Spent 2 weeks at this hotel with 2 adults and two tweens in a room with 2 double beds. Also spent several weeks at the Courtyard Times Square and and a week in Courtyard Suwon in rooms with two double beds so this review will compare and contrast all three hotels. The location at CY Namdaemun can’t be beat, it is a short walk to several different subways lines and Seoul Station making it a perfect location to explore Seoul and the surrounding region. It is also in walking distance of several major tourists sites in Seoul and is right across the street from the famed Naedaemun Market. All three hotels have double beds large enough to comfortably sleep two adults and the rooms are large enough not to feel cramped. As Platinum Elite the whole family had the buffet breakfast at all three hotels at the Momo cafe which included western and Korean dishes and all three hotels had an excellent breakfast. The wife and I also enjoyed the executive lounge at all three hotels which included a nice variety of western and Korean foods and desserts. It also included basic top shelf liquors, wine and a single draft beer (Kloud) so I brought in my own Korean craft beer when we used the lounge (craft beer is now ubiquitous in Korean convenience stores). The service and English ability of the staff in all three hotels is phenomenal! The Times Square CY had been our go to Hotel in Seoul over the past several years and we recently stayed there as well. While slightly more expensive than the Namdaemun location of late and in a less touristy location, it’s biggest benefit is being located in the Times Square Mall. If using public transportation and the weather is bad you can use the underground shopping mall that connects the train/subway station to reach the hotel/mall. The Suwon CY is new and a great hotel in an up and coming area but is located far away from tourist attractions to include the ones in Suwon (but there is an aquarium right next to the hotel). There is a subway stop located about a 10 minute walk away that you can take towards Seoul or after switching trains, towards Suwon station. However, if price is a factor, it is consistently the most expensive of the three probably because it caters to business travelers but the lounge is the least crowded. At the other two hotels the lounge can be quite crowded on weekends but they run two sessions for access.

We were in Seoul for 10 days and found this to be a great location, central to all the sights we wanted to see and within easy walking distance to bus and metro stops. Our room was on the small side (by western standards), but ok for the two of us. There was no place to put a second suitcase so mine had to be kept on the floor. Also, there was no desk, but there was a small table near the window with 2 small chairs. We enjoyed the floor-to-ceiling windows and had a nice view of the street below (from the 9th floor) and Seoul Tower. There was no tub, but the shower was a decent size and had a rain-type showerhead above, along with a standard showerhead and a handheld. We thought the price we paid for the room was a good value, but the breakfast buffet was too expensive. We did the buffet for a few mornings for the convenience. There were lots of choices and the food ranged from average to good. We discovered Queen's Bakery a few blocks down which serves better croissants than I've had in France along with other baked goods and delicious coffee. We found the service throughout the hotel to be attentive and friendly. All in all, we'd stay at the Courtyard Namdaemun again.

We stayed 6 nights in a Suite Seoul Tower View during the Korean Lunar New Year and This hotel was excellent in cleanliness and convenience. It is opposite the Namdaemun market and very easy to experience the market by just crossing the road. Most shops were closed for their Lunar New year but some were opened and gradually opened after the first day of the New Year. It is easy to walk to Seoul Tower and the shopping area of Shingsegae and Lotte Yound and department shops (but the department stores are all closed for the duration of the whole of the public holidays). However, it was fun to walk the little streets opposite the road Jung-go Myeong-dong2 road which side roads are opposite the Lotte Young and Lotte Department Store. There are street stalls and little shopping Malls along those side roads. The concierge boys of the hotel spoke good English and tried really hard to advice us, answer our queries, give clear directions and get the cabs etc. Particular compliment should be given to concierge Aiden who spoke good English and was very helpful. The downside was that although we booked a Suite through the Marriott website (and this Suite is sold with access to the Executive lounge) and had clearly selected 3 adults in the room when booking the room at the website, the receptionist on our checking in gave us some issues about our adult son being able to go to the executive lounge with us which I thought was not pleasant. The reason given was that it was the Lunar New Year and it was going to be too crowded in the lounge. So we agreed to pay extra for his going to the lounge and having breakfast. This part of the hotel experience was not pleasant and the service in this regard could be improved. Otherwise, this is a clean, comfortable and comfortable hotel.