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Most people pick the wrong neighborhood in Seoul because they book the city the way they book a resort. They look for a vibe. They trust photos. They assume “central” means convenient and “trendy” means good. A few days later, they’re standing in a crowd that never thins, eating something forgettable, wondering why the city feels like an airport mall with better lighting.
Seoul isn’t hard. It’s just specific. Neighborhoods don’t blur into each other here. Where you sleep quietly shapes what kind of city you think you’re in, what you eat by default, and how much of the place ever reveals itself to you.
There’s a pattern I’ve seen enough times to recognize early. When people care about food, walkability, and a sense that the city isn’t constantly performing for them, they end up circling the same areas. The best area to stay in Seoul for foodies is Jongno or Euljiro. You’re centered between the old-school BBQ alleys and the best naengmyeon spots, avoiding the inflated “tourist tax” prices of Myeongdong. People discover this after the fact, usually while commuting across town for dinner.
Gangnam Hotels
Gangnam still carries the idea of “premium Seoul.” Glass towers, quiet hotel lobbies, money moving smoothly through well-lit spaces. There are reasons people land here. The hotels are excellent. Medical tourism is concentrated here, so if you’re here for procedures, you’re close to what you need. Lotte World and Bongeunsa Temple are nearby. Garosu-gil still has stretches that feel like an actual street, not just a display case.
What surprises people is how little texture there is once you step outside those pockets. You can walk past multiple cafés that look different and taste the same. You can spend a lot on meals that feel professionally executed and oddly anonymous. Some of the pop-culture installations exist more as proof-of-visit than places anyone lingers.
The other reality is movement. Gangnam isn’t far, but it’s inconveniently placed for most of what visitors end up chasing. Line 2 and Line 9 are crowded enough to shape your day around them. Taxis at night can turn simple plans into negotiations.
Gangnam isn’t bad. It’s just rarely the city people thought they were choosing.
If you want to
- Be near conventions at COEX
- Eat and drink at expensive restaurants and bars
- Be convenient to plastic surgery and medical tourism clinics
- Go to high-end nightclubs
- Be near Lotte World, Lotte Tower, COEX Mall, Bongeunsa Temple, Garosu-gil, and Apgujeong
- See K-pop and high-tech attractions built by Samsung and government agencies
If you don’t care about
- Being near classic “Old Seoul” neighborhoods
- Easy access to Hongdae
- Convenience to most other parts of Seoul
- Street food and Korean meals people go out of their way for
Hotel Suggestions
Yakorea Hostel: “Yakorea Hostel Gangnam – A bunk-bed base for the ‘fake it ’til you make it’ crowd. It’s for people who want the Gangnam geotag but have a cup-ramen budget. Expect backpacks and zero privacy.”
Ocloud Hotel: “Ocloud Hotel Gangnam – The ‘gray suit’ of hotels. It’s near Gangnam Station, it’s quiet, and it has the personality of a spreadsheet. If you just want to sleep and ignore the city, this is your spot.”
Gangnam Artnouveau City: “Gangnam Artnouveau City – They went for ‘European Luxury’ but landed on ‘Slightly Confused Residence.’ The kitchenettes make it tolerable for long stays, but don’t expect a one-night fling to feel romantic here.”
Oakwood Premier COEX: “Oakwood Premier COEX Center – Plugged directly into the COEX megastructure. It’s designed for people whose entire Seoul experience consists of conventions, Duty-Free shops, and the underground mall. You could stay here a week and never breathe actual Seoul air.”
Dongdaemun
Dongdaemun used to make things. Fabric, clothes, wholesale goods that moved on practical schedules. That history hasn’t vanished, but it’s no longer the headline. Now the area signals fashion and scale, with DDP sitting at the center like a statement piece the city keeps adjusting its lighting around.
Outside that core, the neighborhood feels unfinished in an honest way. Some blocks hum with late-night work. Others feel like they’re waiting for whatever comes next. Food here tends to be functional. Places that feed people who are busy, not visitors looking for a destination meal.
