Lotte Hotel Seoul

Trying to count the floors of the Lotte while looking up at the hotel’s two towering buildings of glass and concrete is a dizzying experience. Let’s just say they’re two of the tallest buildings in the city, and inside dozens of guests constantly mill about the lobby and six restaurants. As with other hotels in the Lotte Group, the Seoul hotel is connected to an enormous department store. 

In spite of its name, the hotel’s New Wing is actually has an older, more traditional look -- there is vertically striped wallpaper, hooded lamps, and plush, square chairs in the lobby along with large, rectangular chandeliers. The New Wing also has a comfortable library lounge area with several bookshelves, tables and chairs, and a wall-size window looking out upon a well-manicured plant and rock garden. This is where the tea room is located, its bountiful varieties served in small, traditional kettles and cups. The Main Wing lobby more closely resembles a museum, with its white marble walls, pillars, and gilded ceiling ornamentation. The reception area in the Main Wing has vaulted ceilings with massive orb lights, plus a few places to sits and enjoy and the pianist who plays throughout the day and evening. 

The six international restaurants each have their own look, the bright La Seine features a red-brick wine room and colorful buffet area where fresh seafood, including enormous whole fish, are displayed on ice. Peninsula has a beautiful dome ceiling with stained glass and a zodiac calendar. The Michelin-rated Pierre Gagnaire is entered via a set of shiny, silver doorways leading through black- and white-striped and purple hallways to dollhouse-style dining rooms with tremendous views of the city. The hotel’s guests are largely of the executive and business variety, but there are also many upscale tourists, families, and couples from all over the world.

The Lotte Hotel is situated in the middle of Seoul’s Myeongdong area, surrounded by other high-rise office buildings, hotels, and businesses. The hotel is adjacent to the Euljiro-1-ga Metro station, as well as two enormous shopping options, the Lotte Department store and Lotte Young Plaza. The hotel's Myeongdong neighborhood is famous for its shopping and for stores remaining open as late as two in the morning. The hotel is relatively close to two main tourist sights in Seoul, Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace -- both can be reached in about five minutes by taxi depending on traffic (or in 30 to 40 minutes for those planning on strolling through the city -- the walk can include the iconic Insadong area along the way). Namdaemun Gate and Namdaemun traditional market are each a 10-minute walk from the hotel.

A word of caution: Yes, this is a luxury hotel, but the style is not uniform across its rooms, and those in the misleadingly named New Wing are less impressive than those in the Main Wing. Regardless of location, though, all rooms above the fifth floor have decent views of the city, while those on the highest floors look out toward the mountains and feel above it all. 

Rooms in the Main Wing are chic and stylish, with eye-catching materials used throughout, including strikingly patterned marble and granite alongside fresh color palettes and dark wood-panel furniture. Frankly, though, rooms in the New Wing aren't worth the rates. They're basic and bland, without any noteworthy design elements and little personality. Expect tan carpets, blond wood furniture, striped wallpaper, and underwhelming wall art. Bathrooms, as well vary by wing. New Wing bathrooms are simple and tiled, with shower tub combos, while Main Wing bathrooms have striking white and dark marble walls and floors with separate walk-in rainfall showers and tubs with contemporary fixtures.

All rooms offer a choice of 15 tailored pillows, free Wi-Fi access, flat-screen TVs, slippers, bathrobes, and turndown service. Deluxe Rooms in both wings have minibars, safes, wine glasses and corkscrews, and coffee/tea facilities. The suites offer an executive experience, the height of which is the enormous Royal Suite in the Main Wing, with personal dry sauna, hot tub, living room, and "secretary's bedroom." The suites also have oversized bathrooms with dual sinks, marble tiled walls and counters, and jetted tubs. There's also a Ladies' Floor on the 22nd floor of the Main Wing. 

This massive hotel is home to six international restaurants, including Pierre Gagnaire a Seoul, South Korea’s only three-star Michelin-rated restaurant, plus Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Italian eateries. There is also a low-key lounge, a bar with a DJ, a tearoom, and a bakery with in-house pastry chef. This is one of the only hotels in the city with an indoor driving range, and the gym is a sea of high-end machinery -- the bikes and treadmills are all equipped with mini-TVs. The spa is ultra-modern, with slick, black tiling and glass walls, complete with massage rooms, sauna, and salt room. The indoor pool is a bit small for proper laps, and is flanked by a few white lounge chairs and two hot tubs. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, and outdoor and garage parking are available for an extra fee. Room service is offered 24/7, and the hotel provides laundry, dry cleaning, shuttle, and tour operating services. There's ample event space -- including two ballrooms and the Garnet Suite with city views from the 37th floor -- along with a business center.