Courtyard Seoul Times Square - Review

Credit @ Park Hyatt Busan

During my visit in Seoul, I stayed at Courtyard Seoul Times Square at Yeongdeungpo Area. I rated this hotel as 4.8/5. 0.2 point off due to the distance to the major attraction.

There are three entrance thru this hotel, two connected thru Times Square and one main entrance. The lobby is located at 5th Floor At night after the Times Square mall is closed, the only entrance is the main entrance. You need to use room key to get in. If you do not have key, you can press a bell to the receptionist and the door will open for you.

Main Entrance of Courtyard Seoul Times Square

When we checked-in, as a gold elite member, I was given a choice of drink, free breakfast at MoMo Cafe, and room at executive lounge floor. The room is very nice with a view of garden. This garden is where the Running Man Episode 1 filming. We stayed here for two nights before we went to Busan. 

 

The view from our room. Garden where Running Man Episode 1 Filming.

Buffet Breakfast at MoMo Cafe

Buffet Breakfast at MoMo Cafe

Buffet Breakfast at MoMo Cafe

The services at this hotel are excellent. Everyone is very nice. At executive lounge, it offers breakfast, dinner, and snacks. My sister and I eat there for two days straight for dinner and snacks.The buffet breakfast at MoMo Cafe is amazing. There are lots of food from Chinese, American, Korean, and Japanese food. The room itself is clean. When I picked up my parents, we have a total of 8 luggage, 4 28", 3 26", and 1 20'. We asked the concierge at the hotel to keep five out of eight of our luggage for couples days so we can only bring 3 luggage to Busan and Jeju Island.

Copyright @ Visitkorea.co.kr

 Near this Courtyard Seoul Times Square:

1. Times Square Mall B2 - 5F Courtyard building (one of the biggest mall in Seoul) (www. timessquare.co.kr)

   

   Copyright @ http://www.thousandwonders.net/Times+Square+Seoul

   
   
   
2.  Night Street Food (In front of Times Square) 

   

   Copyright @ http://www.halfdazed.com/2015/03/30/03302015-seoul-yeongdeungpo/

3.  Yeongdeungpo Metro and KTX Station

   

   Yeongdeupo Station

   

   Yeongdeupo Metro Station (Copyright @ http://www.halfdazed.com/2015/03/30/03302015-seoul-yeongdeungpo/

   
   

   
   

   
   

4. Underground Shops (Connected Courtyard hotel - Times Square - Shops - Lotte Department Store - Yeongdeungpo Metro and KTX station)

   

   Underground Shops

5.  Restaurants and E-mart
   

Note: Visit http://www.halfdazed.com/2015/03/30/03302015-seoul-yeongdeungpo/  for more information on Yeongdeungpo Area   

Itinerary to South Korea

Two Weeks Vacation in South Korea - Part I

Part I: Two Weeks Vacation in South Korea - Part I
Part II: Two Weeks Vacation in South Korea - Part II
Part III: Two weeks Vacation in South Korea - Part III

After I started watching Korean TV shows and drama back in 2010, I went crazy with everything about South Korea. I decided to visit South Korea - Seoul, Busan, and Gangwon-Do in 2014. I went with my sister who flew from Texas and my parents who flew from Indonesia, while I flew from New York. Since we traveled by ourselves, I had to do the research 6 months ago before the departure day. My sister and I flew there 2 days earlier than my parents. I created the itinerary so that we did not forget to visit the destination points.

 

 

Do not forget to look for coupons before you went there. I printed all the coupons so that it is readily available. This is the lists of website where you can print the coupons:

1.  http://www.visakorea.com/index.shtml (Click the "Visa special offers for foreign travelers to Korea" - this coupon is available every year beginning April 1st to March 31 the next year)
2. http://www.vkc.or.kr/en/benefit/coupon.asp
3. http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/index.kto (This website give lots of information about South Korea and where I collected information about tour, phone number of destinations, and how to get there information)
4. http://www.utravelnote.com/note/coupon/cprint.php?c_seq=190 (Japanese website, if you do not understand Japanese like I do, use google chrome to translate it)
5. http://www.koreagaja.com/ (Chinese website, if you do not understand Chinese like I do, use google chrome to translate it)
6. http://www.konest.com/  (Japanese website, if you do not understand Japanese like I do, use google chrome to translate it)
7. http://www.seoulnavi.com/coupon/coupon_list.php (Japanese website, if you do not understand Japanese like I do, use google chrome to translate it)
8. https://rsvweb.airbusan.com/content/common/flynjoy/flyNFun/ (As long as you flight with Air Busan, you can use the coupons. They offer the coupons in couples cities such as Seoul, Busan, and Jeju Island)

 The Itinerary:

1. Three Nights in Seoul - Suwon   Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 
2. Two Nights in Busan  Day 4 - Day 5 - Day 6 
3. Three Nights in Jeju Island Day 6 - Day 7 - Day 8 - Day 9
4. Three Nights in Seoul Day 9 - Day 10 - Day 11 
5. Two Nights in Gangwon-Do Day 12 - Day 13 
6. Four Nights in Seoul

May 13, 2014 - Finally the day arrived and fly via United with points: PWM - EWR - NRT - ICN (26 hours)

The View from Plane Newark to Narita

Narita International Airport - Japan

After 14 hours flight, I arrived at Narita International Airport. I went to United Lounge to get a shower and food. The lounge is very nice but very busy.

Credit @ One Thousand Places

 

Next, time to fly to the destination point, Incheon Airport in South Korea via Asiana Airlines. As always, the food and service that offered is better than United Airlines.

Dinner offered in Asiana Airlines flight from Narita to Incheon

Day 1: Seoul

 

Incheon International Airport - South Korea

After 3 hours flight, I finally arrived in Incheon Airport, South Korea.

Credit @ Design Building

When I arrived, my sister had already waited for me for 6 hours. She actually went to Jimjilbang at the airport while wait for me. I changed money thru Hana Bank and rent KT WiFi router before went to our hotel. (Both Hana Bank and KT WiFi had coupon from one of the coupon link website) 

TIPS: DO NOT CHANGE MONEY AT THE AIRPORT SINCE IT HAS POOR CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATE. USE ATM or EXCHANGE AT MYEONGDONG.

Credit @ Mike.Lee

I also bought one SIM card with a data plan at one of the convenience store at the airport since the battery of KT Olleh WiFi only last for couple hours. Also, I brought a power bank during my trip and I used it almost every day.

 

Yeongdeungpo-gu - Seoul

We then went to 1st floor Gate 6A. Then, wait at 12B to take a bus 6008 to our hotel, Courtyard Seoul Times Square Courtyard Seoul Times Square Review. We arrived around 10 PM (14 stops to Times Square) with four 28" luggage and one 26" inside one of the 28" luggage. Then, we checked-in and had dinner, night street food at the side building of the hotel. Note: 1,000 won off Coupon is available from Konest or Utravelnot

TIPS: IT IS EASIER TO TAKE BUS WITH FOUR BIG LUGGAGE THAN SUBWAY SINCE YOU HAVE TO CHANGE LINES COUPLE TIMES AND SOME OF THE SUBWAY STATION DO NOT HAVE ELEVATOR OR ESCALATOR LIKE THE ONE IN YEONGDEUNGPO STATION.

Credit @ Marriott.com

Credit @ Halfdazed

 Continue to Part II: Two Weeks Vacation in South Korea - Part II