Gwanghwamun and Jongno

Shilla Stay Gwanghwamun

★★★★★

Shilla Stay is the mid-priced brand of the group behind The Shilla Seoul, one of Korea's most respected luxury hotels, and the Gwanghwamun property delivers much of that polish at a fraction of the price. Opened in late 2015 on Sambong-ro in Jongno, it has 338 rooms in a modern tower a few blocks north of the Cheonggyecheon stream, in the heart of the historic downtown. The location is the main draw. Gwanghwamun Square and the gates of Gyeongbokgung are a short walk north-west, Insadong and Jogyesa are just to the east, Bukchon is a walk or quick taxi away, and if you cross the stream and continue south you reach Euljiro and Myeongdong in about fifteen minutes. Several subway stations, including Gwanghwamun on Line 5 and Jonggak on Line 1, are within walking distance. The rooms are typical of the brand: clean-lined and quietly elegant, with comfortable beds, good blackout curtains, efficient bathrooms and a business-like but restful design, and they are generally a little more spacious than in the city's budget hotels. Higher floors look out across the downtown towers toward the mountains. Facilities are deliberately limited — this is a select-service hotel — but well done: an all-day restaurant serving a popular buffet breakfast, a fitness room, a business corner and meeting rooms. What guests praise most consistently is the service, which carries the Shilla group's reputation for professionalism, and the sense of calm in a busy part of the city.

The hotel suits first-time visitors who want to walk to the main historic sights, business travelers working in the downtown towers, and couples or friends who want a reliable, comfortable base without paying luxury prices. Families can book twin and family-friendly room types, though space is not extravagant. There is no pool or spa; for those, the flagship Shilla on Namsan or the Four Seasons nearby are the upgrades.

In the evening, the Cheonggyecheon stream, a few minutes' walk south, is a lovely lit walk, and the pojangmacha tents, barbecue restaurants and old alley pubs of Jongno and Euljiro are a few minutes away; Euljiro's retro bars, tucked into old print-shop buildings, are one of the city's best nightlife discoveries. Gwangjang Market is reachable on foot along the stream.

Airport limousine buses stop in the Gwanghwamun area, and the AREX train to Seoul Station is a short taxi ride. Book the buffet breakfast if it is not included in your rate; it is good value and saves time on palace mornings. The hotel's parking is underground, though public transport is easier downtown.