Sokcho
A five-minute walk from the intercity bus terminal, this place combines the niceties of Korean motel rooms – minifridge and basic toiletries – with free…
Must-see hotels in South Korea
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
Run by the welcoming and convivial Shrek Lee, this hostel is easily the best budget digs in Itaewon. Fourteen dorms and four twins are stacked in a…
Jeollanam-do
This idyllic traditional hanok inn, built around a courtyard, is inside Duryunsan Provincial Park, about two-thirds of the way between the car park and…
Jeonju
Hard to find, but worth the effort, this utterly charming hanok (traditional wooden home) guesthouse is surrounded by a delightful garden. Cosy rooms have…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
Eighteen designers were given free rein to decorate the suites at this sophisticated love motel, tucked off the main road. Check the website for the…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
Making the most of its hilltop aspect, the Grand Hyatt is lord of all it surveys. On a clear day, the views from the lobby lounge, through a soaring wall…
Chungcheongbuk-do
Truly excellent service, free popcorn and coffee in the lobby, free laundry and lovely sunset views over the hills (if you have a west-facing room) are…
Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
This hotel has rooms dedicated to Line Friends – cartoon characters from popular Japanese-Korean social-media app Line – so fans of cuteness overload and…
Gangneung
This delightfully landscaped choice is right by the sea. A large variety of contemporary and stylish rooms are at hand, including a vast penthouse and…
Seoul
The husband-and-wife team who converted this house have keen design sensibilities. K-Pop-fanatic Jacqueline chooses photogenic, homey decor and cooks…
Busan
The tiny, minimalist rooms in this slick and serene capsule hotel feature high-key, all-white-marble finishings and stunning views of the beach and…
Northern Seoul
A more relaxed alternative to central digs is this beautifully designed, modern homestay in the hills above the city. The swish family home of a retired…
Dongdaemun & Eastern Seoul
The luxurious flagship of Korea's homegrown Shilla hotel group, Hotel Shilla is one of Seoul's best, with a VIP location on 9 acres of private hillside…
Jeju-do
If Hallim's sleepy port and rugged Hyeopjae beach left you feeling nautical, then try sleeping in these converted shipping containers. It's much more…
Southern Jeju-do
This gorgeous property delivers luxury with a rustic theme. Just 26 cottages, many with traditional stone walls and thatched roofs, coupled with…
Dongdaemun & Eastern Seoul
A spotlessly clean, superbly run western-style hostel, the K-Grand occupies the top half of a 10-storey building, with great views as standard from its…
Seoul
Creatively decorated in bright colours and modern furnishings, this cosy guesthouse feels more like a cool arty apartment. Martin, the convivial English…
Seoul
There is a stream of K-Pop on the TVs at this memorabilia-adorned hostel in the heart of Hongdae's bar area next to Hongik University. But even if you…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
An excellent-value, midrange option that's very affordable for this end of town, the 50-room boutiquey Tria has lots going for it. Opt for any room above…
Jeju-do
People will pinpoint this guesthouse as the moment Woljeong Beach became a hot spot. Gentleehouse is matched with chic new restaurants nearby, yet…
Gwangju
Gwangju local and veteran traveller Pedro Kim runs this homey guesthouse filled with books and travel souvenirs. The rooms (some with private baths) are…
Busan
Busan’s oldest international hotel gets better with age. A hint of retro shaken, not stirred, with modern touches creates a James Bond – a la Sean Connery…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
This beautifully restored hanok, with an enchanting garden, is modelled after Japan’s ryokan. The guesthouse’s mud-walled sauna is included in the prices,…
Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
An excellent midrange choice, this small professionally run hotel has boutique aspirations. Splashes of style abound, from the flashy, metallic lobby to…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
Mixing old and new is this enchanting hanok in a garden setting with a traditional-style room where breakfast is served. The shared bathrooms are high…
Busan
Fantastic views of Haeundae beach, grovelling service and decent on-site dining make the Paradise stand out. The rooms are somewhat worn and the casino is…
InterContinental Alpensia Pyeongchang Resort
Pyeongchang
One of the more luxurious ski accommodations in Korea is this InterContinental-managed hotel at the foot of Alpensia Ski Resort. The grand lobby lounge…
Daegu
This guesthouse is part of the Center for North Korean Defectors (www.nkpeople.or.kr), and 20% of proceeds go to resettlement elsewhere. It's a great…
Gyeonggi-do & Incheon
If you're planning to overnight by the airport, you might as well do it in style. This 370-room cubist-meets-modernist structure looks like a concrete…
Seoraksan National Park
Just 300m from the park entrance, in the crook of a mountain, is this English oasis with Edwardian armchairs in the lobby and two red London Routemaster…
Chungcheongbuk-do
Look for the huge mural of Che Guevara and you've found this lovely 11-room place, run by the ever helpful, English-speaking and radiantly smiling Monica …
Gyeonggi-do & Incheon
This snazzy pension on a hillside set back from the beach offers bright, ondol (traditional, sleep-on-a-floor-mattress) rooms that can sleep up to seven…
Chungcheongbuk-do
If only every national park had this – a homely, delightful yeogwan (small family-run hotel) beside a gurgling river in the middle of the park. There’s…
Gangwon-do
Standing tall conveniently just a block back from the bus terminals is this superb love motel. Rooms are spotlessly clean, with huge beds, coffee sachets,…
Seoul
Near the War & Women's Human Rights Museum, this appealing guesthouse is worth the trek from Hongdae. Rooms are attractively decorated with hanji …
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
A discreet entrance – look for the rock sticking out of the wall – sets the Zen-minimalist tone for this gorgeous property. Each floor only has 10 rooms…
Jeonju
It's not the spiffiest hotel in the Gaeksa market and the room interiors might be a little weathered, but it gets top marks for price and location. A…
Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
You can't get more central than the Plaza, opposite the striking rising glass edifice of City Hall. Rooms sport a smart design with giant angle-poise…
Seongeup Folk Village Traditional Houses
Jeju-do
The village offers comfortable accommodation in six volcanic-stone and thatched-roof cottages. Inside they have two bedrooms with ondol (heated) floors…
Gangwon-do
This architectural oddity by the Haslla Art World is an oasis of design: beds are shaped like large wooden bowls, rooms are furnished with quirky pieces…
