Five-star Namsan, Seoul
Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul
A members' club and resort on the slopes of Namsan, in a 1960s hotel rebuilt by Banyan Tree, with relaxation pools in the rooms and the city centre is four kilometres away.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- Opened
- 2010
- Building
- The former Tower Hotel of 1967
- Rooms
- From 49 square metres, with relaxation pools
- From the airport
- About 30 minutes from Gimpo
The hotel
A resort on the side of Namsan.
The Tower Hotel went up on the slopes of Namsan in 1967, built to commemorate the Korean War. Banyan Tree took it over four decades later, and its own design studio, Architrave, rebuilt it with two further buildings, The Club and The Festa. Members were using the club by April 2010, and the hotel had opened to guests by June. The rooms were themed on the five elements: water, fire, metal, wood and earth.
It was the group's first resort in a city to double as a private members' club, so much of the place, from the ice rink and tennis courts to the golf range, is shared between members and hotel guests. Namsan Park's walking trails start next door, N Seoul Tower stands above, and Myeongdong is about ten minutes away by taxi.
- A pool in the room The pool rooms and suites each have an indoor relaxation pool, with a view of the city or the mountain.
- Korean bathhouse Three pools at different temperatures, a herbal sauna, an aroma steam room and an ice fountain, next to the Banyan Tree Spa.
- Outdoor pool A pool in the open air with private cabanas, busy in the summer months.
Rooms & suites
City or Namsan, with water by the bed.
Rooms run from about 49 square metres to the Presidential Suite of about 300, and face the city or the green slopes of Namsan.
- Pool rooms Deluxe Pool 50 to 56 square metres, high up in the hotel building on the fourteenth to seventeenth floors, with a relaxation pool and a view of the city or Namsan.
- Suites Grand Premier Pool Suite 96 to 105 square metres on the eleventh and twelfth floors, with a relaxation pool. There are four.
- Signature suite Presidential Suite 279 to 300 square metres, with a relaxation pool and views across Seoul and Namsan.
Dining
European, Korean and a bar with a view.
Restaurants as listed by the hotel. Shown for information.
- Festa by Choonghu Contemporary European Chef Choonghu Lee, with views of Namsan
- Granum Dining Lounge International Seasonal menus, breakfast to dinner
- The Club Member's Restaurant Korean and Asian Overlooking the gardens
- Moon Bar Bar Views over Seoul and Namsan, from 6 pm
Recognition
Awards and listings.
- DestinAsian Readers' Choice Awards, Best Hotels in South Korea 2023 and 2026
- Forbes Travel Guide Recommended, 2026
- EarthCheck Silver certified, 2024
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Check-in from 3 pm, check-out by 11 am.
- Club Many facilities are shared with club members. Hours change with the season, so ask before you arrive.
Getting there
Flying to Seoul.
Gimpo, which also handles private jets at its business aviation centre, is about 30 minutes away by car according to the hotel. Incheon International, for long-haul flights, is about an hour, traffic permitting.
- Shanghai 1 h 30
- Tokyo 1 h 55
- Hong Kong 3 h 05
- Singapore 6 h 25 long-range jet
- London 12 h 05 long-range jet
Questions
What guests ask first.
- Do the rooms at Banyan Tree Seoul have a pool?
- Yes. The pool rooms and suites each have an indoor relaxation pool, from the Deluxe Pool rooms up to the Presidential Suite.
- How far is Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul from the airport?
- About 30 minutes by car from Gimpo and about an hour from Incheon International, traffic permitting.
- Is Banyan Tree Seoul a members' club?
- Partly. It opened as Banyan Tree's first city resort combined with a membership club, and hotel guests share many of the facilities with members.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Seoul?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Seoul, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Also in Seoul
Other hotels worth the trip.
- Four Seasons Hotel Seoul Rooms that look straight onto the palace grounds, Yu Yuan with one star, and two Keys since 2026.
- SIGNIEL Seoul High in the 101-storey Lotte World Tower, with Bicena and its star on the 81st floor.
- The Shilla Seoul On the slopes of Namsan among gardens, with La Yeon and its two stars on the 23rd floor.
- Fairmont Ambassador Seoul A marble staircase in the lobby, the Han River and The Hyundai Seoul close by.
- Josun Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Seoul Gangnam Art Deco lines south of the river, and Eatanic Garden with one star in the building.
- Park Hyatt Seoul Ten rooms to a floor across 24 storeys opposite COEX, with the lobby at the very top.
- Conrad Seoul Opened in 2012 inside the IFC complex, with 434 rooms and a 25-metre indoor pool.
- Grand Hyatt Seoul Below Namsan since 1978, with 615 rooms, an ice rink and JJ Mahoney's, a club since 1988.
- The Grand Lotte Seoul The former Lotte Hotel Seoul took this name in August 2026 after a refit of its main tower; Pierre Gagnaire cooks on the 35th floor of the Executive Tower.
- The Westin Josun Seoul Opened in 1914 as the Chosen Hotel on the site of the Hwangudan altar and rebuilt in 1970, it is the oldest hotel still trading in Korea.
- Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas Linked to Samseong station and COEX since 1988, with its rooms refitted in 2020.
- Sofitel Ambassador Seoul Hotel & Serviced Residences Built in 2021 by Seokchon Lake, where some rooms look across the water to the Lotte World Tower.
- JW Marriott Hotel Seoul Above the Express Bus Terminal since 2000; the sauna runs on hot spring water found during the building works.
- Andaz Seoul Gangnam Hyatt's first Andaz in Korea, 241 rooms on the site of an old KT telecom office, open since 2019.
- Grand Walkerhill Seoul A 1963 resort hotel on the eastern edge of the city, its rooms facing the Han River or Achasan.
- Hotel Naru Seoul MGallery Korea's first MGallery, opened in 2022 with 196 rooms looking over the Han River to Bamseom, and an infinity pool facing the water.
- Vista Walkerhill Seoul Built in 2004 as Asia's first W hotel and renamed in 2017, it has an indoor pool above the Han River and an 800-year-old olive tree in the lobby.
- Mondrian Seoul Itaewon The Capital Hotel of 1988 became the first Mondrian in Asia in 2020; 295 rooms, and a pool and lounge on the fifth floor.
- The Westin Seoul Parnas Opened in 1999 as the InterContinental Seoul COEX and reopened under the Westin name in September 2025, with 564 rooms by Bongeunsa temple.
Staying at Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Seoul, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.