The Best Hotels and Resorts in Asia: The Gold List 2024

"In the past few months, a moody, romantic, retro aesthetic has swept TikTok, inspired by Wong Kar-wai’s 2000 film In the Mood for Love. An enterprising influencer could easily create a viral sensation in this vein by shooting at Josun Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel. Unlike the movie, which is set in Hong Kong in the 1960s, it is in Seoul and opened just a few years ago. But the hotel, set in a 36-story tower in Gangnam, has the same kind of stylized, cinematic glamour. I was there with my family, but as I moved through the gilt-and-green Korean and midcentury-modern-inspired interiors, taking in the sweeping city views, it was easy to imagine myself playing a role in a noirish story of star-crossed lovers or a twisty tale of international intrigue. Elevators whisked us to the 25th floor reception, where a phalanx of hotel staff was ready to address our every question and need, from how to get to the T Galleria department store to scoring a reservation at a nearby restaurant and a babysitter to watch the kids. Our room, though not enormous, was space enough for the four of us, with tasteful decor and an incredible bathroom. Day or night, the city vistas were riveting, the new Lotte World Tower looming on the horizon from rooms on the east side of the hotel. The sensation of hushed, cinematic romance gets turned up to 11 in Eatanic Garden, the hotel’s own Michelin-starred progressive Korean restaurant. Over the evening, a parade of delightful surprises by chef Son Jong-won emerged, like the kettle of barley tea nestled in a bouquet of flowers and the trio of playful bites atop colorful pedestals. Each dish came with a card that told its story. As we completed the meal, we felt we’d reached the end of a journey—just as when we checked out of the hotel, when it felt like the credits were rolling on this beautiful visit to Seoul. From $380. —Jesse Ashlock" - CNT Editors