---
title: "Where to stay in Seoul"
description: "Four Seoul hotels we have read the guest data on — one by Hongdae, two in Myeongdong, one at COEX — with the complaints written as plainly as the praise."
url: "https://travelshifu.com/hotels/seoul/"
type: "hotel city guide"
source: "TravelShifu"
---

# Where to stay in Seoul

Four Seoul hotels we have read the guest data on — one by Hongdae, two in Myeongdong, one at COEX — with the complaints written as plainly as the praise.

## Verdict

Stay in Mapo if Hongdae and the airport line matter; stay in Myeongdong if N Seoul Tower and the shopping streets are the week; stay at COEX if Gangnam and Samseong Station are the job.

All four carry our hotel data provider POI distances in our seed. GLAD Mapo puts Hongdae at 0.8 km and Gyeongbokgung at 5 km; both Myeongdong picks put Myeongdong Shopping Street at 0.2–0.3 km and N Seoul Tower at 1.2 km; GLAD Gangnam COEX puts COEX Mall at 0.1 km and Samseong Station at 0.2 km. Those are three different maps, not three versions of the same pin.

Guest scores in this sample disagree with their own prose more than once. LOTTE City Hotel Myeongdong posts an 8.8 out of 10 supplier score while room quality sits at 8.07 with renovation complaints; L’Escape posts 9.6 with flat service tens beside unprofessional-staff cons. We cite both the number and the complaint, dated, and we never restate either as structured data.

Nothing on this page quotes a nightly rate. We hold no live rates for these properties, and a price baked into a static page is wrong by the next morning — the CTAs send you to Booking.com, Agoda, Trip.com or Vrbo so you see the real number for your dates. Those are partners; the links may earn commission.

## Which area of Seoul is best for a first visit?

Myeongdong if shopping and N Seoul Tower are the week; Hongdae if nightlife and the airport line matter more; Gangnam if COEX or south-side business is the job. All three beat a cheap room far from metro that costs you an hour a day.

## Is Hongdae too far from the palaces?

For a Gyeongbokgung-heavy itinerary, yes — our hotel data provider puts Gyeongbokgung at 5 km from GLAD Mapo. For Hongdae evenings and AREX airport access, it is the better base.

## Should I book Seoul hotels direct or through a booking site?

It varies by property and by date, which is why we never quote a nightly rate here. Check the partner link for your dates, then check the hotel’s own site before you confirm — direct rates sometimes include breakfast or a cancellation window the aggregated rate does not. Booking.com, Agoda, Trip.com and Vrbo are partners; those links may earn commission.

## Why do you show guest scores but never a star-rating snippet in search results?

Because the scores are not ours. Every review number on this site comes from a supplier’s aggregate, and Google’s review-snippet guidance says not to aggregate ratings from other websites and that ratings must come from your own users. We show the supplier score plainly, attributed and dated, and we never emit it as structured data.

## Are Seoul hotel rooms small?

Often, yes — especially at the Gangnam and Myeongdong picks in this sample. GLAD Gangnam and LOTTE City both carry small-room complaints in our hotel data provider’s guest analysis. Budget for a standard double being tighter than a Western chain equivalent.

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Canonical HTML: https://travelshifu.com/hotels/seoul/