Hotel4Real!

Design Hotels is a chain that had intrigued me the most over the years, but also one that I try to avoid – I admit I’ve always been a sucker for tastefully designed hotel room, but design on its own could never deliver an all-around great experience, especially considering the compromises that I would have had to make as a Marriott elite member. However, the NEST Hotel, situated in the Incheon International Airport area with a free shuttle, stood out as the perfect candidate for my first Design Hotel experience.

I arrived early in the evening via the ICN shuttle, although I almost missed it as the stop was actually some 200 feet away from the advertised post without many signages. After I realized my mistake and started jogging towards the bus though, the driver was kind enough to open the door for me again – I’m pretty sure he put the bus in gear already by the time he spotted me. Even though the bus runs regularly, missing one would have meant an extra 30 minutes wasted at the airport, which would not have been ideal.

Upon arrival, it was apparent that the hotel was actually built and operated as a 5-star hotel. The lobby was very well appointed, the door and elevator areas were well-staffed, and I was promptly shown the way to the front desk for check-in. The process went smoothly, and as I was not expecting any special treatment as a Titanium member, I was pleasantly surprised by an upgrade to an executive room.

When going through hotel amenities, the associate helping me mentioned that as they were a Design Hotels property, they did not have a lounge and did not offer free breakfast like most other Marriott brands to elite members. I acknowledged this information as it was exactly as expected, but I found it interesting when the lovely front desk agent let out a very clear sigh of relief – thinking back, I genuinely feel bad for the front desk staff as I can’t begin to imagine how many push-backs about these things they would get on a daily basis, even though the details on what to expect are clearly posted on Marriott’s website.

I rarely feel the need to write an entire paragraph about how a room looks and feels, but my room was where the “Design” of Design Hotels started to shine. The executive room, albeit not exactly large in size, was very smartly designed into a pseudo-studio suite. The sofa, luggage rack area, desk, headboard and even the night stand for the king bed were all combined into one big piece of furniture to maximize space utilization. I also loved the coordination between nature from wood furnishings, modernness from the sleek gray sofa and finished concrete walls, warmness from the light brown carpeting, and the spotless yet inviting bed and bathroom. The only thing that I found slightly annoying was that even though I had a massive window and a balcony, the view was of a subway train yard – as a train nerd I didn’t mind that part, but the yard was VERY well lit all night, which meant my room was also bright as day if I slept with the blind open. Surprisingly and thankfully though, noise level was minimal to non-existent all night.

Normally this bed layout can make the sleeping area feel less secure and private, like I’ve experienced in some other hotels. However, here I did not feel that way at all, mainly thanks to the tatami-style bed placement. The well put-together nightstand and headboard area also made it feel more cozy and intimate as soon as I laid down.

The bathroom was laid out like a strip on the side of the room. Albeit more simple and laid-back compared to the smartly designed room, it was still a very nice hotel bathroom with some nice-to-haves like a electric toilet seat, a very large closet area, and a two-person shower room and bathtub at the end of the strip.

The public areas of the hotel, although still very nice and thoughtfully designed, were not exactly especially memorable. Most if not all amenities you’d find in a high-end hotel, e.g. restaurants, pool, gym etc., were available, however because the swimming pool was operated by a third-party spa operator, in-house guests could access it at a discounted price, but not free. However, there was a 24-hour CU convenience store just behind the front desk, and even better the prices were on par with other CUs across Seoul – this was a god-send as the hotel was located far enough away that going anywhere to get anything was either going to be time-consuming or expensive.

The level of service provided at the NEST Hotel was also well deserving of its 5-star placard. Front desk and bell staff was always available and pleasant throughout my short stay. Everyone spoke good English, including the aunties working at the convenience store. Housekeeping offered turn down service, which is a rare scene nowadays even in Asia. Shuttles were always on time, and the drivers were courteous and helpful. Everything felt reliable and well-run.

I don’t think my experience at the NEST Hotel proved me wrong – I still believe design on its own could never deliver an all-around great experience. What did make the difference for me though was how the hotel did not hang itself on being a design-focused property. Instead, it was clear that the hotel is doing its best to showcase its hospitality as a priority, and design as a feature. I have to say, the NEST Hotel is great on both fronts, and it set the bar very high for my future Design Hotels stays – which, after this one, I’m sure there will be more to come.

RealScore

Service: 7.5

Design and Room Size: 9.5

In-room Amenities: 8

Bathroom Size and Layout: 10

View from (my) Room: 6

Hotel Location: 7

Available Guest Facilities: 10

Food Quality: N/A

Food and Beverage Service: N/A

Executive Lounge Quality: N/A

Final RealScore: 8.22

Final RealRating: AA

Hotel is built/opened: 2014

Total number of rooms: 370

Length of stay: 1 night

Membership level at check-in: Titanium

Room type experienced: Premium Room (better amenities)