Dongdaemun

Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels and Residences

★★★★★

Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun is one of the best-value full-service hotels in central Seoul, and especially strong for families and longer stays. Opened in 2018 as Novotel's 500th hotel worldwide, it rises twenty-one floors near the Dongdaemun Design Plaza and combines 331 hotel rooms with 192 serviced residences, a hybrid that was a first for the brand. The residences add kitchens and in-room laundry facilities, ideal for families, groups or anyone staying a week or more, while the hotel rooms follow Novotel's contemporary, practical style with comfortable beds, work desks and good-sized bathrooms. The facilities are generous for the price. On the twentieth floor there is a naturally lit indoor swimming pool, a fitness center and a sauna, and on the roof an outdoor pool with city views, open in the warmer months to adults. Dining includes Food Exchange, the all-day restaurant with a buffet breakfast, the Gourmet Bar with a rooftop outpost, a lobby lounge, and a ground-floor cafe and bakery serving gelato. There is also a kids zone. The location is excellent for exploring the east of the old city. Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station, on Lines 2, 4 and 5, is about three minutes' walk; Zaha Hadid's DDP and the area's late-night fashion malls are about five minutes away; the Cheonggyecheon stream is a short walk north; and Gwangjang Market, Naksan Park and the Seoul City Wall are within a fifteen- to twenty-minute stroll.

Check the facility calendar when you book. The rooftop outdoor pool is seasonal and restricted to guests aged nineteen and over, and it closes for the winter at the start of November; the indoor pool, fitness center and kids zone close for maintenance on the first Tuesday of each month. Swim caps are required in the indoor pool. In line with Korean rules on disposable plastics, toiletries come in refillable dispensers and single-use items such as toothbrushes are not supplied, so pack your own.

Who is it for? Families, groups and longer-stay travelers who want space, kitchens and pools at a mid-range price; shoppers drawn to Dongdaemun's wholesale fashion malls; and anyone who prefers a neighborhood that stays lively at night. Couples will appreciate the rooftop bar and pools in summer. Parking is limited, so public transport is recommended.

Getting around is straightforward: three subway lines at the doorstep reach Myeongdong in two stops, the palaces in a short ride and Gangnam or Jamsil on Line 2 without changing. The airport limousine bus stops within a short walk, and a taxi to Incheon takes around an hour and twenty minutes in normal traffic.