The Best Hotels for First Time Visitors in Seoul

Where to Stay on Your First Trip to Seoul

Gyeongbokgung Palace at night, Seoul, South Korea Gyeongbokgung Palace at night, Seoul, South Korea

Are you looking for a hotel for your first trip to Seoul, South Korea? With plenty of activities and sites, this is a great destination for first-time visitors. So if you're deciding where to stay on your first trip to Seoul, don't worry, we've got you covered. We've analyzed the hotels in Seoul to find out which are the best for first timers based on price, amenities, location, reviews, and guest ratings. In this guide, we'll be showcasing the best hotels for first-time visitors in Seoul, taking into consideration all of these important factors. Whether you're traveling solo, with family, or with friends, there's a hotel that caters to every traveler's needs to make the most of your first trip here. So, if you're visiting Seoul for the first time, the hotels below will be great options, as many of them have pools, breakfast, and plenty of comforts to help you relax. So, here they are, the best hotels in Seoul for first time visitors.

(Prices are listed in U.S. Dollars.)

Hotel Naru Seoul - MGallery Collection

5-star Hotel with prices starting at $229 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 5-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.

Located at 8 Mapodaero Mapogu, Hotel Naru Seoul - MGallery Collection has great rooms from $229 (before taxes). It offers an outdoor pool, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and a bar. It has a terrific 9.20 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. Only 5.9 km from the city center, first time visitors will especially love parking, laundry services, city views, an indoor pool, and laundry facilities at this relaxing hotel. Nothing says relaxation like having room service delivered.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Indoor pool
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Refrigerator
  • Infinity pool


View hotels on the map:

The Shilla Seoul

5-star Hotel with prices starting at $363 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to Seoul
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Heated pool

A great place to stay is The Shilla Seoul which has nice rooms starting at $363. Offering an outdoor pool, a pool bar, room service, a restaurant, and a fitness center, it also has a great guest rating of 9.30 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 249, Dongho-ro, Jung-gu. This convenient hotel is also nice because it offers a bar, laundry services, golf, city views, and a hot tub which visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 1.3 km from the city center. You'll love relaxing in the heated pool after a busy day exploring.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Indoor pool
More Great Amenities
  • Pool bar
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Heated pool
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Lotte Hotel Seoul

5-star Hotel with prices starting at $281 (before taxes) - See All Prices
A Good Stay for Your First Trip
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.

We found Lotte Hotel Seoul to be a great place to stay, and the price starts at $281. We loved that is has room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and laundry services, and it also has a terrific guest rating of 9.00 out of 10 from previous guests. It's located at 30, Eulji-ro, Jung-gu. You'll also find golf, city views, an indoor pool, free parking, and laundry facilities which travelers will love. And this fun hotel is just 1.7 km from the center of town. Unwinding at the restaurant after sightseeing is a nice way to end the day.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Indoor pool
  • Airport shuttle
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


The Ambassador Seoul - A Pullman Hotel

5-star Hotel with prices starting at $199 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Time in Seoul
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 5-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Heated pool

With terrific rooms from $199, The Ambassador Seoul - A Pullman Hotel, at 287, Dongho-ro, Jung-gu provides an outdoor pool, a pool bar, room service, a restaurant, and a fitness center. Its terrific guest rating is 8.90 out of 10 from previous guests staying here. New visitors will really like this amazing hotel which also offers a bar, laundry services, a hot tub, an indoor pool, and free parking. It's located just 0.7 km from the city center, too. Make sure to set aside some time for swimming in the pool, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Indoor pool
More Great Amenities
  • Pool bar
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room
  • Infinity pool


Fraser Place Namdaemun Seoul

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $112 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for First-Timers
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly

Fraser Place Namdaemun Seoul has a great guest rating of 8.90 out of 10, and offers room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and rooms with kitchenettes. The great rooms here start at $112 before taxes and depending on the season. It can be found at 58, Sejong-Daero, Jung-gu. Furthermore, it also offers laundry services, city views, free parking, laundry facilities, and family rooms, which is nice for first time visitors. Just 2.1 km from the city center, this fantastic hotel is a terrific choice. Having a kitchenette is a nice way for you to have some meals in the room, too. We found the price of this hotel to be a great value because the price is less than average for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Airport shuttle
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kitchenette
  • Laundry service
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


ibis Ambassador Seoul Insadong

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $86 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to Seoul
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.

