Grand Hyatt Incheon, South Korea

Traveling from New Zealand to Holland this hotel is the perfect stopover place for us. The Grand Hyatt Incheon is located only minutes from Incheon International Airport Terminal 1, 20 minutes from Terminal 2 and around 90 minutes from downtown Seoul. It is a tremendous place to shake off our jet lag and enjoy a short stay. This being said the hotel is also ideal for your family on weekends and holidays if you live in the region or to start your holiday in South Korea.

With 1,024 well-appointed rooms, suites and residences The Grand Hyatt is by far the biggest hotel we have ever stayed at, but we are highly impressed by its modern somewhat Scandinavian design and overall look and feel, offering a subtle blend of Western and Korean traditions accompanied by Hyatt’s world-class standard of service.

As we experienced within most Asian hotels, the welcome is very kind and professional. Several staff members await our arrival and before we know our luggage is whisked away and we are shown to the Grand Club Lounge for a smooth check-in and some refreshments. At our ‘Residence’ our girls are surprised with some cookies, fruit, a personalized card and two lovely white bears. For us there is a complimentary bottle of wine ready to be opened. Featuring two separate bedrooms including a living room and a kitchen, across 103 sq. m of space, it feels more like an oversized apartment than a hotel room. For little ones, it is also possible to rent their own sleeping tent: a little adventure in your own hotel room. We enjoy a nice view from all of our apartments windows, our kids could spend hours watching planes taking off and we can even see the small town of Incheon below. Amenities include access to the mentioned Club lounge with free drinks and snacks throughout the day.

Although this accommodation will satisfy even the most demanding guests, you could push the bar even further by booking the lavish Presidential suite covering 252 square meter of the top floor in the East Tower featuring exclusive Casa Armani decor with living rooms, formal dining for ten, and marble bathroom with jetted spa tub.

We are completely happy as we are and with this great accommodation and we feel like exploring the place a little. On arrival the girls hear about the pools, so we must start there. We quickly change to our swimming gear and bathrobes (kids sizes available – always a nice gesture) and we are on our way as we soon find out we forgot our swimming caps. Luckily we can borrow some and dive into the pool. It's very clean and relaxing and there is even a smaller kids pool located in the outside area. In summer there are 3 pools, all supervised and offering an abundance of floating devices so you can feel completely comfortable taking a dip with small kids. But as we visit during winter with below zero temperature, we surely stick to the inside area. Definitely a reason to return would be to experience the outdoor pool and adjoining terrace and playground in summer weather.

For more entertainment a so-called fun zone with various enjoyment such as Nintendo Switch games and indoor sports instruments is located at west tower, next to the Garden Event Deck. Just opposite the hotel we find Paradise City including a luxury casino, a convention center and family-friendly entertainment facilities. Surely something you would like to check out.

If you stay longer, it is quite easy to get to downtown Seoul with all tourist attractions. Nevertheless Incheon still has a lot to offer for those just staying for a day. Located in northwestern South Korea and bordering Seoul and Gyeonggi to the east the city is inhabited since the Neolithic era. Incheon was home to just 4,700 people when it became the international port in 1883. Today, about 3 million people live in the city, making it South Korea's third most-populous city after Seoul and Busan. The city's growth has been assured in modern times with the development of its port, due to its natural advantages as a coastal city and its proximity to the South Korean capital. It is, along with Seoul itself and Gyeonggi Province, forming the world's fifth largest metropolitan area by population.

Activities nearby are numerous. Car enthusiasts for example will have a great time at the BMW experience center, located in nearby Yeongjong Island. It gives opportunity to potential customers to test drive BMW automobile and Mini-Rover on the track of 2.6 Km with six different driving courses. Or relax at Cimer, a high-class spa of exotic atmosphere combines with Korean traditional sauna. It is located within 10 minutes' walk from the hotel.

