Lotte Hotel Seoul Review 2025: Luxury Myeongdong Stay for First-Time Visitors (Winter Edition)
Your girl just returned from her inaugural South Korean vacation this past December and January 🥳! I’m absolutely thrilled to share the first installment of my hotel review letters, beginning with the legendary Lotte Hotel Seoul in Myeongdong, a perfect sanctuary for first-time visitors seeking luxury in Seoul’s bustling shopping district.
This journey was my personal celebration for achieving a long-held career milestone 💁♀️, so naturally, I was determined to experience some of Seoul’s finest accommodations without completely decimating my savings. Now, I know what you’re thinking—”Myeongdong is a tourist trap!” And honestly, you’re not wrong 😌. But here’s the thing, its prime location serves as the perfect home base for discovering Seoul’s must-see attractions, vibrant shopping streets, and delicious food ✌🏻.
My dear friend, I’m about to spill everything about my Lotte Hotel Seoul experience from the room details to those restaurant moments that still make me daydream. I’ll give you the truth about whether this 5-star indulgence is truly worth your won!
Arrivals & First Impressions
Location: Seoul’s Perfect Home Base
Lotte Hotel Seoul lets you enjoy all the buzz of Myeongdong while offering a peaceful escape when the crowds get overwhelming. Myeongdong Shopping Street is a bustling tourist hotspot packed full with all the famous skincare, fashion, food, and endless crowds, especially when night falls and the food vendors come and line their stalls as far as the eyeballs can see with Korean street food 🤤. It’s fun, but packed.
Luckily, the hotel is far enough for some peace and quiet while still being a 5-minute walk back into the action if you so choose.
What really set my heart on staying here? The hotel is seamlessly connected to Lotte Department Store (hello, shopping spree🛍️) with a double drool-worthy food court 🤤🤤, plus it basically sits right above Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station Line 2 for effortless exploring throughout Seoul. The location is a dream for first-time visitors to South Korea!
Check out my scribbled maps below for a better visual.
Check-In Experience: A 5-Star Welcome
After taking the Airport Railroad Express (AREX) to Seoul Station, we opted for a taxi straight to Lotte Hotel Seoul’s Main Lobby. All to say, it was definitely a 5-star experience from the get-go. Staff immediately opened the cab doors, helped us out, grabbed our luggages from the trunk, and personally escorted us to the check-in counter which had no wait at around 19:00 (7:00 PM).
The lobby was scented wonderfully and was clean, elegant, and grand with immediate views of a smaller waterfall and beautiful Christmas tree displays during our winter visit. Our luggage and whereabouts were monitored by at least two staff members and the check-in was quick and clear.
✨ Pro Tip: My boyfriend is an American Express Gold Card Member and booked at least 2+ nights with it, which scored us an instant room upgrade upon arrival and complimentary credit valued at US$100 to use towards eligible charges like their delicious buffets. Do check in with your credit cards to see if you’ll be able to snag benefits like these that may make your luxury Seoul hotel stay even sweeter!
Our luggage was also personally hand-delivered to our rooms faster than even our own arrival there (though we may have taken the wrong elevator by accident 😅).
The Room
Photo Credits: Dear My Visitor
Aesthetic & Ambience
Our honest first impressions of the Lotte Hotel Seoul room was that it was much bigger than we expected. Keeping in mind that the hotel upgraded our rooms, we were surprised to see a living room separated from where the beds lay. The divider itself had TV’s attached to each side making the space feel more spacious and giving us the feeling of having more than one room! The ambiance had an older and refined feel to it with warm ambient lighting. At times, we thought the lights may have been a tad too dim and moody in the evening, but it was great at making us feel relaxed and sleepy after a day of Seoul sightseeing.
Comfort Levels
The bed itself was comfortable, not too hard and not too soft – perfect for resting after exploring Myeongdong and beyond. We also found it very clean without any hair or dust residue. The mattress itself wasn’t remarkable, but we had slept well and woke up without any aches and pains. You can also adjust the temperature of the room easily. Cheers to that!
Bathroom Bliss
Arguably one of the most important aspects of any hotel is the bathroom. This one was lovely! It has a nice bidet and mirror walls on most sides which allows people who are getting ready at the same time to do so a lot easier. The bathroom is also well-lit and leaning towards neutral lighting in contrast to the rest of the room. I also always appreciate extra towels of various sizes and am pleased to report there were bath towels, hand towels, and face cloths available and in abundance.
The bathtub and shower was also very nice and pristinely clean. They offered a non-slip shower mat that you could place inside, which was an extra appreciated safety item. The shower was also easy to use (is it just me that struggles with hotel shower controls?), water warmed up quickly, and the water pressure was great! The included hair and body wash came in pump bottles (we love sustainability!) and was pleasant to use.