As you move east, the city thins. Not dangerous in a dramatic sense, just quieter, less curated, less explained. Dongdaemun makes more sense if you like seeing seams.
If you want to
- Explore clothing markets and late-night shopping
- Experience a part of Seoul in visible transition
- Be near solid subway connections
If you don’t care about
- Polished tourist infrastructure
- A little grit
Hotel Suggestions
D Stay Hostel Dongdaemun (Budget): A minute from the station and the markets. Cheap, clean, and comes with free ramen—basically a no-frills crash pad for people who plan to spend more time hunting for fabric than sleeping.
Travelodge Dongdaemun Seoul (Lower mid-range): Straightforward business-and-shopping hotel. It’s functional, five minutes from the station, and designed for people who view a hotel room as a locker with a bed.
Hotel the Designers Dongdaemun (Mid-range): Quirky and design-heavy. It’s for the night owls and shoppers who want something less “beige corporate” and don’t mind a little sensory noise.
Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun (Upper mid): The modern chain hybrid. Family-friendly, business-friendly, and predictable—good views if you need a breather from the market chaos below.
JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul (Luxury): Full 5-star production sitting right on the square. You’re paying for the view of Heunginjimun Gate and the “sophisticated traveler” marketing copy.
Bukchon
Bukchon is beautiful. That’s the problem.
It matches the mental image many people arrive with, which means it’s under constant pressure to keep performing that image. Residents live inside someone else’s expectation of “old Seoul,” and the neighborhood is increasingly managed like a fragile exhibit.
Staying here means committing to the hanok experience. Floor sleeping, courtyards, wood and paper and morning light. It can be memorable. It can also be physically demanding. The area is hilly, and the subway is never quite where you want it to be. I’ve watched visitors haul suitcases uphill with both hands, stopping every few meters, already tired before they’ve unpacked.
At night it goes quiet, because people actually live here. Food nearby leans toward cafés and restaurants designed for atmosphere rather than appetite. Bukchon rewards a daytime visit. Sleeping here only makes sense if the setting itself is the reason.
If you want to
- Stay in a traditional hanok
- Be near palaces and classic sightseeing areas
If you don’t care about
- Price
- Transportation convenience
- Nightlife
- Dining options
- Daytime crowds
Suggested Hotels
Bukchonmaru Hanok Guesthouse (Budget(ish) hanok): Classic hanok stay on a hill. It’s basic, legit, and rewards you with village views if you don’t mind the climb from Anguk Station.
Classic Gotaek Bukchon (Mid-range hanok): A whole-hanok rental. It feels more like your own courtyard house than a guesthouse—privacy for people who actually care about the architecture they’re sleeping in.
HAM Hanokstay (Mid / family-friendly): Restored hanok with serious traditional furniture geek energy. Right between Bukchon and the palace for those who want to pretend it’s the 14th century.
Luxury Hanok Bukchon Summit (High-end hanok): Villa-style hanok with a private hot-spring bath. More of a secluded retreat for people who want to look at the village from a distance.
Luxury High-End Bukchon Hanokhotel Nostalgia (Luxury hanok-hotel): Boutique hanok suites with all the talk of “heritage” and “craftsmanship”. It’s comfort-first hanok cosplay for the well-heeled.
Insa-dong
Insa-dong is one of Seoul’s long-established tourist corridors. Souvenirs, galleries, traditional crafts, alleys that feel pleasant to wander without a plan. It does that part well.
Then lunch happens.
You can see the hesitation set in as people scan menus, realizing it’s harder than expected to find something that feels genuinely good. There are meals here, just not many that pull you back a second time.
Around the edges, things get more interesting. Jongno 3-ga nearby is unapologetically itself. Ikseon-dong offers the opposite. Old façades, new interiors, spaces angled toward photos.
Insa-dong works as a base for wandering. It doesn’t reward hunger.
