Signiel Seoul Review: The Only Hanok Premier Room in the Hotel (Highest Korean-Style Room in South Korea)

Signiel Seoul holds 2 Michelin Keys, making it one of the first and only hotels in South Korea to achieve this distinction. It occupies floors 76 to 101 of Lotte World Tower, a 123-story skyscraper and the sixth tallest building in the world. This was our second stay here. The first was in 2022, when Vincent proposed to me in this hotel.

We wanted this visit to be special, so we found and booked a room that most travelers do not know exists.

---

The Korean Premier Room: What It Is and How to Book It

This is the only Hanok-style room in the entire hotel. It is also the highest floor traditional Korean-style room available anywhere in South Korea. There is only one of them.

It does not appear on any third-party booking platform. You will not find it on Booking.com, Agoda, Klook, or the Amex FHR portal. The only way to book it is through Signiel's official website or through a Korean travel agent.

We originally booked a Signiel Premier Double City View room with a scenic bath. Once we confirmed our reservation, we sent an email to Signiel's reservation team explaining that this hotel is meaningful to us because of the 2022 proposal. We asked if they could switch us to the Korean Premier room.

They said yes.

We were moved from the Premier City View to the Korean Premier Double River View with scenic bath, at a comparable price. This was not an upgrade. It was a room change at similar cost. They were kind enough to accommodate the request because we asked and explained our reason.

If this room interests you: Email Signiel's reservation team directly after booking. The room is not widely advertised. Ask politely, explain your reason for visiting, and request by name. There is no guarantee, but it is worth asking.

---

Room Tour (Room 9280)

First instruction before entering: take off your shoes. This is the most important rule in any Hanok space.

Living and sleeping area

The room is designed with traditional Korean aesthetics throughout. The walls use Hanji (traditional Korean rice paper) and the ceiling beams are exposed wood. The bed has a Korean art backdrop and mother of pearl design details, and there is a matching mother of pearl chair in the lounging corner.

A Korean traditional table sits in the lounging area. Macarons were provided as a special service for our anniversary (these are not standard for all guests).

The TV is not a smart TV and cannot stream YouTube or Netflix directly, but you can connect your own device via HDMI. A Yamaha speaker is provided for music.

A pillow menu is available. We requested both the Korean buckwheat hull pillow (traditional round shape, good for neck support) and the Bio Pillow (contains small temperature-regulating beads). Both were delivered at no charge.

The ondol (heated floor) control is built into the room. In winter this is the feature you will use constantly. The floor was warm throughout both nights.

One practical note: There are no standard electrical outlets at the bedside. USB charging only. This is a design limitation of the Hanok aesthetic. Bring a portable battery or use the desk outlet for anything requiring a plug.

Mini bar

• 2 complimentary water bottles
• Nespresso machine with exclusive Signiel 79 and Signiel 123 pods
• Truffle potato chips
• Wine available for purchase at 77,000 KRW
• Mini bar snacks available for purchase

No toothbrush or toothpaste are provided. Signiel has a green initiative and these have been removed from standard amenities. You can purchase them from the mini bar: toothpaste is 30,300 KRW and toothbrush is 22,000 KRW. It is not the most expensive branded toothpaste. Bring your own to avoid the cost.

There are no international outlets in this room specifically. The room was designed primarily for Korean guests, so only Korean outlets (220V, 110V) are available in the bathroom.

Closet and service area

• Spacious enough for full-size luggage
• Umbrella provided
• Robe (one set)
• Jewelry box (larger than most hotels provide, very useful)
• Laundry service
• Valet box: A dedicated compartment where you hang garments, press a button, and staff collect from outside without any in-person interaction. They return the pressed items the same way. Contactless and efficient.

Bathroom

The bathroom is the highlight of this room.

A wooden bathtub positioned facing the Hangang River is the centerpiece. The view from the tub looking out over the river and Seoul skyline is genuinely exceptional. The towels are monogrammed with room numbers.

The shower and tub share the same wet area, so there is no jumping between separate spaces. Signiel bath tea, bath salt, and a bath loofah are all provided. All amenities are Diptyque brand throughout: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, and more.

The shower has both a waterfall head and a handheld. The bidet has a full control panel with automatic blind controls as well.

Hair dryer: Tefal, not Dyson. Worth noting if you follow dryer specs.

---

Signiel's Two Michelin Key Status

Signiel Seoul and Signiel Busan are the first and only hotels in South Korea to receive 2 Michelin Keys. The building itself is also worth noting: Lotte World Tower has a Wall of Fame in the lobby listing the 8,820 people credited with building it, with over 5 million contributors across the six-year construction.