Amenities & Little Luxuries
Circling back to the living room area, it was well stocked with various seating from a small sectional and single-seater sofa to a desk for work. On top of the desk lay room service menus and a pamphlet with the events and amenities that you could take part in within that season. It also featured a pretty postcard that I was very happy to take home with me.
On top of a mini refrigerator is a transparent cabinet holding various items, wine glasses, tea cups and saucers, as well as complimentary water bottles. We really loved that every day, the hotel would replenish our complimentary water bottles as we don’t usually get that extra service at our hotel stays in America or other countries we’ve traveled to.
❗ Important Note: Not all items in the cabinet are free. We got intrigued by the green tea toothpaste and used it before I could read the sign saying it was an additional cost 😂. South Korea has implemented a hotel environmental policy targeting the elimination of single-use toiletries in hopes to reduce plastic waste, so be mindful of those items and help yourself to the convenience if you need it (but know you’ll pay for it)!
Upon entry, you’ll also find a closet with hangers to use for your coats and bathrobes and slippers to use during your stay! I also believe the lockbox is positioned there as well if you need to secure valuables during your Seoul adventure.
Sound & Serenity
Overall, Lotte Hotel Seoul offers great noise insulation – you can’t hear anyone but yourselves. One day though, there was a festival down the street and you could hear that, but it was over way before quiet hours. At night, you’ll find complete peace and quiet for a restful sleep🤫💤.
Service & Hospitality
The staff at Lotte Hotel Seoul are incredibly respectful, considerate, friendly, and efficient. We felt well taken care of since stepping out of the taxi until we left this luxury Seoul accommodation.
Housekeeping was discreet and the room was very clean every time we returned from exploring Seoul. Towels were fully restocked and a new set of water bottles were always presented to us. When we did run into staff in the hallways, they always greeted us with genuine warmth.
An exceptional service I wanted to point out was that they really try their best to get you reservations you’re looking for. Another key reason I wanted to stay at this hotel was for a chance to eat at their famous strawberry buffet! I found it quite difficult to make a reservation ahead of time as a foreigner and there wasn’t a lot of promotion for it online.
I took a chance calling their service desk during my stay and trying to make a reservation. I was very politely told that they were sold out throughout the duration of my stay, but the staff member told me to hold while they could double-checked to see if there was any way to squeeze 2 people in. The nice lady returned to the call a few moments later to happily tell me they had a single slot I could reserve the next day if it worked with my schedule.
I appreciated the extra effort they made to enhance my experience at their hotel and the buffet itself was a surreal experience and one of the major highlights of my trip. I am so grateful to the staff at Lotte Hotel Seoul. If the winter strawberry buffet piqued your interest, check out that post for more details of my experience!
Culinary Delights
Lotte Hotel Seoul boasts many top notch restaurants and we had the opportunity to dine at two of them! Here’s my quick review of these Myeongdong dining gems:
La Seine
La Seine is a buffet on the first floor of Lotte Hotel Seoul serving up a variety of different dishes at eight live stations 😋. We came during breakfast time and it was an amazing way to start off our day. Some stand out offerings was their specialty juice and coffee bar, Asian cuisine bar with fresh steamed silken eggs and a make-your-own Ramen bar, and Western cusine serving eggs benedict and French toast. We were also able to use the credit from the hotel courtesy of AMEX to cover the cost of the buffet!
Cost per person: ₩60,000
Peninsula Lounge & Bar
Situated on the first floor sits the cozy and elegant Peninsula Lounge & Bar set against a backdrop of beautiful waterfalls and lots of natural lighting. We actually didn’t taste their regular menu, but were here for the highly coveted strawberry buffet ‘2025 Must be STRAWBERRY: Starry Starry Strawberry’🍓🍓🍓. Check out my exclusive post for this buffet here with all the information on the offerings and how I snagged a spot! This was absolutely delicious and an absolute core memory from this trip.
Cost per person: ₩70,500
Final Thoughts
I very much hope this helps you figure out if Lotte Hotel Seoul is the right place for you to stay! It was definitely worth the won for me, offering that sweet blend of luxury and convenience (love the subway being right underneath) without cringing at my bank account. The central location was amazing for exploring Seoul as first-timers, and those little touches of hospitality made us really enjoy our stay.
Did you stay at any hotels in Myeongdong or Seoul before? I would really love to hear about your experience or answer any questions you have about Lotte Hotel Seoul! I’ve also got three more letters about other hotels I stayed at, so keep your eyes wide open if you’re planning your own South Korean getaway soon 👀✈️!
Come visit again soon,
Jacklyn
P.S If this review was helpful at all for you, please share it with more potential visitors planning their trip to South Korea. Oh! And don’t forget to to look for more travel letters from yours truly!