If you want to
- Be in the heart of historic Seoul
- Be near multiple subway lines
- Experience tea houses, soju tents, and Tapgol Park
- Buy souvenirs
If you don’t care about
- Tourist crowds
Suggested Hotels
Insadong R Guesthouse (Budget): No-frills base sitting on top of Jongno 3-ga. Perfect for stumbling into Ikseon-dong or the antique shops without paying for a lobby you won’t use.
Sunbee Hotel Insadong (Lower mid-range): Quiet and slightly old-school. Tucked off the main drag, it’s a peaceful side-street option for those who want to avoid the tour bus chaos.
Nine Tree by Parnas Seoul Insadong (Mid-range): Modern and reliable. It’s right on the main street and built for people who want comfort and luggage lockers instead of “tradition” metaphors.
Orakai Insadong Suites (Upper mid): Apartment-style with actual living space and a kitchen. Ideal for families or those who want to pretend they live in Insadong for a week.
Moxy Seoul Insadong (Trendy / lifestyle): Design-y chain that leans into nightlife and art. It ignores the “hanbok nostalgia” for something that feels more like a lounge than a library.
Myeongdong
Myeongdong is where a lot of people stay because it’s famous and looks efficient. Sometimes that convenience pays off. Often it flattens the experience.
Crowds here don’t ebb naturally. The area is built for volume, not return visits. Cosmetics dominate the streets. Snacks repeat. Restaurants don’t need loyalty, so they don’t cultivate it. They don’t need you to come back.
Nightlife is minimal. No one who lives in Seoul suggests meeting for a beer here. Myeongdong excels at shopping and quick transactions.
If you want to
- Stay in the middle of tourist zones
- Be near cosmetics shops
- Get cheap foot massages
- Be close to N Seoul Tower
- Have easy subway access
If you don’t care about
- Good food
- Quiet
Suggested Hotels
Philstay Myeongdong Station (Budget): Compact hostel wrapped around the station. Roll out of bed directly into street food and skincare stalls. Efficiency over aesthetics.
57 Myeongdong Hostel (Lower mid-range): Private rooms at a budget price. A few minutes from the shopping chaos—good for people who want a door that locks without losing their food budget.
Hotel28 Myeongdong (Mid-range boutique): Film-themed boutique sitting right in the middle of it all. It has enough design cred to feel like a deliberate choice, not just the last room available.
Royal Hotel Seoul (Upper mid / business): Established tower above the main drag. It’s been here since before K-beauty was a thing—reliable views of the Cathedral and Namsan.
L’Escape Hotel (Luxury / design): Maximalist Paris-in-Seoul fantasy. Velvet, mood lighting, and drama for people who hate beige corporate carpets and love a bit of theater.
Itaewon
Itaewon operates in a different register. International restaurants, late nights, familiar languages, and a social ease that makes conversation simple.
Korean food exists here, but it’s not what defines the neighborhood. Itaewon runs on nightlife and the ability to stay slightly detached from the rest of the city. Movement can be awkward late at night, and the subway often becomes the default.
If you want to
- Be around English speakers
- Experience nightlife
- Eat international food
- Be centrally located
If you don’t care about
- Korean food
- Quiet
- Cultural immersion
Suggested Hotels
G Guesthouse Itaewon (Budget): Classic backpacker base in the nightlife strip. Social, cheap, and designed for people who plan to sleep as little as possible.
H Hostel Itaewon (Budget / comfy): Polished hostel with free breakfast and a shorter walk to the station. Buzz without the total 3 a.m. chaos.
Imperial Palace Boutique Hotel Itaewon (Mid-range boutique): Design-heavy spot near the Leeum Museum. For people who came to party but still want a real mattress at the end of the night.
Hamilton Hotel Itaewon (Mid / landmark): The old-school landmark literally on top of the station. Zero commute to the bars, the clubs, and the airport bus.
Jongno and Euljiro
This is where Seoul stops posing.
Jongno is old without being preserved. Euljiro is gritty without marketing the grit. Between them, the city’s food and drinking culture feels habitual rather than curated.
It’s central without advertising itself as such. Palaces are nearby, but so are print shops, offices, stew joints, and sidewalks full of people going about their day without narrating it.
