The Best Luxury Hotels In Seoul
The seven luxury hotels in Seoul worth booking, which part of the city each one suits, and my pick after two stays at the Four Seasons.
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Seoul doesn’t have a central hotel district. It has several, and they’re far apart: the old city around the palaces, Gangnam south of the river, Yeouido for finance, and Jamsil out east. Pick the wrong one and every dinner turns into a long ride across the Han.
That’s what this guide is for. These are the seven hotels worth booking, and the part of the city each one makes sense for. There’s the Samsung-owned Shilla on its hillside garden, Signiel starting on the 76th floor of the tallest building in Korea, Josun Palace in the middle of Gangnam, and the Four Seasons, the one I keep going back to. I’ve stayed twice.
A few rules before you book. Choose the neighborhood before the brand. If it’s your first trip, stay north of the river, near the palaces. And book direct: I did, and the staff remembered me from two years earlier.
Four Seasons Hotel Seoul
Jongno, a short walk from Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon.
The Four Seasons Seoul does big rooms. Even the base room has a walk-in closet and a soaking tub pushed right up against the window. It’s the easiest base for a first trip, and the staff are warm: they welcomed me back two years after my first stay. The building can feel a little businessy, so save a morning for the fitness floor instead. The gym is wildly big, there’s a separate Pilates studio with reformers, and the indoor pool, under a ceiling of glowing hexagons, is one of the best in any city hotel. Order room service at least once; it’s exceptionally good. Just know the price has climbed: I paid $500 a night for a corner room two years ago, and $960 for a base room booked direct this time.
The Shilla Seoul
Jangchung, on a hillside just east of the old city.
The Shilla is Samsung-owned, and it’s the hotel Seoul’s own wealthy families and visiting CEOs pick, which says more than any award. It sits up on a hillside in Jangchung with a garden around it, something almost nothing else at this level in Seoul has. Spend an afternoon at the outdoor pool terraced into the hill, then eat at Park View, the on-property answer for Korean BBQ at hotel quality. The one catch is the location: you can’t walk out of the lobby into the city, so plan on cars.
Signiel Seoul
Floors 76 to 101 of Lotte World Tower, Jamsil.
Signiel starts on the 76th floor of Lotte World Tower, the tallest building in Korea, so every room comes with the view. Book it for the skyline, then stay up there: STAY and Bicena are the restaurants, Bar 81 is for a drink with the city lit up below you, and the spa is in the building. It’s in Jamsil, east of Gangnam and a long way from the palaces, which makes it better for a special-occasion night or two than for a working week.
Park Hyatt Seoul
Gangnam, two minutes from the Samsung towers.
If your week is in Gangnam, the Park Hyatt keeps the commute to minutes. It’s two minutes from the Samsung tower complex, with direct access to COEX, and every room has floor-to-ceiling windows. Swim in the top-floor pool above the city before your first meeting. Skip it if you came for the palaces and the old city; that’s a long ride across the river.
Josun Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel
Teheran-ro, Gangnam. Part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection.
Josun Palace is the newer Gangnam pick, opened in 2021 and named for the Chosun Hotel, Korea’s first luxury hotel, built in 1914. Humbert & Poyet, the Monaco design studio, did the interiors, mixing strong Korean lines with mid-century European pieces, and it shows most in the double-height bar. There are 254 rooms, five places to eat and an indoor pool with the skyline in view. Book it over the Park Hyatt if you want something newer, or if you collect Marriott points.
Conrad Seoul
Inside the IFC complex on the Han River, Yeouido.
The Conrad is the finance pick. It’s inside the IFC complex on the Han River, walking distance to most of Yeouido’s finance offices, and the lobby bar runs late for work dinners. Rooms are big, with skyline or river views, and the spa is excellent. As a tourist base it’s a miss: Yeouido empties out at the weekend.
The Plaza Seoul, Autograph Collection
Across the square from City Hall. Part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection.
The Plaza sits right across the square from City Hall, walking distance to the government and diplomatic offices. Rooms are sleek and modern, and many look toward Namsan Tower. It’s the right base for a government or central-Seoul calendar, and a solid Marriott points stay. For anything else, the Four Seasons is a short walk away and the better hotel.
