Blog Post Type: Summary of a City Guide

Seoul is a soulful city. Like most megacities in the world, Seoul is homogeneous, peopled, and future-oriented. For a discerning traveler, you can see the many contrasts around. What makes Seoul soulful then? It is this very reality: posh cars and motorcycles share the same road, fashionable and shabby Seoulites walk the same the street, behind the high-rises are a labyrinth of alleyways crowded with a hodge-podge of stores.

When you find yourself soul-searching in Seoul, choose from these five boutique hotels among the many affordable hotels in Seoul. Go ahead. Book. Indulge.

Photo by Alicia Tay via Trover.com

The Plaza Hotel: Where Ingenuity and Sensuality Marry

The Plaza Hotel breaks the clinical rigidity common among big hotel chains and embraces the playful and sensual ingenuity of boutique hotels.  Entrusted in the hands of the renowned Italian interior designer Guido Ciompi, the Plaza Hotel is confident that guests love its new look. True to his trademark, Ciompi plays with distinct patterns, colors, and texture to come up with something harmonious and exquisite. Expect excellent personalized service, beautiful decor, and a convenient location for business meetings.

IP Boutique Hotel: A Lovely Place in Itaewon

Located in Itaewon, one of the trendiest places in Seoul nowadays, IP Boutiqe Hotel perfectly belongs to its neighborhood. Located near a military base, Itaewon houses a diverse culture and traditions. It is where you can experience and feel various cultures in a rather homogeneous city like Seoul. And one of these diversities is IP Boutique Hotel. What makes this hotel adorable is the little quirky things you can find inside: Marilyn Monroe décor, sneakers in stencils, a butterfly—little things.

Hotel La Casa: A Design Hotel in Sinsa-dong

Located in Sinsa-dong, a neighborhood that has made a name in the travel industry for its quaint cafes, trendy boutiques, and interesting people, Hotel La Casa is the perfect place to explore this side of Seoul.  With its hip interior, well-thought-out details, and clean edges, this hotel fits in its quirky neighborhood. Hotel La Casa is a hotel run and opened by Casamia, furniture and home décor company in Korea. All products used and displayed by the hotel come from its mother company.

Hotel The Designers Samseong: The Ultimate “It”

A room with The Beatle’s Abbey Road poster, a dream room of a book lover, a room with graffitied walls, a room with a tree, a room with tricky line patterns. Yes, these are rooms in  Hotel the Designers Samseong. This hotel is an attraction itself. It makes you desire to stay in all rooms, because each elicits a different feel and atmosphere. This must be one of the few hotels that exhausted all creative juices to come up with something entirely unique and creative.

Tria Hotel: The Joy at Teheran Road

Tria Hotel, situated in Seoul’s version of Sillicon Valley, Teheran Road, merges sensation, comfort, originality, and joy in its interior design. Its rooms appeal to discerning travelers and businesspeople alike. One striking characteristic of its rooms is the economic use of lines. Everything has smooth edges, making the room look bigger, spacious, and very comfortable.

Some say, you need to travel to find your soul. And perhaps, the best destination to finding it is a trip to Seoul.

Jona of Backpacking with a Book

Hi there, I’m Jona, originally from Cebu, Philippines, had live in Hanoi, Vietnam, and now currently based in Munich, Germany. This blog used to house thoughts on life and books, but eventually it morphed into a travel blog. For collaborations, projects, and other things, please email me at backpackingwithabook@gmail.com. For essays, creative nonfiction, and others, find me elsewhere.

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