Perks and upgrades at Mondrian Seoul Itaewon thanks to Chase’s The Edit

Since opening in August 2020, the 295-room Mondrian Seoul Itaewon has staked a claim as one of the South Korean city’s swankiest hotels thanks to its trippy decor, striking modernist tower, bustling bars and restaurants, monumental art installations and general cool factor.

The hotel is also part of Accor Live Limitless, so you can earn and redeem points for stays there.

Perhaps more importantly for folks who want to maximize their credit cards, though, the hotel is part of The Edit by Chase Travel℠. That means travelers with eligible cards who make bookings through Chase can enjoy tons of value-added perks, including daily breakfast for two and on-property experience credits, among other benefits.

That’s why I decided to book a stay there during a recent visit to the South Korean capital. Here are all the ways my reservation through The Edit improved my experience at this already pretty great hotel.

Related: Enjoy luxury perks at our favorite hotels that are part of The Edit by Chase Travel

The Edit by Chase Travel benefits

The Edit by Chase Travel is a special subset of luxury hotels bookable through Chase Travel, where select cardholders receive extra benefits.

In order to make a booking through The Edit by Chase Travel, you must have one of the following cards:

The information for the J.P. Morgan Reserve has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

From June 23 on, those who apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business receive up to a $250 statement credit biannually for The Edit bookings. They get up to $250 in credits on prepaid The Edit bookings with a minimum two-night stay from Jan. 1 to June 30 and another $250 from July 1 to Dec. 31 when using their eligible card for the booking. Those who held the Chase Sapphire Reserve before June 23 will be eligible for this benefit starting Oct. 26.

The benefits of booking through The Edit by Chase Travel include:

• A room upgrade at select properties when available
• Complimentary daily breakfast for two
• Credits of up to $100 for on-property charges, unique to each hotel, but typically including things like restaurant and spa charges
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Early check-in and late checkout when available

As you can see, these benefits — particularly the on-property credits and the daily breakfast — can really add up to significant value, especially if that upgrade clears. That’s why I was eager to try them out for myself.

My stay at Mondrian Seoul Itaewon with The Edit by Chase

Although The Edit has been around for a couple of years, my spring Seoul stay was the first chance I had to use this benefit thanks to my Chase Sapphire Reserve.

My two-night stay at the Mondrian cost around $530. That means if I were a new cardholder, my $250 biannual booking credit could have covered nearly half the cost of my stay right off the bat. Unfortunately, I’ll have to wait until October to take advantage of that perk on future stays since I’ve had the card for many years at this point and that particular benefit hasn’t kicked in just yet.

A room upgrade

When I checked in, I was informed that I had been upgraded from the standard signature king room I’d booked to a signature city king room (formerly known as a Pinnacle room). This was essentially the same room, just on a higher floor with better views, and would have cost $40 more per night, netting me an extra $80 in value.

At just 236 square feet, the room was compact but well laid out with an open-floor-plan bathroom with a single basin sink looking into the bedroom to one side of the entrance, plus a small water closet with the toilet. I especially enjoyed the Malin + Goetz Ciel products in the walk-in shower (it looks like the hotel might have switched to Grown Alchemist, though), which also had glazed blue tiles that reminded me of the rooftops of Seoul’s Hanok village.

The bedroom was mostly taken up by the large king-size bed, flanked on one side by a sconce and on the other by a globe-style hanging lamp.

There were also a small table with a high-backed leather armchair facing the window that served as a workspace, a wall-mounted TV and a minibar cabinet with a water filter and coffee- and tea-making accoutrements.

Though cozy, the room was comfortable enough for a solo traveler. My only quibble was that the weather was unseasonably hot and the air conditioning in the building had not yet been turned on for summer. The room really heated up during the day, though opening the windows cooled it off quickly enough.

Food-and-beverage credits at the bars and restaurants

The hotel is home to several restaurants and bars. I started my first evening there up at the rooftop Privilege Bar, which had both an outdoor terrace looking out toward Namsan Park, complete with a geodesic igloo, and an intimate indoor section featuring decor inspired by a traditional Korean folktale.

