L'Escape Hotel — Hotel in Seoul

Having stayed in Seoul before and experienced a more standard, modern hotel room, we thought we’d try something a bit different and would perhaps be more of an experience whilst also giving a relaxing night during our layover. Unfortunately, what we got was far from this.

While most people rave about L’Escape’s unique, bougie style and its bold French-inspired decor, for us, the atmosphere felt more eerie than elegant. The dark, moody lighting and intense design choices created a vibe that was better suited to a thriller movie or a brothel than a hotel room meant for unwinding.

The room itself, though stylish, wasn’t as comfortable as we’d hoped. The shower had a full glass window looking directly into the bedroom, offering no privacy and making the whole layout feel awkward and exposed, with lots of dark shadowy areas. The lighting system was also very strange and aided the whole murder-y vibe.

As we explored further, we couldn’t help but notice stains on the walls and on the sofa at the end of the bed. In the hallway, the protruding lamps had clearly been knocked into repeatedly and were held in place with tape that had been painted over to blend with the wall — a clear sign they’d taken a lot of damage.

What really threw us off, though, was the in-room speaker system. We assumed it was just for playing music and requesting amenities etc, but whilst talking in bed, it randomly triggered itself, giving us a response. That’s when we realised it was always listening — similar to Apple HomePod, Alexa or a Google Home. We couldn’t find a way to mute or disable it, and in a private hotel room, it left us feeling quite uncomfortable and uneasy. The TV also being put behind a mirror made this even more so considering concerns around hidden cameras and general hidden devices in hotel rooms.

Even checkout wasn’t a smooth experience. We were told at check-in that a room inspection would be necessary due to us using a debit card for deposit. So we used the in-room checkout system to save time, but this told us to contact the front desk. When we got to the front desk, we were told it would take just five minutes. However, it stretched to over 20 minutes, which led to a series of delays. We just missed the subway, which meant a 10 minute wait, this subsequently made us miss three airport trains — including the express service we’d planned as a backup — and almost missed our flight altogether (partially our own fault for expecting to get to the airport around 1hr30mins before the flight, but equally this delay meant we ended up getting to the airport 50 minutes before). We planned around an issue with the subway, as it is around a 15 minute walk to Seoul station, but because of the 20 minute room check this eroded even that additional time.

While L’Escape is undoubtedly unique and boasts an upscale, bougie vibe that many guests enjoy, our stay felt more uncomfortable than charming with a dirty, brothel like vibe. The location was convenient, and the design certainly makes a statement, but the overall experience was not the relaxing escape we...

What a lovely hotel! We stayed here for my friend's birthday this past weekend (Seollal ended up falling on her birthday this year, so she decided to spend it in Seoul, taking in the special Seollal activities). My friend loves beautiful things and luxury and this hotel definitely delivered both in spades. ||We checked in a bit late because we were out and about, but were able to drop our bags earlier at reception, and when we went to check in they were quick to get them as we went through the check in process. The staff was very helpful and friendly during check-in, especially Daniel and Lukas, who were excellent at making us feel welcomed and at ease. They even had a birthday gift for my friend, although we had not mentioned it was her birthday before, when the topic came up naturally during the check-in process. Daniel helped us carry our bags to the room, and my friend gasped when we entered. ||L'Escape has done an excellent job of creating the atmosphere and aesthetic of France during La Belle Epoque, you could almost believe you'd been transported back to 1800s. Warm lamplight lit the dark wood, plush red carpets and green and cream embroidered upholstery that decorated our room, creating a very inviting yet elegant environment. Quite a few artworks contemporaneous to La Belle Epoque lined the room. Also, everything in the room was quite comfortable, from the sofas to the beds! We had an excellent sleep, and even slept in quite late the next day. Everything is provided for, plenty of water, towels, tissues and all the essentials, though for the extras in the mini-bar you do have to pay. Everything was also sparkling clean, from the bathtub to the carpets. We got the Atelier Suite and were very happy. ||The hotel was also very conveniently located fairly close to Seoul station, if you are traveling to Seoul by train, which we were. It's less than a minute's walk from Hoehyeon station on line 4, just one stop away from Seoul station. This conveniently put us in a north-central location in Seoul which made it easy to get to all our Seollal activities this past weekend, most of which were in the area of the palaces. ||Would definitely recommend if you are looking for a beautiful, comfortable and convenient stay in Seoul, it is well...

It was our 1st trip to Seoul and we wanted a hotel with proximity to the train station, night food options and spacious room. We were frequent travelers and knew the importance of moving space in the room. This hotel met all our requirements with added bonus! First, the Hoehyeon Train right at the door steps (and proves to be strategically linked to all other lines!). A tip, you can use the same train exit to link all the way to Myeongdong street if you want to avoid the weather elements.

Being close to Myeongdong, we were able to grab the best of Seoul night food such as Korean fried chicken and other delicious street food as we return from our day trip. Even if we were late, the CU and 7-11 around were stocked well for our needs.

Checking in was a breeze and I met one of the nicest and charming gentlemen, Daniel. The lad was both humorous and helpful to our stay. He gave a good introduction of the facilities of the room and sensing our tiredness from our flight, did his best to check us in as soon as he could. 5 Star service for sure Daniel!

The room itself was huge! Thanks to Daniel, we were upgraded to a larger room and we could enjoy that space we needed to relax each night. There was 2 TV, 1 facing the sofa area and the other at the bed. Both had Netflix if you got tired of watching golf channels (loved all 3 of them) The bath tub was gorgeous. It was placed in the larger bathroom area and you have the option to close out that room for privacy while you soak. The room view could see half of Namsan and that was a great treat for us as we prepared each morning with a Nespresso each morning, courtesy of the hotel.

Every one of the hotel staff we met throughout our stay displayed the same professionalism as Daniel, from the concierge greeting us at the lobby daily to the cleaning lady in charge of our room. She greeted us warmly when we met and took extra effort to clean up our room each day. She laid out extra water daily (not just 2 but 5 and sometimes 6!), changed our slippers daily and even placed our toiletries on a cloth for added protection. The thoughtfulness was really deeply appreciated.

All in all, the staff of L'escape displayed top notch service deserving of their 5 star...