Close to Incheon Palmido Island, the Incheon Metropolitan City Museum allows visitors to learn the history of Incheon, which played a significant role in protecting the Korean peninsula from many invasions in the past. It also offers breathtaking ocean views. With a scenic view overlooking the West Sea, Songam Art Museum is a French-style building, built to house a private collection of antiques. Children for sure will like the Gyeongbokgung Palace, built in 1395, is also commonly referred to as the Northern Palace because its location is furthest north when compared to the neighboring palaces of Changdeokgung (Eastern Palace) and Gyeonghuigung (Western Palace) Palace. Gyeongbokgung Palace is arguably the most beautiful and remains the largest of all five palaces. Another option for a family outing would be the Incheon Culture & Art Center hosting local arts companies. The center provides performances and exhibitions creating a pleasant and friendly space for culture and the arts.

And if you and your kids feel the need to blow off some steam after all this cultural abundance, head to the Songdo Central Park. With its woodlands, seawater lakes, and lawns, Central Park is a beautiful patch of nature that run through an urban landscape. Enjoy walking and biking around the park in daylight and be mesmerized by the splendid night view in the evening.

Finally, if you feel like doing something with your partner, just arrange for a babysit through the hotels concierge and dance the night away in Club Chroma, the largest club in Asia with a capacity of more than 3,000 people. Or if you like to stay close by: pay a visit to the Vy (Vibrations of Youth) Bar & Karaoke which captures both bar and karaoke experiences.

After a day of activities and with a young family, diner in the hotel itself is very welcome. So, let us take you through the amazing culinary options the hotel has to offer. Breakfast at the Club lounge in the East Tower is just amazing: lots to choose from and all at a very high quality and delicious. As for diner: you could easily spend one week without having to dine at the same place twice. In the Kids Lounge Korean kids can select a nice book for entertainment during diner and just pick your restaurant. Located in East Tower, Restaurant 8 is a unique dining concept featuring eight distinctive restaurants in one - Café, Cucina, Desserts, Deli, Sushi, Yakitori, Noodles and Grill- each with its own authentic cuisine and ambience. The Grand Café is a buffet-style restaurant where you can enjoy a variety of flavors all day, along with panoramic views through the floor to ceiling windows. Providing you with a variety of healthy authentic cuisines using the freshest local products from Asian and European cuisine. At the dessert section, pastry chefs present traditional French desserts.

And the options go on and on; the Swell Lounge is the perfect place to relax over a cup of coffee, glass of wine, cocktail or light meals served all day. Sophisticated interiors and authentic service make it the perfect meeting point or venue to chill-out and connect with others. Experience an alfresco dining on a terrace by the pool. Drinks and light meals are offered throughout the day during the summer and special holidays. And in summer you can enjoy sumptuous poolside barbecues in the scenic outdoor garden at West Tower. The offering from the grills will feature a selection of prime meats, including lamb chops and seafood along with a variety of beverages. Wines handpicked by the sommelier will enrich the dining experience.

If you are a returning visitor, we can highly recommend joining the Club at the Hyatt. A membership program that offers special benefits whenever members use guest rooms, restaurants and other hotel facilities in many Hyatt hotels. And for light sleepers as we are: all Hyatt hotels guarantee excellent beds and quietness.

After hearing more of this fascinating country and having seen just a little: next time we will definitely try to extend our visit. South Korea is a highly developed country, the terrain has beautiful landscapes, mostly mountainous, and about 3.000 islands to explore! All this offers families a dazzling range of experiences with 5000 years of culture and history to back it all up.

WOW

# This hotel just continues to impress. One of our all-time favorite airport hotels in the world. Between the old tower and the new tower there is so much going on. The pools at each tower are well worth a visit and the staff is very friendly, helpful and professional.

# We prefer the quiet atmosphere and the ability to get rest, but still have enough options at hand to keep the kids entertained and happy.

# Very clean, rooms spacious, spotless, comfortable and with excellent climate control, which is a certainly a bonus in a country which has some serious summer and winter weather.