Find 5-Star Hotels in Seoul

A hotel with very clear pros and cons: Pros ❤️ 1. Directly connected to Lotte Department Store, which is incredibly convenient if you're here for duty-free shopping. Rain or shine, it won't affect your shopping and dining plans. 2. The rooms are generally larger than most other hotels in Korea. The off-peak prices are very reasonable. 3. The service is excellent, with warm and enthusiastic staff from the ground floor all the way to the lobby. Cons ❤️ 1. The breakfast is truly unappetizing. There's a limited selection, and it's almost exclusively Western-style. Unless it's complimentary, definitely skip it. 2. It's almost always fully booked. I've stayed here 6 times this year, and only once was I able to check in early at noon. All other times, I had to wait until past 2 PM. If you're arriving on an early flight and hoping to rest, this hotel isn't for you. Most hotels in Gangnam allow check-in by noon.

This hotel's location was amazing. It was connected to the subway. Next to lotte world. Exceptional service. We stayed hotel twice and definitely coming back next time when we visit here. My 8 years old daughter loved the view from the 97th floor. Best shopping spot, aquarium, observation tower , kids Cafe, movie theater, tons of restaurants and cafes . All in one place. Truly amazing.

My stay perfectly matched my expectations for The Shilla Seoul; if you're looking for an old-money vibe, this is a great fit. Hardware-wise, for a hotel with some history, it felt newer than I anticipated, and the crystal chandelier in the lobby is absolutely stunning. The room size was just right, with a wet and dry bathroom featuring a separate shower and bathtub. The windows and the view from the room are a major highlight. Even though my room this time didn't face Namsan Tower, it was still excellent. You'll need to bring your own toothpaste and toothbrush, but cotton swabs and shower caps are provided. The mini-fridge, snacks, and minibar are all chargeable. In terms of service, from getting out of the car to reaching my room, it met the high standards of a five-star hotel. The front desk staff spoke excellent English, and one even spoke Chinese to me during checkout (though I don't expect all of them to). This time, I also made sure to try the Room Service. The menu is in the desk drawer, and you can order using the in-room phone. The fried chicken and fries were very good; the portion was easily enough for two people or more. Regarding amenities, the bakery on the first floor of the hotel was bustling, mostly with local Koreans. I thought the taste was good, and the salt bread was particularly nice. The hotel lobby was almost always full, and there were constant business meetings and events happening on the left side, so you see a continuous stream of locals. The hotel offers a free shuttle bus, but you need to check the schedule carefully. Since I didn't use it, I can't offer advice. On either side of the hotel are Aesop and Moynat stores, and Shilla Duty Free is just a five-minute walk away. If your itinerary is well-planned and not rushed, staying at The Shilla is a great choice. It's not far to get to Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seochon, Bukchon, Myeongdong, Seongsu-dong, and Hannam-dong by taxi from here. However, if you're trying to pack a lot into your schedule and rely mainly on the subway, it might not be as suitable. Seoul traffic can be quite bad. Personally, I would consider staying at The Shilla again. The service experience was very satisfying.

The location is good, directly opposite of the lake and next to Lotte world mall. To MTR it’s 5-7mins. The front desk staff is not accommodative at all, any request is like „no, we can’t“ attitude. As of the cleanness and amenities, first of all, the shower head did not work properly, the aircon did not work during the first night ( better the second and third) and the tooth brush glass had stains when I checked in ( see photo attached ) Overall, not recommended for luxury stay, but if it’s just a family vacay, why not.

This is a decent hotel, right next to Shinsegae Department Store, and directly outside Exit 7 of Hoehyeon Subway Station. There's a large ramp leading up to the lobby on the first floor, but you have to go to the seventh floor to check in. It seems like there's a police station building nearby with an escalator that takes you right to the lobby entrance. The hotel gave me a room on a higher floor, the 25th floor, which I believe is the top floor for guest rooms, but it was a corner room. The room layout was a bit odd; the room itself wasn't very big, with not much space beyond the bed, but the bathroom was exceptionally large, almost the same size as the room. There was a connecting door to the adjacent room, which was a suite. From the layout, this room seemed designed as a maid's room for the adjoining suite. When I complained about the corner room to the front desk, I was told that all rooms of this type are corner rooms, likely due to the design. Those who dislike corner rooms should consider this carefully. The mattress in the room was exceptionally high. Before arriving, I had requested a baby crib, but the hotel didn't reserve one for me that day and instead provided a rail. This rail was hard to describe – it made little difference from having nothing at all. There's a tablet by the bed that controls the mattress and air conditioning. You can directly order bath towels, water, ice, etc., and even send text requests to the front desk. The hotel appears to be a recommended hotel by LV. Upon check-in, I received an invitation to the LV exhibition, where you could get an LV canvas bag at the Shinsegae LV exhibition across the street. Overall, the hotel is quite good, with medium value for money.

