I chose to stay at the Grand Hyatt at the Incheon Airport for the sake of convenience more than anything else, as I knew that I wouldn’t have much energy to take the 1 hour trip into Seoul once I landed on a flight from the US. The plan was to spend one night at the Hyatt, recharge my batteries, then switch to the Seoul Plaza Hotel (in the city) the next day.
Getting to the Grand Hyatt Hotel at the Incheon (Seoul) Airport
Once through passport control and customs at Incheon, I proceeded to the arrivals hall to catch the shuttle bus to the Incheon Hyatt. All of the research I did online prior to this trip led me to believe that catching the shuttle bus would be dead-simple and very convenient. All I would have to do is go to the designated shuttle bus stop and wait 20 minutes max for the bus to arrive.
First impressions
I was met at the door by a Hyatt employee and escorted directly to the check in counter. That’s service! I had my room key within minutes and was again escorted to the main elevators which would take me up to my room on hour 8th floor. Although totally unnecessary, I totally dig the escort service – it’s a very small detail that leaves a pretty big impression on a weary traveler!
The lobby
The main lobby of the Grand Hyatt Incheon – the check in desk in on the left
The lobby is big and bright with very high ceilings – really nice for an airport hotel, and arguably one of the nicest Hyatt’s I’ve ever been in. This kicks the snot out of some of their other brands (as you can see in my Hyatt House / Denver Airport review).
There’s plenty of open seating and places to relax here in the lobby
The elevators are located on the other side of the hall, opposite the check in desk. Yes, a “grand” lobby indeed, but this is nothing like the lobby of the Grand Hyatt in Taipei. Just sayin’.
The hallways are pretty standard. No cutting edge design here.
The door to my room (860)
The room
The room itself was a pretty run-of-the-mill airport hotel room, looking pretty much like a thousand other hotel rooms I’ve stayed in. It was clean and comfortable, which is all I really needed at that point – the only purpose of my stay was to sleep!
The main room. Pretty standard looking, eh? In comparison, the room I had at the Hyatt Regency Hong Kong (Tsim Sha Tsui) was much swankier than this.
The bed was pretty comfortable, and much needed after such a long trip from the US
The desk was pretty small, which might be bothersome for business travelers. At least it’s nicer than the desks in the Hyatt Times Square (New York City).
I really appreciated the fact that there were 110V outlets in the room – totally unexpected but very welcome!
Overall, the room was pretty basic – but I liked the simplicity
Looking at the door from inside the room
I like how the coffee and mini bar in the room was separate from everything else
The bathroom
The bathroom was spacious and bright, but nothing spectacular
Shower and toilet
I was in bed by 10pm, and awake by 6am the next morning. I took my time getting ready, knowing full well that I was in no rush to check out – because if I left too soon, it would be too early to check into the next hotel. So I just took things slow, watching planes land at nearby Incheon airport from the window and working on this review. I eventually got things together and went downstairs for breakfast in the hotel buffet restaurant at about 9:30.
Views from the room
The view out the window was pretty good with a nice stream of incoming aircraft to watch
The view of Incheon airport from my room
Final thoughts
While the room itself was nothing very exciting, the entire staff at the Incheon Hyatt was exceptional – I know they were just doing their job, but they were extremely kind and helpful to me with every interaction, making me feel like a bit of a rock star.
Would I stay here again? You betcha. It’s the perfect hotel for anyone needing quick and easy access to the ICN (the airport), but it’s far from being the closest hotel to the airport. If that’s what you’re looking for, I highly recommend the Incheon Airport Transit Hotel (which is connected to the terminal).
