Five-star One MICHELIN Key Namsan, Seoul
The Shilla Seoul
Samsung's hotel on the slopes of Namsan, behind the old city wall, with a sculpture garden, a year-round outdoor pool and La Yeon on the 23rd floor.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- MICHELIN
- One Key, 2026
- Rooms
- 464, including 38 suites
- Opened
- March 1979
- Restaurant
- La Yeon, two MICHELIN stars
The hotel
The state guest house on Namsan.
The Shilla opened in March 1979 on the order of Lee Byung-chul, the founder of Samsung, on ground that had served as the government's state guest house under Park Chung Hee. The name recalls the ancient kingdom of Shilla and its arts. Yeong Bin Gwan, an annex built in the 1970s in the manner of a Korean palace, still stands in the grounds and is much sought after for weddings.
The hotel sits behind the medieval city wall on the slopes of Namsan, with Jangchungdan park next door and a sculpture garden of about four hectares. In 2013 it closed for seven months while Peter Remedios redesigned the interiors, and reopened on 1 August with Urban Island, the first outdoor pool in Seoul open all year, and the Shilla-Sitaras fitness centre. Samsung still owns the hotel.
- La Yeon Korean cooking on the 23rd floor, with two MICHELIN stars in the Seoul 2026 guide.
- Urban Island The outdoor pool, children's pool and roof garden on the third floor, with moonlight swimming in the warmer months.
- Sculpture garden About four hectares of gardens and sculpture on the hillside, beside the old city wall and Jangchungdan park.
Rooms & suites
From city rooms to a presidential floor.
426 rooms and 38 suites, most looking over Namsan or the city. Executive guests use a lounge with a library on the top floor.
- Rooms Deluxe and Business Deluxe 36 to 43 square metres, in marble and dark wood, with views of Namsan or the city.
- Suites Royal Suite and Shilla Suite 124 and 159 square metres. The Shilla Suite has a dining room for ten, a kitchenette, a sauna and a bath facing Namsan.
- Signature suite Presidential Suite About 281 square metres with two bedrooms, looking over both the city and the mountain.
Dining
La Yeon and four kitchens.
Restaurants as listed by the hotel; the stars are from the MICHELIN Guide Seoul 2026. Shown for information.
- La Yeon Two Michelin stars Korean 23rd floor
- Continental Classic French 23rd floor
- Palsun Chinese Eleven private dining rooms
- Ariake Japanese A dining room designed by Ueki Kanji
- The Parkview All-day dining Lobby level, beside the garden
- The Library Lounge and bar Live jazz in the evening
Recognition
Awards and listings.
- One MICHELIN Key 2026
- Forbes Travel Guide Five stars, 2026
- La Yeon Two MICHELIN stars, Seoul 2026
Good to know
Before you go.
- Pools The indoor pool is for guests aged 13 and over, except at weekends and on holidays, when younger children may swim with an adult. Urban Island carries a charge unless it is in your package.
- Pets Not accepted.
- Getting about A free shuttle runs to Dongguk University station, Myeongdong and Dongdaemun.
Getting there
Flying to Seoul.
Incheon International is about 61 kilometres away; allow an hour or more by car, our estimate. Private jets land at Gimpo, through its business aviation centre, about 20 kilometres to the west, or around 40 minutes by our estimate.
- 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.
- How many MICHELIN Keys does The Shilla Seoul have?
- One. The Shilla Seoul holds one MICHELIN Key in the 2026 selection for Korea.
- Is La Yeon inside the hotel?
- Yes. La Yeon is on the 23rd floor, next to Continental, and holds two MICHELIN stars in the Seoul 2026 guide.
- Is the outdoor pool open in winter?
- Sources differ. Urban Island opened in 2013 as the first year-round outdoor pool in Seoul, while Forbes Travel Guide lists it as open from spring to autumn. We confirm the dates with the hotel before booking.
- 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.
- 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.
- Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul Rooms and suites on the side of Namsan, most of them with their own relaxation pool.
- 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 The Shilla 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.