I enjoyed a signature smoky whiskey cocktail that would have cost about $14, though I used part of my The Edit credit toward it.

That meant I had plenty left for dinner at the signature Middle Eastern restaurant down on the ground floor, Cleo. There, I enjoyed a selection of mezze and dips served with freshly baked bread and a succulent chicken shish kebab for my main. The total came to around $60, including a glass of wine, but not for me since I could use another portion of my $100 on-property credit toward the bill. And I still had some money left over.

Cleo is also the hotel’s breakfast spot, so I ambled down here in the mornings for my complimentary meal, which included a buffet of hot Western and Asian dishes, pastries, fruit, cereal and juices, plus coffee and tea drinks. There were no a la carte options, but the selection was more than sufficient to fuel up for a big day out in the city. The hotel charges about $42.50 per person for rates that include breakfast, so having this included as part of the rate that I booked, which was equivalent to a flexible rate without breakfast being advertised directly by the hotel, represented significant savings.

I would have used some more of my on-property credit at Rumpus Room, a casual bar up on the second floor adjacent to the reception area that resembles a fashionable living room with tufted leather chairs and shelves displaying art books. However, I had been given drink tickets for two glasses of house wine or cocktails, so those were a nice (free!) way to start my second evening before heading out to dine at a nearby restaurant.

The hotel’s colorful lobby bar, Blind Spot, is also a bit of a scene as people filter in and out throughout the day for coffee and, later, cocktails at the marble counter beneath a huge digital screen depicting nature scenes.

If that inspires you, check out the “Forest Zone” just inside the hotel entrance, a sylvan scene inspired by a Korean fairy tale that feels like a magical life-size diorama. And, yes, you’ll see selfie-takers frolicking here at all times of day or night.

The hotel has an outdoor pool and bar called Altitude as well, but this was closed during my stay since it had not yet reopened for the summer season, which runs from May to September. Entrance actually costs extra — $25 to $40 per adult, depending on the date — so that can be another good way to put your The Edit credits to use.

Other amenities

There’s no spa where you can use your The Edit credits at this hotel; however, there is a large basement arcade with shops, restaurants and cafes, plus a large, comprehensive fitness complex that hotel guests can use along with paying members of the public.

The facilities include an expansive, well-equipped gym, beautiful locker rooms and an indoor pool with fun lighting effects. There are also a Pilates studio and even an indoor golf range.

Thanks to my The Edit booking, I was also able to extend my checkout until 2 p.m. rather than the usual time of noon, which came in handy since my flight was not until the evening. That gave me extra time to enjoy breakfast, get in a workout, repack and head to the airport in a leisurely manner upon my departure.

What else to know about the Mondrian Seoul Itaewon

Overall, my The Edit by Chase booking netted me tons of extra value, even on a short two-night stay at the Mondrian Seoul Itaewon.

As the hotel’s name suggests, it sits in the lively Itaewon district, which is known for its bars and restaurants that attract young Koreans and foreigners alike. That said, the hotel is a little removed from the most vibrant areas of the district and resides in a hilly part of the city, so you might need to take Ubers or taxis to go out in the evening.

In fact, many of the city’s main sights and tourist districts, like Insadong, Dongdaemun and even Gangnam across the Han River, are quick and inexpensive Uber rides away, but it can take a while for Ubers to get to the hotel, so be sure to order one well in advance.

It takes 70 to 90 minutes to get from the hotel to Incheon International Airport (ICN) and costs around $45 to $60 in an Uber, which feels relatively inexpensive for such a long ride.

The hotel does tend to get busy around public holidays and on weekends since its event spaces are popular for various functions, so you might end up waiting for the elevator for quite a while.

For those with accessibility needs, the hotel has Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant signature king rooms, but be sure to call ahead to ensure a room you book meets your individual requirements.

Overall, the Mondrian Seoul Itaewon was a fun place to spend the weekend in Seoul, with kind staff who helped me navigate the city.

You can get tremendous value during a stay when booking through The Edit by Chase, as I did, thanks to benefits like room upgrades, on-property credits and complimentary daily breakfast. Plus, if you are able to take advantage of the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business‘ biannual $250 The Edit credits, your stay might not even end up costing that much.

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