The great guest rating of ibis Ambassador Seoul Insadong is 8.70 out of 10. This place has a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, parking, and laundry services. Prices for the terrific rooms are from $86, and it's located at 31, Samil-Daero 30-Gil, Jongno-gu. We also love the city views, laundry facilities, bicycle rental, a tour desk, and air-conditioning which are great for visitors. And since it's just 1.3 km from the center of the town, the location is great, too. The price of this hotel is less than average for first time trip hotels, which makes it a great value.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Parking
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Bicycle rental
  • Refrigerator


Hotel Loft

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $66 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • Family-Friendly

A cool place is Hotel Loft because it has great rooms that start at $66. It has room service, a restaurant, a bar, laundry services, and city views, it also earned a great guest rating of 8.60 out of 10 from people who have stayed here before. It's found at 72, Seonyudong 2-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu. Only 9.6 km from the city center, travelers will especially love a hot tub, free parking, laundry facilities, bicycle rental, and family rooms at this convenient hotel. Having a hot tub at this hotel is also a nice splurge. It's also less than the average price for first time trip hotels, so it's a great value.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


G Guesthouse Itaewon in Seoul - Hostel

Guest house with prices starting at $76 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for first time trip hotels.
  • Family-Friendly

G Guesthouse Itaewon in Seoul - Hostel offers a bar, rooms with kitchens, rooms with kitchenettes, laundry services, and city views which we really like. The terrific rooms here start at $76 (before taxes). It's located at 14-38, Bogwang-ro 60-Gil, Yongsan-gu and has earned a guest rating of 8.40/10. This fun hotel is also nice because it offers laundry facilities, bicycle rental, family rooms, a tour desk, and air-conditioning which new visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 3.7 km from the city center. And with the ability to cook your own meals in the kitchen, you can save money and time. It's a great value, too, because it's less than the average price for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Kitchen
  • Airport shuttle
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kitchenette
  • Laundry service
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Four Seasons Hotel Seoul

5-star Hotel with prices starting at $528 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to Seoul
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Heated pool

Located at 97, Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu, Four Seasons Hotel Seoul has great rooms from $528 (before taxes). It offers room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking. It has a terrific 9.30 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. You'll also find laundry services, golf, pet-friendly rooms, city views, and a hot tub which first time visitors will love. And this amazing hotel is just 2.2 km from the center of town. The indoor pool here is terrific, and makes for a great place to relax and have fun no matter what the weather is like.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Spa
  • Child pool
  • Indoor pool
  • Airport shuttle
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Heated pool
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room
  • Kids' club


Inno Hostel & Pub Lounge Hongdae

Hostel with prices starting at $32 (before taxes) - See All Prices
A Good Stay for Your First Trip
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 2-star hotels.

A great place to stay is Inno Hostel & Pub Lounge Hongdae which has nice rooms starting at $32. Offering a restaurant, a bar, rooms with kitchenettes, a game room, and a pool table, it also has a great guest rating of 8.30 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 37-7, World Cup-ro 8-gil, Mapo-gu. Visitors will really like this fantastic hotel which also offers evening entertainment, laundry facilities, bicycle rental, a tour desk, and air-conditioning. It's located just 7.7 km from the city center, too. We found the price of this hotel to be a great value because the price is less than average for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kitchenette
  • Game room
  • Bicycle rental
  • Refrigerator


Also, take a look at the first time trip hotels in nearby destinations: Seoul, Incheon, Seongnam, Suwon, and Cheonan.

For more terrific hotel ideas in Seoul, make sure you also see Best Family-Friendly Hotels in Seoul, Best Luxury Hotels in Seoul, Best Pet-Friendly Hotels in Seoul, Best Hotels for a Weekend Getaway in Seoul, Best Hotels for One Week in Seoul, Best Hotels for One Night in Seoul, Best Romantic Hotels for Couples in Seoul, Best Adults Only Hotels in Seoul, Best Party Hotels in Seoul, or Best Business Hotels in Seoul.


How much do hotels for first-time visitors cost in Seoul?

Seoul Average First Time Trip Hotel Price
$130

Travelers to Seoul, South Korea will have a large number of terrific first time trip accommodation options with a variety of great prices. The price of first time trip hotels here can vary by amenities, dates, and the neighborhood. Based on thorough data from 183 first time trip hotels, their average price is a very reasonable $130. If you're interested in more information about hotels here, see our guide to hotel prices in Seoul.

The average prices of our suggested first time trip hotels by star rating:

  • 5-star hotels: $279
  • 4-star hotels: $131
  • 3-star hotels: $94
  • 2-star hotels: $58


Budget Your Trip
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