JW Marriott Hotel Seoul

Gangnam's Landmark, Reworked Room by Room

When the JW Marriott Hotel Seoul opened in 2000, it set a new scale for the Gangnam district; by 2018, at eighteen years old, it needed more than a refresh. The hotel closed for eight months and reopened with Bruno Moinard, the French designer behind Cartier flagships, overseeing the public spaces, American firm Olson Kundig reworking the interiors with natural materials, and Korean studio Kesson taking on the 379 guestrooms. Rather than chase a trend, the renovation leaned into what the hotel always had: direct access to a subway interchange, a connection into Shinsegae Department Store, and room to build something genuinely large-scale.

Why It Works

We selected this hotel because the 2018 renovation treated scale as an asset rather than a problem to disguise: seven restaurants, a three-floor fitness club, and 1,460 square metres of event space all still function at full capacity, now wrapped in grey and taupe palettes, hardwood floors, and a photo wall built around local artist Seungsang Park. The guestrooms carry marble bathrooms with deep soaking tubs and settees, and two multi-level penthouses sit above 32 suites, giving the property genuine range between a single night and an extended corporate stay.

Why This Location

The hotel sits in Seocho-gu, directly linked to three Seoul Metro lines and Shinsegae Department Store's flagship branch, in the stretch of Gangnam built around the old Express Bus Terminal. It favours guests who want to walk straight from arrival into the city rather than cross it by taxi, with duty-free shopping, dining, and transit all reachable without stepping outside. It is a hotel built around a transport hub rather than a skyline view, and it uses that position deliberately.

Fast Facts

• Gamme: Luxe, cinq étoiles

• Vibe: Landmark business hotel, renovated into a warmer, design-led scale

• Chambres: 379 chambres, dont 32 suites et deux penthouses

• Best For: Travellers who want direct transit and department-store access with five-star scale

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: The three-floor fitness club with its private jogging track

• Dining: The Margaux Grill, Tamayura (kaiseki, sushi, teppanyaki), Flavors, Patisserie and Cafe One, MOBO Bar

• Amenities: Indoor pool with glass ceiling, three-floor fitness club, Executive Lounge, spa

• Attractions: Shinsegae Department Store, Express Bus Terminal transit hub, Gangnam district

Three Designers, One Renovation

The 2018 renovation split its brief three ways rather than handing it to a single studio. Bruno Moinard, known for Cartier's flagship boutiques, took the public spaces and pushed for warmth over formality; Olson Kundig brought in natural materials to soften the interiors; and Casappo & Associates built Tamayura's dining room around earthy wood to match its Japanese menu. The result reads less like a single designer's statement and more like a building that was allowed to have several good ideas at once, which is rarer in a hotel this size than it sounds.

Seven Restaurants, from Fire-Grilled to Kaiseki

Few hotels in Seoul run a dining program this wide without diluting any single part of it. The Margaux Grill serves flame-grilled fare overlooking a European-style garden, Tamayura covers kaiseki, sushi, and teppanyaki, and Flavors handles all-day buffets down to a raw bar and ramen counter. Patisserie and Cafe One takes care of breakfast and sweets, and MOBO Bar closes the day on a terrace built for cocktails. Seven distinct venues under one roof means guests can treat the hotel as a destination rather than a base to leave each evening.

A Fitness Club Built Like a Resort

The three-floor fitness club goes well past a treadmill room: an 85-metre jogging track circles part of the complex, and guests can book an indoor golf zone, squash and basketball courts, or a scuba diving pool alongside the more expected sauna and jacuzzi. The indoor pool sits under a glass ceiling that lets in real daylight, a small detail that matters in a city where most hotel pools are windowless. It is the kind of facility that turns a one-night business stay into a reason to add an extra day.