---

Dining

Signiel has multiple dining options. Here is the breakdown:

Breakfast at Stay (81st Floor)

Breakfast at Stay is only available on weekends and holidays (not weekdays). Two time slots: 6:30-8:00am or 8:10-10:00am. They ask at check-in which slot you prefer. The time slots are strictly enforced: staff reminded us at 7:50am that the first seating was ending.

Recommendation: Go early in your slot.

Eggs are made to order (omelette, scrambled, or fried). Coffee is also made to order. The spread has a strong Korean influence alongside Western options.

Standout dishes: bulgogi (excellent, flavorful, not too sweet) and the beef porridge (rich and warming, very good). The Korean influence in the breakfast buffet sets this apart from a standard Western hotel breakfast.

We invited my mom to join us and paid 70,000 KRW for her to attend alongside our FHR-covered two-person breakfast.

Afternoon Tea at R81

We used our $100 FHR food and beverage credit for the afternoon tea at R81. This is available at the lounge and requires advance reservation. Three years ago we visited without a reservation and missed it entirely. This time we booked ahead.

The presentation was exceptional. We were also given a happy anniversary mini cake and individual pastries. The shine muscat dessert was a highlight. The R81 afternoon tea is genuinely one of the nicest we have had at any hotel.

We have a dedicated video for the afternoon tea experience on the channel.

Dinner: Kudoshik BBQ (Area Restaurant)

We chose to eat outside the hotel for dinner. The Jamsil area around Lotte World Tower has excellent dining options and you do not need to stay on property for every meal.

We ate at Kudoshik, an award-winning BBQ restaurant that has earned multiple blue ribbons. The meal was exceptional.

The restaurant's pairing approach stood out: they suggested combining dry bulgogi with salt and eating with a fresh leaf wrap, and pairing the fatty cuts with wasabi or Korean radish kimchi wraps (Buseong chip). This is a specific and thoughtful way to approach Korean BBQ and it elevated every bite.

The meat melted in our mouths. The green onion pairing on the fatty cut was the best combination of the meal. Highly recommend this restaurant if you are in the Jamsil area.

Other dining options near Lotte World Tower: Sungnydangki Street (very famous local food street), Pangidong Bokjagol gourmet area (known for drinking and eating), Lotte Mall food floor, Lotte World Tower basement shopping and food courts, and yes, a 7-Eleven in the building if you just need snacks.

---

Hotel Amenities

Salon de Signiel (Lounge for All Guests)

Open to all hotel guests (13 and older only). No club room required. Service windows:

• Refreshments: 7:00am to 10:00am and 2:00pm to 4:00pm
• Evening delights (includes alcohol): 5:00pm to 8:00pm

What was available on our visit: Jeju tangerine, banana, seaweed chips, potato chips, kushi balls, choco Madeleine, Halabong cookie, champagne, sparkling wine, cheese sticks. An IMAX machine is also available for guests to use.

Pool and Fitness (85th Floor)

• Gym: Very spacious, full range of machines, city views from cardio equipment. Clothes and shoes provided in the locker room. Included.
• Pool (85th floor): One lap pool plus Jacuzzi and lounging chairs with panoramic views. Included.
• Sauna: Cold bath, hot bath, steam sauna, dry sauna options available. 44,000 KRW per use. Previously included but changed after COVID. Worth knowing if you were comparing to a past visit.
• Fitness and spa closed on the last Wednesday of each month.

---

Complimentary Services Worth Knowing

Welcome tea: Must be requested. It is not automatically delivered anymore. Call down and request it. You will receive traditional Korean tea with paired dessert. A unique experience and absolutely worth asking for.

Garment pressing: 2 pieces per stay (not 2 pieces per night). Plan accordingly. We used our two pieces on the first night and could not press anything on the second.

Turn down service: Available 6pm to 9pm. Call to book a time slot as availability varies. The service is room organization only: slippers placed properly, towels arranged, bed prepared. No special dessert included.

WiFi speed: 413 Mbps. Excellent.

---

Amex FHR Checklist

Note on the Korean Premier room and FHR: The Korean Premier room is not available through the FHR portal or any third-party platform. We booked through FHR in a standard room category first, then contacted the reservation team directly to request the switch. The $100 credit and all other FHR benefits still applied normally after the room change.

---

Our Verdict

The Korean Premier room is something genuinely special, and the combination of the Hanok design, the wooden bathtub with the Hangang River view, and being at that height made this one of the most memorable hotel stays we have had. The breakfast at Stay, the afternoon tea at R81, and dinner at Kudoshik made the overall trip exceptional.

Signiel's service is consistently warm and personal. The anniversary recognition (handwritten letter at check-in, mini cake at breakfast) was not asked for. They just did it.

If you are planning a special trip to Seoul: Email the reservation team, explain your situation, and ask about the Korean Premier room. You have nothing to lose by asking.