The Grand Lotte Seoul

Location & getting around

The Grand Lotte Seoul — also listed as Lotte Hotel Seoul — sits on Euljiro 1-ga Station: the hotel’s own information sheet gives Line 2 Exit 8 as a one-minute walk. Myeongdong’s main shopping street is 250m away, Myeongdong itself 420m, and Cheonggyecheon stream 470m, all in a straight line. The Namsan cable car is 1km away and Changgyeonggung Palace 2.1km. A convenience store sits 130m from the door and a pharmacy 290m.

Jonggak Station is a further 580m, giving you a second line. Two reviews mention the subway entrance being directly outside, and two mention the airport limousine bus stopping in front of the hotel.

Gimpo Airport is 15.9km away and Incheon 48.5km. The property quotes around 100 minutes for the airport run. Being in the middle of the city means the distance is short but the time is not — worth factoring in for an early departure or a late arrival.

Rooms & occupancy

Opened in 1979 and 868 rooms across two buildings. The two were built and refitted at different times — the Main Tower’s standard rooms carry a “Renovated on August 14, 2026” label on the hotel site, while the Executive Tower is a 1988 building reopened after a full rebuild in September 2018. One review describes the refit as clean, with no noise carrying between rooms.

One thing to check before booking. The hotel is split into a Main Tower and an Executive Tower. Actual stay records show rooms in both. Executive Tower plans include Le Salon lounge access on some rates, while the Main Tower shows Deluxe Suite and Superior Suite Family Twin configurations. They share a hotel name but they are not the same product. If you do not check the tower and the lounge inclusion on the booking screen, you can end up with a room quite different from the one you pictured.

The hotel’s own pages set the two out like this:

	Main Tower	Executive Tower
Building	1979 original, 590 rooms; standard rooms renovated August 2026	1988 building, rebuilt and reopened September 2018, 278 rooms
Standard room size	Grand Superior 24.8–30.7 sqm, Grand Deluxe 36.8–46 sqm	Grand Deluxe 38–42 sqm, Premier 57–63 sqm
Lounge	Club Lounge (on “Club Lounge access” rates)	Le Salon, 16th floor (all ages); La Cime, 34th floor (13 and over)
Lounge plan includes	—	Breakfast buffet 06:30–10:00, afternoon tea 15:00–17:00, happy hour 18:00–20:00
Check-in	Main lobby	Own reception on the 15th floor; rooms on floors 17–34
Family room for three	Grand Deluxe Family Twin 36.8–46 sqm; Superior Suite Family Twin 57.7 sqm	Grand Deluxe Family Twin 42 sqm (10 rooms); Premier Family Twin 63 sqm (5 rooms)
Fits	A family or a room-only stay that wants the newest standard rooms at the larger scale	A lounge-based stay — breakfast, tea and drinks upstairs — or a couple wanting the newer building

Two details change the choice for families. La Cime admits guests aged 13 and over only, so a La Cime plan with younger children means the lounge is off the table for them; Le Salon is open to all ages, with an adult required during the alcohol service. And if you are weighing a Main Tower Club Lounge access rate, confirm with the hotel that the lounge is open and what access includes before paying for it.

Both towers list City View as standard. A Namsan Tower view can be requested at check-in for an additional charge, subject to availability — three reviews mention getting one, each after an upgrade or a request, so do not count on it from the base rate.

Children aged 2 to 12 stay free. Families with children rate it 9.0 on average, families with infants 8.7.

One review of a suite-grade room describes two toilets and two basins, with the bathtub and shower separated. That applies to the upper types rather than standard rooms, so do not read it as the baseline.

Facilities

There is a pool, a fitness centre, an executive lounge, restaurants, a bar and lounge, a coffee shop, banquet rooms, shops and a business centre, plus an on-site golf facility. The hotel’s FAQ puts the fitness centre on the 4th floor and says the indoor pool is complimentary for staying guests, with children under 14 to be accompanied by an adult.

Breakfast reviews well. It is a buffet, and guests describe Japanese, Western, Korean and Chinese dishes served together — abalone porridge among them. The hotel’s buffet restaurant is La Seine — confirm the breakfast venue on the rate you book. If you eat a real breakfast, the inclusive rate is worth pricing out, and on an Executive Tower lounge plan breakfast is already in the lounge.

On in-room provision, one review mentions bottled water and capsule coffee and notes that Japanese-style plugs worked without an adapter. Two reviews mention Japanese-speaking staff.

Two things to weigh. Rate comes up in one review — the facilities and service satisfied, but the price is the reason it would not be an automatic repeat. And at 868 rooms the lobby and lifts have busy periods. If you want a small, quiet property, this is a different kind of hotel.

Compared & alternatives

Against L7 Myeongdong in the same district, the difference is grade and scale. L7 is a 251-room four-star sitting 110m from a station, with no bathtub and no pool. This is 868 rooms with a pool, a lounge and a golf facility — at a higher rate.

If you will actually use the facilities, this one; if you are only sleeping there, L7 prices better. Dormy Inn Seoul Gangnam is a different district entirely, so decide first whether your days happen north of the river. A district-by-district comparison sits in Where to Stay in Seoul.

Bottom line

A large hotel on Euljiro 1-ga Station, near Myeongdong, with the facilities to match. The hotel gives Exit 8 as a one-minute walk; the shopping street and a convenience store are 250m and 130m away in a straight line. The Main Tower’s refit dates from August 2026, and one review so far describes it as clean and quiet.

The decision that matters here is not the star rating but which tower you book. Lounge plans, breakfast venue and family rooms all change with the tower, so that is the first thing to confirm on the booking screen.