Choose poorly and Seoul becomes a corridor of crowds and transactions, meals priced for one-time customers. Choose well and the city opens in smaller ways, usually between plans, when you realize you’re no longer performing your trip.
If you want to
- Be in the heart of Seoul
- Experience good restaurants and authentic Korean food
- Experience Seoul nightlife
If you don’t care about
- Peace and quiet
- Gangnam
Hotel Suggestions
Hostel Stay Now Jongno (Budget): Basic and convenient. For people who want a cheap bed near three subway lines and don’t care about the wallpaper.
Half Rest Hostel Jongno Insa (Budget): Steps from the night markets. Bounce between old alleys and street food without paying the “Insadong tax”.
Boutique Hotel K Jongno (Mid-range): Slightly dated but perfectly located. Cheonggyecheon and Insadong are easy walks—reliable for the price.
Travelodge Myeongdong Euljiro (Mid-range): The central base camp. Walkable to everything—Myeongdong, Gwangjang Market, and the industrial grit of Euljiro.
Hongdae
Hongdae is loud, young, and always moving. University energy spills into the streets. Music, performances, cheap drinks, people lingering because there’s no reason not to yet.
The liveliness feels real rather than staged, but it carries through the night. Staying here means accepting that rest is something you schedule, not something that happens automatically.
BONUS: It’s also near where we conduct our popular Authentic Chicken & Beer Pub Crawl.
If you want to
- Be immersed in youth culture
- Eat well on a budget
- Have easy airport access
- Stay social
If you don’t care about
- Quiet
- Gangnam
Hotel Suggestions
Sunnyhill Hostel Hongdae (Budget): Cheap, clean, and social. Ideal for bar-hopping, sleeping for four hours, and repeating the process.
Hongdae Style Guesthouse (Budget / stylish): Private-room guesthouse near the station. More of a cozy apartment vibe than a party hostel for people who want a little quiet.
9 Brick Hotel (Mid-range): Boutique decor that punches above its price point. You’re right outside Hongdae’s noise, which is exactly why you’re staying there.
Mercure Ambassador Seoul Hongdae (Upper mid): Modern comfort right at the station. Good soundproofing for people who want the energy outside their window, not in their bed.
L7 Hongdae by LOTTE (Trendy / lifestyle): Design-forward with a rooftop pool. It leans into the party vibe but still feels like a magazine spread.
Areas That Are Off the Radar
Some parts of Seoul work well precisely because they’re not trying to be interesting to visitors. Guidebooks mostly ignore them. That’s often a feature, not a flaw.
Mapo
Mapo sits in southwestern Seoul, just across the river from Yeouido’s financial district. Connectivity is its quiet strength. Gongdeok Station links the AREX airport line with Lines 2, 5, and 6, making most of the city fall into place without effort.
The neighborhood is lived-in and unpretentious, with a deep bench of Korean restaurants built for regulars. Nightlife leans toward good drinks and anju rather than clubs.
Hotel Suggestions
Mapo Gongdeok Stay (Budget): Simple, apartment-style stay. A clean base near the airport railroad for people who don’t need hotel theatrics.
Roynet Hotel Seoul Mapo (Mid-range): Japanese chain efficiency. Direct airport access and a business-friendly hub that just works.
Lotte City Hotel Mapo (Mid-range / business): Polished business hotel at Gongdeok. A calmer office-district vibe compared to the Hongdae noise nearby.
GLAD Mapo (Upper mid): Modern and design-leaning. Literally sitting on top of the major subway lines and the airport rail—convenience is the only selling point.
Hotel RuNa Seoul Mapo (Mid-range): Japanese-style service touches. Good for those who want Mapo access without the crowds.
Gyeongbokgung & Buam-dong
West of Gyeongbokgung Palace, streets narrow and the pace drops. Buam-dong feels almost implausible at first glance. A mountain village inside the city limits.
Staying here trades convenience for calm.
