^^ enjoy!

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  11. The hotel looks very nice! Have fun!

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  12. i am LOVING these korea trip posts! the hotel looks super comfy and chic. and i was so excited to see the pictures of the drinking water coolers - woongjin is my father's company! it's honestly the cleanest and best tasting water ever, no? hope it stops raining for you =)

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  13. Ems, this is definitely a great adventure! I am a bit wary at first not to book a tour group,but now, I'm glad I didn't!

    Becky, thanks!

    Mrs. Zeus, yes, it's just a minimal flaw out of all the positive things I can say about the hotel!

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  14. MaryJoyce, thanks! you're right, it's makeup heaven! Now I'm back, with excess baggage and everything, I still felt bad I did not purchase more! hahaha!

    Elsa, I wasn't able to eat buffet inside the hotel, everytime its food time, we are outside the hotel and its hard to go back!

    Xin, yes!!! Best location ever!

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  15. MyMakeUpMania, they have business centers with 3 computer sets were you can use for free, in my case, I took my laptop with me and they have LAN internet connection, also for free and internet connection is quite fast!

    Marge, yes, one day, isang araw, you dreamed like myself before and my wishes came true! Sad to say, I wasn't able to see any actors or actresses in Korea !hahaha

    Charry, thanks

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  16. Pammy, oohh I hope i don't need to hold the umbrella that night, lucky me the remaining days were sunny! :)

    Bea, really? WOW!!!that's great, look like this hottel is quite famous no? You're right, I love their warm toilet seat with warm water! Saw a lot of wonderful shops selling gorgeous stuffs!

    Gio, thanks!

    Jennynotjen, awww, tell your dad the water tastes great! No weird taste like other water in other countries! Because of this water dispenser, we saved up a lot on water! and morning coffee is so easy with the HOT water they provide!

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I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to comment your questions, suggestions and just anything you may want to say! Keep smiling and stay happy!