Photo: Basile Morin / Wikimedia Commons
Best Hotels in Seoul South Korea: Gyeongbokgung Palace, K-Pop & Han River (2026)
The Shilla Seoul's suites with N Seoul Tower views, Four Seasons Seoul's rooms in the Gwanghwamun business district, and Park Hyatt Seoul's Gangnam suites above the Han River — the best hotels in South Korea's capital for 2026.
Seoul: Gyeongbokgung Palace, K-Pop, and the Han River
Gyeongbokgung Palace, founded in 1395 as the main royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty, still anchors the historic heart of Seoul. Just uphill from it, the 600-year-old Bukchon Hanok Village preserves the traditional wood-and-tile houses that once housed the city’s aristocracy. Seoul’s global profile today rests as much on culture as history: K-pop acts like BTS, propelled by labels such as HYBE, carried the broader Korean Wave (Hallyu) into a worldwide phenomenon starting in the 1990s, while Samsung, headquartered near the city in Suwon, made Korean technology a household name internationally. Bibimbap, especially the sizzling dolsot (stone bowl) version, remains one of the country’s defining dishes, and the Han River, lined with parks that draw crowds year-round, is where the city goes to unwind.
The Seoul Hotels
The Shilla Seoul — N Seoul Tower View Luxury Suite
Price: €300–2,000/night | Location: 249 Dongho-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 04605, South Korea
The Shilla Seoul is one of the city’s few major luxury hotels under Korean, rather than international, ownership, tied historically to the Samsung group. La Yeon, its three-Michelin-starred Korean restaurant, is one of Seoul’s most celebrated fine-dining rooms, and the hotel’s Shilla Duty Free complex draws its own steady stream of shoppers.
Four Seasons Hotel Seoul — Gwanghwamun Business District Luxury Suite
Price: €400–2,500/night | Location: 97 Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03182, South Korea
Four Seasons Seoul sits in the Gwanghwamun district, within walking distance of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Its dining rooms range widely: Yu Yuan serves Cantonese dim sum, while Borigol focuses on traditional Korean cuisine.
FAQ
When is the best time to visit Seoul? April brings cherry blossoms along the Han River at Yeouido, while October’s foliage season paints Bukhansan Mountain and the surrounding hills in red and gold. Summer brings festivals along the Han River, and winter is when Gyeongbokgung Palace holds its ceremonial changing-of-the-guard performances against a colder, quieter backdrop.
What makes Seoul unique among Asian capitals? Seoul runs on a distinct blend of old and new: PC bangs (24-hour gaming cafes) and jimjilbang (Korean bathhouses that also stay open around the clock) sit alongside Hongdae, the youth-culture district around Hongik University known for street performances and nightlife. Layered over all of it is a delivery culture so fast that almost any meal can arrive within about 30 minutes, a level of speed and reach still hard to match elsewhere in the world.