The Best Hotels to Book in South Korea for Every Traveller
![South Korea mixes ancient heritage with hyper-futurism, providing a great diversity of hotel options](https://cdn-v2.theculturetrip.com/20x11/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/gyeongwonjae-ambassador-incheon-e1607349729268.webp)
From old-world guesthouses to forest-ensconced wellness retreats, there’s no lack of variety or originality when it comes to the best places to stay in South Korea.
Home to mountain-top temples, fragrant food markets and cutting-edge film schools, South Korea mingles ancient heritage with hyper-futurism. Nowhere is this more apparent than the capital, Seoul, filled with gleaming skyscrapers, neon-lit streets and bars blasting K-pop. Elsewhere, you can wander through mountain forests and guesthouses built in time-honoured architectural styles. We round up the cream of South Korea’s hotels to suit the needs of every traveller.
1. Hotel Cappuccino
Hotel
![Two adjacent double beds on wooden floor in room with glass door to private balcony with city views at Hotel Cappuccino](https://cdn-v2.theculturetrip.com/10x/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/hotel-cappuccino-.webp)
2. Small House Big Door
Hotel
![Double bed on wooden frame in plain white-painted room with bedside table and floor-to-ceiling window at Small House Big Door](https://cdn-v2.theculturetrip.com/10x/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/8778869_31_z.webp)
Small House Big Door puts you in the heart of Seoul’s premier shopping district, Myeongdong – making it one of the best places to stay in South Korea for some retail therapy. The neon-washed streets cater to every whim, whether you’re in the market for Korean cosmetics, homegrown fashion or world-class street food. After a day of flashing the plastic, sip Korean beer in the hotel bistro before retiring to your ultra-minimalist room – the perfect counterpart to the fray.
3. Hongdae Jun Guesthouse
Guesthouse
![Double bed in silvery-grey room with air-conditioning unit and bedside table at Jun Guest House](https://cdn-v2.theculturetrip.com/10x/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/jun-guest-house.webp)
No-frills stay Hongdae Jun Guesthouse is in hip Hongdae, an arty district that will appeal to night owls. The area gets its name from Hongik University, one of the best fine art schools in South Korea. Unsurprisingly, creativity is the lifeblood of the surrounding streets, which are full of indie music venues, independent galleries and vintage shops. Once a year, local art students band together to create murals, installations and live performances as part of the Street Art Festival.
4. Arban Hotel
Boutique Hotel
![Shaded open-air dining area with several wooden tables and chairs by a lawn at the Arban Hotel](https://cdn-v2.theculturetrip.com/10x/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/arban-hotel.webp)
In the heart of Busan’s bustling commercial district, Arban Hotel is a magnet for seasoned city breakers. The wood and marble-clad interiors cut a refined and modern figure in keeping with Busan’s cosmopolitan outlook. If you’ve been pounding the streets all day, you’ll find repose in the hotel’s rooftop garden, dotted with gnarled pines and decorative rocks.
5. Shilla Stay
Chain Hotel
![Open-air hot tub with handrail on stone-built terrace, lit up in the evening at the Shilla Seoul](https://cdn-v2.theculturetrip.com/10x/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/the-shilla-seoul.webp)
Sun seekers will relish the rooftop pool at Shilla Stay Haeundae, which overlooks Busan’s skyline and the South China Sea. If you like variety in your tanning regime, you’ll be pleased to hear it’s just a five-minute walk to Haeundae Beach, Korea’s most famous stretch of sand. Every September, screen royalty descend on the beachfront for the Busan International Film Festival, making the city something of a Korean Cannes.
6. Gyeongwonjae Ambassador Incheon
Hotel
![Cosy double bedroom at Gyeongwonjae Ambassador Incheon, with wooden beams and artistic wallpaper of watercolour branches](https://cdn-v2.theculturetrip.com/10x/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/gyeongwonjae-ambassador-incheon-2.webp)
7. Sun and Moon Resort
Resort, Hotel, Luxury
![Adjacent double beds face wall-mounted TV in white-painted room at Sun and Moon resort](https://cdn-v2.theculturetrip.com/10x/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/sun-and-moon-resort.webp)
Wellness hotel Sun and Moon Resort overlooks rolling sand dunes on Jeju Island, scoring highly with serenity seekers. Every room has a sea view, and the lawned gardens are big enough that you can find a stretch to call your own. Several hiking trails run close to the hotel, and you’ll be just 6km (4mi) from the Yongmeori Coast, where the sedimentary cliffs have been carved into rippling shapes by the elements over millennia.
8. Guesthouse Dear Moon
Hostel, Guesthouse
![Several bunk beds in a dorm at Guesthouse Dear Moon, with a walkway through the middle](https://cdn-v2.theculturetrip.com/10x/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/guesthouse-dear-moon.webp)
Prefer bang-for-buck accommodation so you can spend your cash on street food? If so, Guest House Dear Moon in Busan will be right up your alley. This laid-back and contemporary stay is on the doorstep of Jagalchi Market, the largest seafood market in South Korea. Many of Busan’s top chefs come for the fresh-off-the-boat fish, but you’ll likely be more interested in the prepared-food stalls, serving every kind of Korean seafood dish you could think of.
9. Hongranmiduk
Guesthouse
![Traditional exterior of Hongranmiduk guesthouse, with wooden door and bushes by the window](https://cdn-v2.theculturetrip.com/10x/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/hongranmiduk.webp)
History buffs will get a heritage hit at Hongranmiduk, a traditional guesthouse in Jeonju. You’ll be staying in one of the city’s 800 hanok – old-world Korean houses with slate-tiled roofs, wooden beams and manicured courtyard gardens. The style first appeared in the Joseon Dynasty, when they were home to the city’s elite. Today, they function not only as some of the best places to stay in South Korea, but as museums, boutiques and restaurants, too. If you eat out in one, be sure to try bibimbap, a classic Korean comfort food which hails from Jeonju.
10. The We Hotel
Hotel, Luxury
![Many cushioned seats by tables in expansive social area with vast floor-to-ceiling windows at the We Hotel](https://cdn-v2.theculturetrip.com/10x/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/the-we-hotel.webp)
We Hotel, on Jeju Island, is one for the spa fiends. Surrounded by forests of fragrant pine and Japanese cedar, this wellness resort is a far cry from Korea’s bustling cities. It has indoor and outdoor pools, treatment rooms, yoga and meditation studios, nature trails and a restaurant serving Asian fusion food. To top it off, all of the hotel’s water is pumped from local springs that are naturally rich in minerals.