A salmon-pink lobby floor and cosy rooftop bar lit with festoon lights – this property is no bland corporate stay. Its location near Hongik University puts you within strolling distance of cool cafés, while each of the 272 homey rooms provide a blissful space to work or relax in, with desks and gratis pour-over coffee sachets and face masks.

The time-poor traveller can easily squeeze rejuvenation in between meetings at this wellness-focused resort hotel, just east of Namsan Mountain Park. Choose a suite with an in-room pool for starters, then combine a corporate catch-up with a visit to the Banyan’s on-site driving range or tennis court. Finish your day with a single malt whisky at the tranquil Moon Bar on the 21st floor.

Japanese architects conceived of this oak-and-stone haven in the business district of Gangnam. The zen feeling is pervasive, from the granite-lined infinity pool that overlooks the city to the vinyl-listening bar serving izakaya-style Japanese. Got a client dropping by? The rooftop helipad is a convenient (albeit extravagant) way to make an entrance.

You don’t expect to find old-world wallpaper, clawfoot tubs and gilt-framed art among the offerings of Seoul’s boutique hotel set. Welcome to this 204-room, 19th-century-themed stay. Décor aside, it has the modern visitor in mind: a meeting space for 80 people; a private library for the exclusive use of suite guests; and in-room voice-activated assistance that controls lighting and housekeeping communications, and can even play city tour guide.

Seemingly away from everything on the edge of a mountain but, in reality, a 10-minute drive from the city centre and a short walk into buzzy Itaewon, the Grand Hyatt, opened in 1978, is the choice of world leaders. The past few American presidents, including Barack Obama, have stayed here. The 20-floor hotel doesn’t have the largest bedrooms but the floor-length windows with views of Mount Namsan or the city more than make up for that. The hotel’s new app acts like a personal concierge, offering restaurant tips and tourist information. 

It opened in the ’70s, becoming one of Seoul’s smartest hotels, then closed in 2013 for seven months to undergo a total revamp by American interior designer Peter Remedios. The Shilla may have fewer rooms now but they are more generous in size and clever in design, inspired by the craft of boatbuilding. The 23rd-floor executive lounge is an exceptional addition with an excellent library. There’s an overall calm and elegance to the hotel – even approaching it, up a long flight of temple-like stairs, induces a feeling of serenity. The artwork in the lobby is dramatic and includes a huge installation by award-winning Korean artist Seon-ghi Bahk, which he changes annually. Art is a focus all round; the nine-hectare Jangchungdan Park adjacent to the hotel has a sculpture garden featuring works by local and international artists.

In the heart of one of the liveliest parts of Seoul, the 141-room Hotel Cappuccino is an establishment with a cause. You can turn almost everything that you do at the hotel into a good deed: touch your room key against an elevator sensor to generate a charitable donation; give part of the proceeds of your meal to a safe-water organisation; put unwanted clothes in a box in the lobby... you get the picture. There’s nothing abstemious about the place, though – beds are custom-made, with some virtually squash-court-sized, while two particularly large rooms have their own terrace. There’s a women-only floor, a nifty shop in the foyer and access to a car-sharing service.

This 317-room hotel showcases art from renowned local artists throughout and its timber-screened ground-floor lounge with central fireplace is reminiscent of a traditional Korean house. But while the national flavour is evident, the hotel also has an international feel. One of its coolest spaces is a hidden subterranean bar that has the look and ambience of an old New York City speakeasy. Interiors are designed by global firm LTW Designworks, with spacious and well-appointed guestrooms each containing an iPad, umbrellas, a selection of books, thick bathrobes and customisable bedding with a choice of three different mattress toppers. Situated in the heart of Seoul, the Four Seasons is close to many international and Korean headquarters, and is within walking distance of the beautiful 14th-century Gyeongbokgung Palace.