Five-star Gwangjin, eastern Seoul, Seoul
Vista Walkerhill Seoul
A blue glass tower at the foot of Achasan, over the Han River on the eastern edge of Seoul, with an 800-year-old olive tree standing in the lobby.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- Building
- 14 floors
- Opened
- August 2004, as W Seoul Walkerhill
- Renamed
- April 2017
- From the airport
- About 28 km from Gimpo
The hotel
From W to Vista.
The hotel opened on 20 August 2004 as W Seoul Walkerhill, the first W in Asia, inside the Walkerhill resort on the slopes of Achasan. Its blue glass tower of fourteen floors stands over the Han River on the eastern edge of the city, far enough out for open views and calm nights. The older Grand Walkerhill, opened in 1963, is a short walk away, and guests can use its restaurants too.
In April 2017 it reopened after a renovation as Vista Walkerhill Seoul. The plant hunter Seijun Nishihata brought an 800-year-old olive tree from Sicily for the lobby, where the artists Kimchi and Chips built a light and sound piece around its trunk. He also planted SKYYARD, a roof garden with footbaths looking over the river. Rooms face either the river or the mountain.
- The olive tree Eight hundred years old and brought from Sicily, it stands in the lobby inside a media work called Another Side of Time.
- SKYYARD A roof garden of unusual plants by Seijun Nishihata, with footbaths over the Han River.
- Pools An indoor pool above the river and an outdoor pool in the warmer months, with separate pools for adults and children.
Dining
Japanese, Italian and a long bar.
Restaurants and bars as described in the press. Shown for information.
- Moegi Japanese In the hotel
- Del Vino Italian Views over the Han River; breakfast is served here
- Re:Bar Lounge bar An 18-metre bar on the site of the old Woo Bar
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Check-in from 3 pm, check-out by 11 am. The guest checking in must be at least 19.
- Pets Not accepted.
- Outdoor pool Open in season, and only included with room packages that name a pool ticket. The indoor pool, gym and sauna close on the second Wednesday of each month.
- Getting about Gwangnaru station, exit 2, is the nearest metro.
Getting there
Flying to Seoul.
Incheon International is about 59 kilometres away in a straight line; allow an hour and a quarter or more by car, our estimate, as the hotel is on the far side of the city. Private jets land at Gimpo, through its business aviation centre, about 28 kilometres west, or roughly 50 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 Vista Walkerhill the old W Seoul?
- Yes. It opened in 2004 as W Seoul Walkerhill, the first W in Asia, and reopened as Vista Walkerhill Seoul in April 2017.
- Is it in central Seoul?
- No. It sits at the foot of Achasan on the eastern edge of the city, beside the Han River. Central Seoul is a short metro or bus ride away.
- Which airport suits a private jet?
- Gimpo, which has a business aviation centre with its own customs and immigration, about 28 kilometres from the hotel.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Vista Walkerhill 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.