The Gravity Juson Seoul Pangyo hotel is part of the Marriott Autograph Collection. Marriott’s Autograph Collection is ‘a collection of upper upscale and luxury, independent hotels in major cities and upmarket resort areas‘. Upper upscale… That sets quite an expectation. A few weeks ago, I stayed in the Pangyo area and selected the Gravity Josun Seoul Pangyo hotel for my stay. Please read my review below and find out if the Gravity hotel was able to meet the upper upscale expectations!
Location
Pangyo is roughly 30 minutes south of Gangnam and is often referred to as the Silicon Valley of South Korea. That refers to the many offices of high tech companies and R&D centers in the area. It’s definitely not an area to experience the vibe of Seoul though. For that, you’re better of staying in Gangnam or Myeongdong! But if you need to be in the Pangyo area, the Gravity is certainly a good option.
Room
I booked a ‘Business Deluxe Guest Room’, which is the standard room and that was also the room I received at check-in. No upgrade, despite my titanium elite status. But that might also be related to the fact that the hotel seemed fully booked.
This Business Deluxe Guest Room was very basic and didn’t give me a ‘deluxe’ feeling. Certainly not an upper upscale feeling! The materials look and feel cheap despite the fact that slippers are provided as well as a bathrobe.
What also didn’t help was the big ‘hand print’ stain on the couch; not very nice to see! Besides the big stain, the room was clean though. Also no complaints about the shower and the water pressure, which was good.
When staying at hotels, you always need to be a bit lucky with your neighbors. But it also helps when the rooms are properly isolated and during my stay the room was quiet. So a clean (kind off…), quiet room and a fairly comfortable bed. Basically the most important elements for a business stay covered. Well, almost. The air conditioning system barely managed to keep the room cool. That might have be related to the side of the building my room was located and the big windows. But I would be concerned coming back in the summer period when it’s even warmer and more sunny than when I was there during the May period.
Restaurants
At the ground floor, opposite the reception, there is a small deli where you can buy some pastries and a coffee. Good to know, opposite the Gravity Hotel there is a Starbucks – always good to have as back-up option!
Zerovity is a restaurant for casual a-la-carte lunch or dinner. The menu is mainly focused on Western dishes so if you want a change from Korean BBQ or Bibimbap, then this restaurant is a good alternative. I went to the restaurant several times during my stay and I always enjoyed the food.
Breakfast takes place at the Andish restaurant and the buffet doesn’t disappoint. Exactly what you would expect from a business hotel in Asia. Nothing spectacular and certainly not upper-market, but perfectly fine. The Andish restaurant is also open for dinner, but then you’ll pay a fixed (high) price.
Lastly there is Voost. A bar at the top floor of the hotel. I did check it out one evening but when I came, the place was deserted. On top of that, the place charged a surcharge if you wanted to sit outside. Hence i cut my visit short and didn’t really experience the ‘colorful and unique multidimensional experience‘…
Conclusion
I started my review asking myself whether the Gravity Hotel fits the Autograph upper upscale and luxury description. After staying 4 nights at the Gravity Josun Seoul Pangyo hotel, I can definitely state that it’s certainly not an upscale, luxury hotel. Rooms can be more compared to a typical Hyatt Place. Does it mean that it’s a bad hotel? Certainly not. Even though the rooms don’t have the luxury feeling you might expect, the rooms are quiet and clean (despite a disgusting stain on the couch)…. Location is good if you need to be in the Pangyo area and breakfast is solid. On top of that, the hotel offers 2 dinner options and dinner at the Zerovity restaurant is pretty good.
If you can stay in the Gangnam area, or other areas in Seoul, I can recommend the Andaz Gangnam hotel or Grand Hyatt Seoul. For this business trip, I first stayed a few days at the Andaz Gangnam hotel, and it was again an excellent stay.
Also have a look at my trip with Japan Airlines from Seoul to Tokyo in Business Class and from Tokyo to San Francisco in Premium Economy. I posted this review on my Youtube channel. Check it out and subscribe to the channel for more YouTube reviews!
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