The 7 Best Hotels
in Seoul
Seoul is, increasingly, the most dynamic big city in Asia — a place where 600-year-old palaces sit two subway stops from skyscrapers, where hanok neighbourhoods are preserved next to tech HQs, and where the food scene runs from royal banquet cuisine to 24-hour convenience stores with unexpectedly serious sandwiches. It's also a very good city to stay in: the metro is world-class, the hotels are efficient, and English is increasingly workable.
Four neighbourhoods matter for hotels. Myeongdong / Jung-gu is the classic central tourist zone — shopping streets, the original grand hotels, and proximity to Namsan. Jongno holds the palaces and hanok villages (Bukchon, Ikseon-dong). Gangnam is south of the Han — newer, polished, convenient for business and Seoul's designer boutiques. Hongdae / Mapo is the young, creative neighbourhood with the best nightlife. We've skewed this list toward Myeongdong and Jongno, which are right for first-time visitors.
The Westin Josun Seoul
The oldest hotel in Korea (1914), fully renovated, and still the most consistently praised luxury stay in central Seoul. Service is the signal — housekeeping is exceptional, bar staff know their cocktails, and the spa treatments are among the best in the city. The location at the foot of Myeongdong puts you within walking distance of everything that matters.
- Fully renovated 1914 grand hotel with preserved ceremonial spaces
- Indoor pool, sauna and spa on a large health-club floor
- Ariake restaurant for Japanese, Aria for Italian — both taken seriously
- Walking distance to Myeongdong shopping, three minutes to City Hall MRT
L'Escape Hotel
A theatrical, theme-park-meets-Parisian-salon boutique, recently converted to Marriott's Luxury Collection — marble, velvet, and a bar that leans hard into its Belle Époque styling. The breakfast is good, the happy hour is surprisingly generous, and the beds and pillows are consistently named as the best in Seoul.
- High-concept Parisian Belle Époque interiors throughout
- Generous daily evening happy hour with warm dishes and wines
- Beds and pillows consistently called best-in-city by guests
- Directly above Seoul Station — bullet trains and airport express
Hotel 28 Myeongdong
A small, design-led boutique on a quieter side-street in Myeongdong — film-industry-themed interiors, exceptionally kind staff (Sugar, Nicole and Sally appear in guest reviews), and the kind of thoughtful details (free minibar, Molton Brown, Dyson hairdryers) that pricier places sometimes skip. The Congdu restaurant downstairs serves modern Korean breakfasts that are worth waking up for.
- Complimentary minibar and premium amenities (Molton Brown, Dyson)
- On-site Congdu — modern Korean breakfast and set-menu dinners
- Small but quiet side-street location, five minutes from central Myeongdong
- Three-minute walk to Euljiro 1-ga MRT
Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel Seoul Myeongdong
A Japanese-owned mid-range hotel right on Myeongdong's pedestrian street, run with the consistency you'd expect from a Japanese chain — breakfast never slips, rooms are spotless, and check-in is smooth even at peak. The 21st-floor lobby gives you an unusual perspective on the shopping streets below.
- 21st-floor lobby overlooking Myeongdong's pedestrian street
- On the Myeongdong pedestrian walking street — direct shop access
- Airport limousine bus stop directly outside the building
- Two-minute walk to Myeongdong MRT
Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Myeongdong
The reliable Marriott mid-range inside central Seoul — large rooms, in-room filtered water (a small but meaningful plastic-free touch), and the 22 Café on the rooftop with views toward N Seoul Tower. Service is consistent, rooms are predictable in the best way, and the price-to-quality ratio holds up.
- Rooftop 22 Café with views of Namsan Tower
- In-room filtered water dispensers (no plastic bottles)
- Breakfast buffet with Korean and western options
- Three-minute walk to Hoehyeon MRT and Namdaemun Market
G3 Hotel Chungmuro
A genuinely modern small hotel next to Chungmuro MRT (lines 3 and 4), with clean, spacious rooms, a small gym, and a front-desk team that remembers names. Ten minutes' walk to Myeongdong, two stops from Jongno's palaces. For the price, this is the best central mid-budget hotel in Seoul.
- Directly outside Chungmuro MRT exit 6 (two subway lines)
- Ten-minute walk to Myeongdong and Namsan cable car
- On-site laundry, gym, and WOW Pass refund machine
- Convenience stores and 24-hour eateries on the block
Hotel Nafore
A small, modern budget hotel tucked one block off the main road in Jongno — easy walking to Gwangjang Market, Jongmyo Shrine, and Jongno's palaces. Rooms are small but clean and quiet, and the location makes up for everything else. Two MRT lines at the doorstep.
- Two-minute walk to Gwangjang Market (the city's oldest food market)
- Three-minute walk to Jongno 3-ga MRT (three subway lines)
- Compact but spotless rooms with blackout curtains
- Walking distance to Changdeokgung and Jongmyo palaces
How we chose these hotels
All seven hotels are within the central Jung-gu / Jongno corridor or immediate vicinity. Minimum 4.2★ (Seoul hotels tend to be rated slightly lower on Google than their Japanese or Taiwanese counterparts, even when comparable in quality) with a preference for properties where recent reviews confirm the service claims. Hotel Marguerite is new but its early reviews are unanimous.
We excluded several famous business hotels in Gangnam that are functional but characterless — fine if you're on business, wrong for a discovery trip. We also passed on budget options where recent reviews mention mould or deferred maintenance.
When to visit Seoul
Late September to early November is Seoul's golden window: dry, clear, and the ginkgo trees along the palace walls turn bright yellow. April to mid-May brings cherry blossoms along the Han and at Yeouido. June to August is hot, humid, and includes jangma (rainy season). December to February is genuinely cold (-5 to 5°C) but the palaces in snow are remarkable, and Namsan lit up for the winter festivals earns the coat.
See our full Seoul destination guide for more on palaces, neighbourhoods, and day trips.