Location
Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences is very well appointed. The hotel is 5 mins walk from Dongdaemun shopping district where the shops close at 5am every day. The hotel is also very accessible with a bus stop just 2 mins walk and the subway just 4 mins walk from the hotel. The nearest subway stop from Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences is Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station, where three subway lines serve the station. The hotel is one subway stop from Myeongdong shopping district, five stops away from Gyeongbokgung Station and four stops from Seoul Station. Getting to and from Incheon Airport is a breeze with the Airport limousine Bus Stop being 1 min walk from the hotel. There are at least two 24-hour convenient shops nearby the hotel, with one located in the building next to the hotel. Numerous eateries around the hotel open 24-hour.
Airport limousine stop next to Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences
The Studio
The Residence Studio has a total floor area of 26m² which is quite good by Seoul’s standards. Despite its size, the interior designers of the hotel did an excellent job is packing a kitchenette in the room and yet does not make the room feel cramp.
View of Seoul from the Residence Studio
Sleeping Area
The large king bed is the first thing that greets guests upon entering the room. The sleep quality on the king bed is excellent, leaving guests feeling fully recharged every night one sleeps on it. The pillows are of the right firmness to my liking. Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences also provides guests with a choice of four types of pillows via the pillow menu ensuring guests having a better sleep quality. There are two side tables placed on either side of the bed with reading lights mounted on the headboard of the bed, thus freeing up space for guests to utilise on the side tables. There is an international power outlet as well as two USB charging ports above either of the bedside tables, providing ample outlets for guests to charge their lifestyle devices.
The king bed is the first thing that greets guests upon entering the room
The sleep quality on the king bed is excellent
Next to the entrance of the Residence Studio is a couple of armchairs and a small round table, where guests can relax by and enjoy a cup of coffee from the Nespresso machine in the kitchenette. There are some more power outlets and USB ports here, providing guests with more points to charge their lifestyle devices. A large 55″ LED TV is mounted on the wall opposite the king bed and above the armchairs. There is no lack of TV programmes, both local and international ones, to keep guests of the Residence Studio entertained.
Armchairs and the 55″ LED TV mounted on the wall opposite the king bed
The Bathroom
The bathroom in the Residence Studio at Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences is a tad tight, but one will not feel too cramp inside the bathroom. A sink and a small countertop are to the right of the entrance to the bathroom. Despite being small, there is still space on the countertop for guests to place some of their toiletries. A large mirror is placed on the wall by the sink, making the bathroom look bigger. A toilet bowl, that comes with remote control bidet, is placed in the corner next to the sink. A walk-in shower with both regular and rain shower heads, enclosed in glass partition separating the wet and dry area of the bathroom, is diagonally opposite the sink. The space inside the walk-in shower does not feel cramp at all. One can still shower comfortably in the walk-in shower. I am amazed that the designers of this Residence Studio in Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences manage to fit in a wardrobe in the bathroom. This ingenious design not only frees up space in the sleeping area of the room, it conveniences guests of the room in changing their clothes after a shower. The wardrobe is, however, a tad small for two guests staying in the room. The space in the wardrobe at most can hold up to one week’s clothing for one guest and maybe two guests if the clothings are hanged closely. An iron and ironing board is stowed inside this wardrobe. An in-room safe is hidden on the top drawer of the two-tiered cabinet inside the wardrobe.
Sink and toilet in the bathroom
Remote control bidet
Walk-in Shower
Bath amenities provided by Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences
Wardrobe in the toilet
Kitchenette
Despite having a total floor area of only 26m², the designers of the Residence Studio managed to put in a kitchenette area in the room, displaying their cleverness at using space in the room. The kitchenette occupies the corner of the room outside the bathroom and to the left of the entrance to the Residence Studio. The two induction cookers and the microwave in the kitchenette allows guests to cook a simple meal. There is also a rice cooker and some cookwares stowed inside the cabinet in the kitchenette area. The hotel also installed a Nespresso machine in the kitchenette for guests to enjoy quality coffee in the room. In the cabinets under the induction cookers are a washing machine that comes with dryer function and a mini-fridge.
Kitchenette Area in the Residence Studio
There is a sink and two induction cookers in the kitchenette
Microwave oven, electric kettle and Nespresso machine in the kitchenette
There is a washing machine cum dryer in the kitchenette
Mini fridge in the kitchenette
Rice cooker and other cooking wares are found in the cabinet at the kitchenette. There is space here for guests to store their belongings
Service
The service in Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences is out of this world. From the moment we step into the hotel on the ground level, we can already feel the friendliness and eagerness to help guests from the staff. We were greeted by the concierge staffs and invited to the 20th floor to get our check-in processed. The concierge staff also offered to help us with our luggage and escort us to the reception for check-in, which we declined. At the reception, the staffs welcomed us with the biggest smile on her face. She processed our check-in with such efficiency and made some recommendations for us to explore during our stay in Seoul. The staff also gave us three welcome drink passes (unlike the miserable Ibis Ambassador Busan Haeundae) and recommended us to use the pass at the bar on the 20th floor where the view is more spectacular.
Concierge staff on the ground floor who are always willing to help
We were warmly welcomed by the staff at the reception on the 20th floor during our check-in
I always thought the housekeeping staffs are the unsung heroes of any hotels. It is the same for Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences. We were assured that we will always return to a spick and span suite every night after exploring Seoul. These diligent housekeeping staffs cleaned every corner of the suite and replenished all the amenities in the suite so we do not have to worry about them running out.
When we redeemed the welcome drink from the bar on the 20th floor, we were warmly welcomed by the only staff at the bar. The staff briefed us of the choice of drink we are entitled to and found us an excellent seat which gave us a commanding view of the surroundings after taking orders for our drinks.
The hotel provides free shuttle service three times a day to six major destinations around Seoul include Myeongdong, Gyeongbokgung, Changyeonggung to name a few. Guests are required to arrive at the hotel concierge early and queue up for the shuttle service. We did not manage to catch the shuttle service during our stay in the hotel as the timing does not match ours.
Complimentary Shuttle service
This bus would take guests around six destinations in Seoul
Hotel Facilities
Gym
The gym in Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences is located on the 20th floor. The gym is very well equipped with treadmills, bikes, weights machine and free weights for guests to get a good workout. I like the placement of the bikes and treadmills where guests can do their workout and get a great view of Seoul while doing so.
Swimming Pool
There are two swimming pools in Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences. The hotel requires guests to wear a swim cap when using these pools. The indoor swimming is located on the 20th floor of the hotel and is opened all year long. The swimming pool is heated and is great for guests to swim a few laps in. There is a jacuzzi by the entrance to the indoor pool for guests to relax in.
Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences also operates an outdoor swimming pool on the rooftop (21st floor). Despite being a smaller pool compared to its indoor counterpart, guests can also get a decent swim from this outdoor pool. The outdoor pool is open only from Jul to Sep each year.
Rooftop Garden
There is a rooftop garden on the 21st floor in Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences. There are some chairs in the garden for guests to relax and enjoy the view of Seoul. There is also a bar where guests can order some drinks and snacks while taking in the beautiful scenery of Seoul.
Overall
Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences is an excellent choice for visitors to Seoul. The location is excellent with the Dongdaemun shopping district right at the doorstep of the hotel. The hotel is within minutes walk from the airport limousine bus stop and the subway station. Despite the small size, the Residence Studio is very well designed in terms of space and is very comfortable. The sleep quality was excellent in the king bed. The service we received throughout our stay with Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences is impeccable. We were always greeted with smiles whenever we bumped into any of the staffs around in the hotel. We felt welcome to the hotel by the diligent staffs working tirelessly around the clock to ensure guests are well taken care of. I would not hesitate to book a stay at this hotel the next time I visit Seoul.