I've stayed in JW Marriott most of my trips to Seoul. They are located right above the subway and bus station and easy to get around. I wanted to try a new place a came across Marriot Executive apartments. I stayed here before but the location was inconvenient so I kept going back to JW. The executive apartment is so nice that I am willing to deal with the inconvenience. You will know what I mean when you stay there. I can't describe it using just words.

The MEA is in the ideal place for those visiting the business district of Yeouido. I have had two one-week stays there this year and have been very pleased. The area is pleasant and safe; the park is particularly pretty in spring and autumn; the metro system is within 5 minute walk, as are plenty of shops and restaurants. Yeouido is the right side of Seoul for the airport - one manages to avoid the worst of the traffic.

You can regard the rooms either as mini-apartments or as large hotel rooms. There are several different layouts available, but all contain a spacious living and sleeping area, a modern bathroom, and a well-equipped kitchen (including washing machine, tumble dryer - superfluous if using purely as an hotel, of course. The rooms and bathromms are furnished to a high standard, and the beds are particularly comfortable. Heating and air-conditioning are efficient, though a little confusing at first since they run off totally separate systems. Not all the rooms have good views, but many do.

Service at the front desk, in the Park Cafe/Restaurant and in the SOO spa is first-rate - not always a given in Seoul, in my experience. Staff remembered my name from my first visit and I was exceptionally well treated, particularly in the Park Cafe (thank you Leeny and Rupina) where breakfast is served and where I tended to eat a light dinner from their menu, which features internationl cuisine. I sampled some of the many restaurants (Chinese, Indian, French, Italian, as well as Korean) within easy walking distance at lunchtimes.

There are other restaurants and a convenience store at the lower levels in the building. The convenience store has a limited range, but is quite a bit cheaper than the food in the rooms - the hotel does provide a couple of free bottles of water daily, though.

Internet access is not cheap, but you can take one of the internet/breakfast/laundry packages which offer reasonable value. Security is good, with a room key required to access the room floors via the lift/elevator.

All in all, this is one of the better hotels I have used on business trips in recent times. Certainly with four stars - five since I'm feeling generous.

Although located in the business district, the hotel is only a few hundred meters away from an underground station of lines 5 & 9, so you are well connected to the entire city.
The hotel is located next to a nice park (Yeouido park) and walking distance from restaurants and supermarket. As the apartments have a fully equipped kitchen, cooking yourself is entirely possible.
We traveled with 2 children (1 and 4 years old). Having a washing machine and dryer in the apartment is also great, if travelling with kids.
The apartments are comfortable and complete. We loved the bathroom and the shower as well as the A/C.
Convenient is that the hotel has a shopping service. We arrived late and the hotel had bought some corflakes and milk for us for breakfast the following morning at a reasonable cost.
The staff is very friendly and helpful and speaks very good English (which is not a given in Seoul).

If I have to name one small negative: the internet at 100 USD per week is too expensive. But one can of course choose not to use that :)

Getting around Seoul with the kids was easy enough. We strongly recommend the Samsung Children's Museum. Not well-known but fantastic for Nursery and Primary School kids. Close to Lotte World (same underground station on Line 2). We could not drag our son out from there. Even after 3 hours!

We stayed for an entire week and loved it! If we go back to Seoul, we know where we will stay!

I've stayed in this hotel many times during my five years living in Seoul. Usually for a week or so when I've been moving apartments. This is a relatively new and modern facility and the rooms are furnished to a very high standard, with kitchens including dish washers, washing machines, tumble driers etc.

The main restaurant (Park Cafe) serves a very good breakfast and is also open for lunch and dinner (their Aglio Olio is very good).

Staff are very friendly and you can use the business centre for free as a resident, including free use of fax machines. Internet service is not free, but I've managed to negotiate this into the overall price.

They have a very large gym and spa in the basement area. Recently a number of restaurants have opened at level B1, so you have a close alternative to using the hotels restaurant facilities. If you can handle a short 10 minute walk, there are many varied restaurants and bars on the other side of Yeouido Park.

Plus points: quality of the rooms, staff, gym

Negative point: Yeouido is on the western side of Seoul, so if you have to be in Gangnam every morning, you'll need to allow 45-60 minutes to get there in the rush hour.

Expect to pay in the region of U$ 220-250 ++ a night.