Conrad Seoul

A high-tech, intuitively functional, exceedingly convenient hotel occupying one of the towers of Seoul’s iconic International Finance Centre, the Conrad Seoul is clearly geared toward the business traveler. East Asia’s big-city business hotels are in a league of their own, but even amidst such lofty competition, the degree to which the Conrad anticipates the needs of its guests traveling on business is remarkable, from the eye-popping 37th-floor restaurant (fit for wooing a client or celebrating a deal) to the unsexy but all-important details — as in well-placed electrical outlets, reliable high-speed wi-fi, adjustable in-room work areas, and blackout curtains for shutting out the bright lights of the big city.

That’s not to say that it’s lacking in visual style, nor in the usual modern luxury-hotel comforts. Expansive views of the city through ever-present picture windows provide most of the drama, with the twinkling lights outside playing off the sleek, flatteringly lit interiors. And those views make the guest rooms look even bigger than they already are, a feat given that the smallest ones among them span some 500 square feet (not at all small). An exhaustive list of the amenities would bore even the most obsessive travel-planner, but suffice to say that the beds are quite comfortable, the technology is state-of-the-art, and the bathrooms are practically spa-like.

The facilities beyond the guest rooms are just as comprehensive. There’s a a place to eat and drink for just about every taste and occasion, from a casual lobby lounge with takeaway snacks to elegant fine dining, as well as a high-tech gym for working off the meals. A well-equipped spa and Tony & Guy salon provide the beauty services, while downs in the lobby there’s everything from a car rental desk to a currency exchange to an on-site florist. And anything you can’t find in the hotel itself is surely still in the building, in the IFC Seoul mall — home to enough shopping, dining and entertainment to keep you as distracted from your work as you want to be.