Hotel Suggestions
Bbungalow (Budget): Small B&B near the palace. Basic and friendly for people who want to hit the museums on foot rather than fighting the buses.
Inn Daewon (Budget / hanok): Old-school hanok guesthouse. Floor sleeping and homey breakfasts—it’s the traditional experience without the “luxury hanok” price tag.
Aventree Hotel Jongno (Mid-range): Handy modern hotel in the historical core. Normal beds and elevators for people who like history but hate sleeping on floors.
B&B Buam (Guesthouse): A mountain village house. A host downstairs and quiet hillside views—it feels like a village until you take the bus back to reality.
Welcome Mistakes (Hanok / design stay): Architect-bait hanok for one group at a time. For people who care about atmosphere and design more than reward points.
Guro
An industrial-tech district with no sightseeing, but a lot of daily life. Restaurants are unapologetically local. Stories happen quietly here.
Nearby Daerim Station is home to Garlic Chicken Alley.
Hotel Suggestions
Motel Stay Guro Digital Complex (Budget): Cheap, no‑nonsense motel about a 10‑minute walk from Guro Digital Complex Station, fine if you just need a bed near Line 2 and don’t mind zero frills.
Shilla Stay Guro (Mid-range business): Clean, modern business hotel about 5 minutes from Guro Digital Complex Station Exit 6, good gym and breakfast, made for people shuttling between meetings and the airport.
Lotte City Hotel Guro (Upper mid): Upscale business tower right in the Guro Digital Complex cluster with city views and a solid buffet restaurant, basically corporate‑comfort mode with easy access to Line 2 and nearby bus routes.
Four Points by Sheraton Seoul, Guro (Upper mid / chain): International‑brand business hotel walking distance from Guro Digital Complex Station with an airport limousine stop at the door, good if you want points, a gym, and quick runs to both airports.
Shilla Stay Guro (Best all‑rounder pick): Easiest combo of price, comfort, and location for most travelers, especially if you’re bouncing between Guro’s offices and the rest of the city on Line 2.
Areas that aren’t so good, unless you’re here purely on business
Keep in mind there are some excellent hotels in these areas. Just from talking to visitors, they didn’t like staying in these areas.
Yeouido
It’s purely a business district. It’s dead at night. It has a couple of subway lines going through it. Those include the infamous Line 9, the only privatized subway line in Seoul and the most miserably crowded.
Seoul Station
There is nothing to eat around here except for fast food. There’s no nightlife. It’s a train terminal and is convenient to Jongno, Myeong-dong, Itaewon, and N Seoul Tower. It’s also where Seoul’s homeless congregate. The only people you see in this area are those trying to move on from this area.
Walkerhill
The two hotels there are top in their class. I love them. If you’re looking for a resort or casino experience then these are your hotels. But it is a resort area, meaning it’s removed from the rest of the city. This is where celebrities and dignitaries go to avoid the public.
Gimpo
This is where I live, and I love it. I couldn’t imagine visiting it without a car. You may end up in a layover in Gimpo. The hotels near it are fine, but access to restaurants and the scant nightlife are nil. The only advantage is that it’s connected to the AREX airport line, so you can zoom into Seoul in 20 minutes. I use that line almost every day. Be aware that the subways close at midnight.
Incheon
Read everything I said about Gimpo above and make it even further outside of Seoul.
Ilsan
The only reasons you’d end up in Ilsan is if you’re at a convention at KINTEX or having a meeting at Hyundai. I personally like Ilsan a lot. It’s just across the bridge from me. There is good nightlife there. And good restaurants. Yet it is VERY inconvenient to Seoul, if that’s what you’re interested in. But hey, contact me if you want to get out. Or if you want someone to show you around.
What are your experiences with Seoul hotels?
Those of you who have traveled Seoul, please share your hotel experiences with the community. Is it worth it for a hanok stay? Did you try a Hongdae guesthouse? How about love motels?
Please post in the comments.
Originally published in 2017; fully audited and updated for 2026 to remove the dead guesthouses and corporate fluff.
English (US) · 