Asiana A359 to Seoul: Bibimbap, Cocktails at Zest, and Nest Hotel Incheon

[yflyer]

There was a restaurant in the lobby...



...which offered both Korean and International fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner...



The restaurant had seating overlooking the lake, in a terraced, multi-level layout...



There was a large outdoor deck with seating, and firepits, for guests to enjoy the outdoors...

[yflyer]

There was a convenience store in the lobby...



...with a great selection of snacks, ready-to-eat food, and beverages...



A small business center...



Children's playroom...

[yflyer]

The gym...



Pool complex...



There was an additional charge to use the pool, even for hotel guests...

[yflyer]

I headed up to my room on the 11th floor...



What a beautiful room...



There was a large bed facing the window...



...with great sea views.



Ample seating...



...on comfortable grey sofas, plus a ledge to store your large pieces of luggage...



Large work top...



Very nice kettle and glassware, along with complimentary coffee/tea...



Minibar...

[yflyer]

Large bathroom...



...with a very stylish sink...



...shower stall, and huge bathtub...



...with a view.

[yflyer]

The wardrobe was in the bathroom...



Bathrobes and bedroom slippers...



The light switches in the room deserve special mention: all were very clearly labelled in English.



You didn't have to play the usual hotel room game of trying to figure out which (unlabelled) switch activated which light or function.

[yflyer]

My room had a balcony...



...set at an angle...



...which offered great views of the sea, and of aircraft on final approach to ICN...



I could have spent hours watching aircraft landing...



...including this Asiana A350...



...or this Asiana A380...

[yflyer]

After checking in, I could not resist taking a relaxing hot soak in the tub...



...complete with Dead Sea bath salts...

[yflyer]

In the early evening, I headed ouf of the hotel for a run.



I began my run outside the hotel, along the so-called reedwalk...



...as the banks of the lake were lined with reeds.



I continued past the pool...



...then turned towards the west into the forested area marked on the map as Spring Hill, full of cherry blossoms and pine trees...



...before emerging at the traffic crossing across Yeongjonghaeannam-ro, the long coastal road along the southern coast of Yeongjongdo island, right by the airport perimeter.



There was a long cycling / walking path running alongside Yeongjonghaeannam-ro...



...with a long straight stretch ideal for cyclists as well as the occasional walker/runner.



I continued along this stretch...



...passing several cyclists along the way...



...until I was almost under the flight path of aircraft landing at ICN...

[yflyer]

This was at about the 3km mark of my run.



I could have gone on further, but decided to turn around and head back, as it was getting late.



On the way back, I enjoyed views of the Nest Hotel in the distance...



...as the sky transformed into pastel shades of pink and orange.



The sunsets were beautiful at this time of the year.



I retraced my steps through the forested area...



...back to the Nest.



The hotel looked beautiful at twilight.



There was an observation tower nearby, but I did not have the time (or energy) to head up for a look.



Overall route that day, a total of 6km -- a very pleasant route in fine evening weather.

[yflyer]

It was the evening blue hour when I returned to the hotel.



It was getting cold outside, but the fire pits on the deck had been lit...



I spent a few minutes relaxing outside...



I could see guests enjoying a sumptuous buffet dinner in the multi-level dining room inside the hotel.



What a beautiful space to dine in...



I headed back inside...

[yflyer]

I woke up the next morning to a beautiful sunrise...



Bright sunlight streamed into the east-facing room...



I headed to the balcony to take in the view...



What a beautiful day...



I headed to the restaurant for breakfast...



This was a buffet spread with both Korean and International selections.



There was a live station for eggs and noodles.



I began with a plate of cold starters...



...before moving on to the Korean breakfast mains...



A delicious breakfast.

Marriott Platinum members did not receive a complimentary breakfast at this property, but there was a discount for Marriott members who dined at the restaurant.

In general, it appeared that Design Hotels did not offer many benefits for Marriott Platinum members, compared to other Marriott properties.

I did receive an upgrade to a Deluxe Seaside View, which made a huge difference to the enjoyment of my stay. There were discounts for dining, but apart from that, there was no complimentary lounge F&B or complimentary breakfast.

As long as one could accept that the usual Platinum/Titanium perks were not available, one would have a great stay there. A few Tripadvisor reviewers who were Marriott Platinum / Titanium apparently could not, and left negative reviews, which to me was a bit unfair as the property really was quite exceptional.

You had to take this Design Hotels property on its own terms, and not expect the pampering that Bonvoy Platinum/Titanium received at other Marriott properties.

[yflyer]

Overall, I found the Nest Hotel Incheon to be quite exceptional. This must be one of the most impressive hotels I have stayed at in recent years. I never expected an "airport hotel" to be so unique.

I think it was partly because of the location of the hotel, on Yeongjongdo island, far from busy Seoul, but mainly the uniquely inspired design of the property and the rooms. The Deluxe Seaside View room I had was simply wonderful, and I enjoyed wandering around the hotel grounds, and the scenery around the property.

For me, while I was disappointed that many of the usual Marriott Platinum perks were not available, I was just too bowled over and wowed by the hotel design and concept to care too much, and really had a wonderful stay there.

I found this place did so much for my mental well being after a hectic week of business meetings. I felt uplifted and refreshed after staying a night here.

I just loved the hotel facilities and the scenery and environment around the hotel. If I were to return to Seoul again, I would try my best to plan the last night of my stay at this hotel.

[yflyer]

After checking out at 11.30am and camping in the business center to do my webinar from 12pm to 2pm, I caught the complimentary Nest Hotel shuttle bus to Incheon Airport at 2.15pm.



This was a large and comfortable bus that ran at regular intervals from Nest Hotel to both T1 and T2. It was just 15 minutes from the hotel to T1.

[yflyer]

I headed to the departure level of T1 to check in for my flight.



No queues at Y check-in for Asiana Airlines at 2.30pm on Friday afternoon.



I picked up my boarding pass at the J / Star Gold check-in counter.



Security took about 15 minutes to clear.

Once airside, I headed to the Asiana Lounge East.