Hotels in South Korea

Rooftop hotels in South Korea are, on this site, a Seoul story: a capital ringed by granite peaks and cut in two by the Han River, where the view from the roof changes completely from one district to the next. In Myeong-dong and around City Hall, terraces look up at N Seoul Tower on Namsan and across the palace roofs of Gyeongbokgung toward Bukhansan. South of the river, Gangnam and Jamsil rooftops face a denser wall of towers led by Lotte World Tower, and Itaewon terraces drop toward the Han and its lit bridges.

Seoul's rooftops come in many forms, from planted garden terraces to late-night lounges and calmer adults-only decks. The best months on the roof are April to June and September to October. The summer monsoon brings heavy rain from late June, and winter evenings are sharply cold, so many open terraces slow down then. Choose north of the river for palaces and Namsan, south for skyline and nightlife.