Novotel Ambassador Seoul Yongsan: Good Location To Do It All

Back in March, I won a weekend staycation from the Korean beauty brand COSRX to stay in the new Novotel Ambassador Seoul Yongsan. Who doesn’t want to win a hotel stay in Seoul, Korea!? I was excited to say the least.

The Novotel Ambassador is one of four hotels in the Seoul Dragon City (서울드래곤시티) lifestyle hotel-plex in centrally located Yongsan, Seoul. I’m often asked for the best areas in Seoul to stay by incoming tourists and I really think this Yongsan is up there. From here you can easily reach Seoul Station, go further to the palaces and historical districts, but also go right down to the Han River and places south of the river. If you want to get everywhere while you’re in Seoul, stay in Yongsan!

Novotel Ambassador Seoul Yongsan, Seoul, Korea: Travel With COSRX

Looking for a family friendly hotel in downtown Seoul? This just might be the one for you:

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The Hotels

Seoul Dragon City is home to four different AccorHotels brands that cater to every traveler from the economy seeker to luxury adventurer. There are eleven restaurants and bars, seventeen meeting rooms, and four floors of entertainment in a Sky Bridge that is suspended between two of the towers. There are over 1,700 rooms in total between four different hotels, which is just massive. Plenty of space to spread out, enjoy the view and have some fun.

The hotel options are:

Grand Mercure Ambassador Seoul Yongsan: Designed for families and long stay guests, there are 202 upscale serviced residences.
- Book a stay here on Booking.com or on Agoda.com
Novotel Suites Ambassador Seoul Yongsan: Great for long-stay business and leisure guests, there are 286 spacious suites with an ergonomic design perfect for one to four guests.
- Book a stay here on Booking.com or on Agoda.com
Novotel Ambassador Seoul Yongsan: For the business and leisure guests looking for a comfortable stay, there are 621 rooms with a simple, modern design perfect for solo travelers and families.
- Book a stay here on Booking.com or on Agoda.com
ibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Yongsan: 591 colorful and bold rooms with personality are perfect for business or leisure groups, friends and frequent travelers looking for all-inclusive rates.
- Book a stay here on Booking.com or on Agoda.com

Novotel Ambassador Seoul Yongsan

One of the features of the hotel that we enjoyed the most was the swimming pool located in the Novotel Ambassador Yongsan. Not only was it chic with high floor to ceiling windows on two sides with a great view, there was a hot tub and the best thing was that there was no one there when we went twice. If you are a traveler and are disconnected, not to worry, another feature of the hotels is a Handy smartphone. The device allows free local and international calls and data so you can stay connected if you’re out.

When you wake up in the morning, head to the Food Exchange for breakfast. The space is modern and minimalist chic and you can sit just in front of some substantial windows letting in all of the best morning light. There are quite a few other options in the hotels, this was in our hotel and thus was easy to find and we could have brunch as a part of our time at the hotel. We were treated to good eats and couldn’t have asked for more.

When there’s time, head up to the Sky Bridge to visit one of the five themed lounges. Queen’s Garden is a nature-friendly lounge with a garden terrace and you can sit beneath a ceiling of hanging flowers. Or visit the Sky Beach, a rooftop “beach” club that provides a special private beach experience. And these are just two of the spots you can check out.

The hotel features direct access to IPark Mall, a shopping complex that has a Shinsegae Duty Free Shop, restaurants and allows for easy access to the subway as well. Hop onto the subway and you can go up just a few stops to the Seoullo just outside of Seoul Train & Subway Station. