Park Hyatt Seoul

Class: Deluxe

Style: Modern design

Rooms: 185

So successful and so focused are the Park Hyatt hotels that once you’ve said the name, there’s very little left to add. The Park Hyatt in Tokyo, world famous thanks to its starring role in the film Lost in Translation, sets out the formula: modern high-rise architecture, sweeping views, sober contemporary interiors, ultra-plush amenities, and gold-standard service. To say the Park Hyatt Seoul is more of the same, then, is clearly no criticism at all.

Forty-two square meters is the minimum room size, which will leave nobody feeling cramped. Rich oak and stone surfaces supply some texture as a counterpoint to the crisp clean lines, and every last detail has been thoughtfully prepared, from the swivel-mounted flat-screen televisions to the Aēsop products beside the granite-hewn bathtubs.

With its striking lobby, by the Japanese firm Super Potato, it’s clear that this Park Hyatt means to compete in the big leagues when it comes to design. But what it’s got, and the design boutiques don’t, is a massive industrial hospitality machine, grinding away behind the scenes. It’s the best of both worlds: a stylish atmosphere to rival the top boutiques, backed up with the kind of service the luxury chains do best.