Stay here: Four Seasons Hotel Seoul

There’s a reason the Four Seasons is one of the world’s premier luxury brands, and its Seoul outpost only reinforces this reputation. Towering over Jongno-gu district, the jet-black hotel is a modern marvel imbued with ancient notes. Moody, dark interiors echo its striking façade, while throughout the space 160 pieces of contemporary art are on display. But you’ll also find gentle nods to Seoul’s rich heritage – in the Market Kitchen, breakfast is served over glass floor panels that reveal remnants of historical architecture. There’s also a sprawling artisanal kimchi station. 

At the Four Seasons Spa, traditional Korean saunas, known as Jjimjilbangs, get an upgrade where multiple saunas and bathing pools offering ample opportunity for pampering. Even if you choose to spend your entire stay luxuriating in the five-star sanctuary, it’s impossible not to absorb the city’s intoxicating spirit.

Why stay?

Traditional hanok roofs and densely packed buildings spill across views from floor-to-ceiling windows in the Four Seasons’ rooms, barely disturbing the tranquil spaces. Over 300 airy and modern rooms, plushily furnished in muted tones, contrast the welcoming darkness of the hotel’s main areas. All in all, it makes for a welcome fortress of solitude from the hectic city beyond. South Korean touches are subtly woven into the interiors, with hand-painted ceramics and traditional motifs seamlessly integrated into the soft fabrics. 

While the hotel exudes timeless elegance, is stays attuned to the vibrant pulse of one of the trendiest cities in the world. Alongside the saunas, the spa is also where you can get personal colour analysis or K-Pop-ready nails. And there’s no shortage of culinary and bar experiences either – including Maru and hip spot Oul , where traditional Korean sool alcohol is ingeniously remixed into cocktails by head bartender Ike Ryu.  

At Oul, Seoul’s electrifying nightlife gets a nod with its neon sign along the back wall and shelves decked with soju, makgeolli and international spirits. Drinks like the makgeolli-based Milsu are a nostalgic twist on a milkshake, while others are loaded with complex flavours such as the Seoul Mule with garlic butter vodka and the K-Negroni shaken with a five-flavour omija berry gin. At Maru, cosy chairs and mesmerising sea-glass walls complement a menu themed around Korean cuisine you’ll find cooked at home, only better. Warming kimchi jjigae stew brings the heat with aged kimchi and moreish slabs of pork neck, alongside crowd pleasers like bibimpbap with an octopus twist.   

Cathay editors say… 

“Hidden behind a wall at the base of a flight of stairs, you’ll find the speakeasy Charles H . – a lavish cavern of dark wood, marble and warm lighting. Inspired by the travel writer Charles H. Baker, its menu spans from London’s gin-based rhubarb gimlets to Havana’s Mojito Colada. It’s everything a speakeasy should be: intimate, sultry, heaving with incredible cocktails and deserves its accolades as one of Asia’s Best Bars . If Polina’s making your drinks, you’re in good hands.”