Five-star Sogong-dong, City Hall, Seoul
The Westin Josun Seoul
Korea's oldest working hotel, opened in 1914 as the Chosen Hotel beside City Hall, with Deoksugung Palace and Myeongdong a short walk away.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- Rooms
- 462, including 38 suites
- Opened
- 10 October 1914; rebuilt 1970
- Restaurants
- Seven, among them Hong Yuan and Sushi Cho
- From the airport
- 56 km from Incheon, 25 km from Gimpo
The hotel
A hundred years at City Hall.
The Chosen Hotel opened on 10 October 1914, on the site of the Hwangudan altar in Sogong-dong. It had four storeys and 52 rooms, and it was the first hotel in the city with a lift, a French restaurant, a buffet and ice cream. After 1945 the US Army took it over, and General John R. Hodge lived there; President Syngman Rhee later changed its English name.
Building work on a new tower began in 1967, and in 1970 the hotel reopened with eighteen floors and 500 rooms. Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, Douglas MacArthur and Marilyn Monroe all stayed. The hotel celebrated its centenary in October 2014. Today it trades as a Westin under Marriott, with 462 rooms, and still stands between City Hall and Myeongdong, a few minutes from Deoksugung Palace.
- The Ninth Gate One of the oldest Western-style restaurants in Korea, now cooking contemporary American food.
- Sushi Cho Seasonal sushi and sake on the 20th floor.
- The old city on foot Deoksugung, City Hall and Myeongdong are close by, and Gwanghwamun and Gyeongbokgung are a short ride.
Rooms & suites
Rooms, suites and a club floor.
462 rooms, among them 36 one-bedroom and two two-bedroom suites, each with the Westin Heavenly Bed. The Westin Club lounge is on the 20th floor.
- Rooms Guest rooms Neutral tan and cream, with separate shower and bath and a Nespresso machine.
- Suites Renewal Suite On the 17th floor, in a pared-back Korean style with slate-grey stone and a hinoki tub.
Dining
Seven kitchens and a deli.
Restaurants as listed by the hotel. Shown for information.
- Hong Yuan Cantonese In the hotel
- Sushi Cho Japanese 20th floor
- RUBRICA Modern Italian In the hotel
- The Ninth Gate Contemporary American One of Korea's oldest Western restaurants
- Aria International buffet Ten live stations
- Lounge & Bar Afternoon tea, cocktails, whisky In the hotel
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Check-in from 3 pm, check-out by noon. The guest checking in must be at least 19.
- Children Welcome at any age; under-13s stay free in an existing bed. The pool is open to children from three.
- Pets Not accepted.
- Pool The City Athletic Club pool closes on the first Monday of each month.
Getting there
Flying to Seoul.
Incheon International is 56 kilometres away; the hotel runs a paid shuttle, to be booked ahead, and the drive takes about an hour by our estimate. Private jets land at Gimpo, through its business aviation centre, 25 kilometres from the hotel, 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.
- Is The Westin Josun the oldest hotel in Seoul?
- It is the oldest still trading in Korea. It opened in 1914 as the Chosen Hotel and was rebuilt as a tower in 1970.
- Does The Westin Josun Seoul hold a MICHELIN Key?
- No. It is not among the Seoul hotels with Keys in the 2026 selection.
- Is there an airport shuttle?
- From Incheon, yes, for a charge and by reservation. From Gimpo the hotel arranges a limousine on request.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Westin Josun 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.