The hotel employee was very thoughtful and provided us with free room upgrade and a slice of cake because of our wedding anniversary. That was very considerate and nice gesture. Also warm water in the pool was a big bonus. However, there are few things I would like to point out which are important for us as a family traveling with a kid: 1) children are not allowed to play screen golf. That was upsetting since we never had such issue at other hotels. Also you need to reserve time slot first, which doesn’t work for people who came to Seoul for tourism or leisure purposes. 2) children are only allowed to enter pool until 17:00. That’s extremely strange since many people check in after 15:00 and there would be no time to swim at all in that case. Also people mainly prefer to do shopping and sightseeing and relax at pool when they return in the evening. So this restriction is very strange for us. In that case hotel needs to either notify the guests during reservation or turn it into “adults only” hotel. 3) hotel has a very strict check in check out rules: 15:00 check in and 11:00 check out, not 30 min later/earlier; while standard international check in is 14:00 and check out 12:00. Usually hotels especially 5 stars hotels are very flexible and let guests check in 1-2h earlier if the guests already arrived and would allow them check out 30min-1h later without any issue. 4) Gym and pool close at 21:30. That’s very early compare to other hotels, where facilities usually work until 23:00 and sometimes even 24h. 5) Gym, sauna and pool are not exclusive to the hotel guests only. Anybody with paid membership can enter, which makes it crowded and inconvenient for hotel guests, especially on holidays and weekends. Also you need to take 2 different lifts and walk by the bridge to get there (basically it’s not the same building as hotel) I would say it’s not a 5 star hotel, but more like a premium residence, that is suitable for a long term stay without children.

Upon check in, we asked for a 2 twin beds room, without even checking by the staff, I already heard no. Then she asked me for my credit card, didn’t even mention how much limits she gonna hold. Anyway. During the stay, there were zero turn down services. I called and asked why and I was told that we had to request for it. First time hearing this from a Fairmont. Totally disappointed. The bathroom lights were flashing (a bit scary at night), light bulbs had to be replaced I guess, called someone to come take a look. Didn’t expect they didn’t even offer a room change. So I guess they came in to fix the light while we were out. On the day of checking out, I called to request for a late check out. Without checking, rejected me. I had to ask again and got an extra 30 mins. Standard check out time is 11am, which is already ridiculous, got extended to 11:30, what a joke. Will never stay here again and might even stay away from all Accor hotels.

Had a wonderful stay at Pullman Ambassador Seoul during our trip to Seoul. The hotel is beautifully maintained, with spacious and comfortable rooms, excellent cleanliness, and stunning city views. The staff were warm, professional, and always willing to help, making us feel welcome throughout our stay. The location is convenient, with easy access to public transportation and popular shopping areas such as Dongdaemun, Myeongdong, and Seongsu. The facilities, including the gym, pool, and lounge areas, were well-maintained and added to the overall experience. A special mention to the breakfast buffet, which offered a wide variety of delicious Korean and international dishes. Everything was fresh and well presented. Overall, this hotel provided the perfect balance of comfort, luxury, and convenience. I would highly recommend Pullman Ambassador Seoul to anyone visiting Seoul and would gladly stay here again on my next trip. The mattress is very comfy

I booked the Timber Room. The location was fantastic, especially being in the Gangbuk area. While the parking lot was spacious, the corners on the ramps going up and down were extremely narrow, requiring careful navigation. The 'mountain view' wasn't really visible from our room; I kept the curtains drawn because it felt like people right next door could easily see inside, which was a bit disappointing. The swimming pool was decent, and all the staff members were very friendly. Although I didn't try breakfast, it's known to be excellent, so I plan to have it on my next visit. The TV in the living room wasn't working for some reason. I was too lazy to try and fix it, so I just ate without it. It was a shame there was no table, and the sofa felt quite old, which was also a minor drawback. Despite these minor issues, there was absolutely no noise from upstairs, downstairs, or neighboring rooms. Opening the living room window let in lovely bird sounds, making it feel very nature-friendly.

I always used to do my 'hotelcation' at Lotte, but this time I stayed at the Grand Hyatt, and it was an excellent choice! 🫶👍 I regret not coming to the Hyatt sooner, honestly. Haha. True Wellness Point 1: The location and views are perfect for a quiet hotelcation and refreshing stay. 🫶 Even if it costs more, absolutely make sure to book a Namsan view or Han River view room! There's no need to wait in line at crowded cafes or rooftop cafes in the heat; you can relax in your room and fully enjoy a cafe-like atmosphere. If you convert time into money, this is much more reasonable. 🍀 Cafes in the central Hannam-dong area typically charge 5,500 to 7,500 KRW for an iced Americano. Hotel guests can buy an iced Americano from the 1st-floor deli for 6,500 KRW. ❤️ Wellness Point 2: There's a walking path connected to Namsan, so you can take a stroll after breakfast or even walk to Namsan Tower along the trail. ⭐ Truly the best! 🤗 Another great tip 👉 If you exit through the side path in the parking lot to the left of the hotel's main entrance (instead of the main entrance itself), you'll find Korean restaurants, convenience stores, and rooftop cafes. If the breakfast feels a bit too rich, you can easily balance it with some Korean food. ✨ The central commercial area of Hannam-dong, Itaewon, and Haebangchon are all within basic taxi fare distance, which is very convenient. 🫶 Wellness Point 3: If outdoor activities are too difficult in the heat, you can visit the Leeum Museum of Art right in front of the hotel to enjoy an exhibition and find some mental relaxation. Downsides: If I had to find any, the gym gets crowded. You need to be quick for breakfast. And if you go to the deli shop late in the afternoon, the salads are often sold out.