walking around Seoul - best hotel area?

Hi,

My wife and I will be in Seoul - I will be working during the day, and she would like to get out and walk the interesting shopping areas (not malls). Even just nice streets to window shop.

I think she would like to walk to the Insadong and Namdaemun areas - and am guessing that they would be walkable from the Grand Hyatt. Does anyone know if this is possible?

The other hotel I am considering is the JW Marriott, but this seems to be in a business and conference area (COEX), which does not seem very interesting - is this also possibly true?

Thanks for your help.

walking around Seoul - best hotel area?

rjkritzer, both hotels are some distance away from areas that your wife want to visit, JR Marriot is further away. Remember Seoul is really big city with several downtown areas. At least Grand Hyatt is in gang-book area. (literally means north of Han river which divides Seoul in two sections, gang-book(north) and gang-nam(south). Insa-dong and Namdaemoon market are in gangbook area). Grand Hyatt is quite close to Itaewon area. Actually this area is very global with lots shops and restaurants for foreigners, you can easily get by here with English.

COEX has biggest indoor shopping center and multiplex theater, very similar to American style mall.

Good news is Seoul has very excellent and extensive subway system with English signs or your wife can take taxi to go where she wants, with rising USD rate, cap fare won%26#39;t be that expansive.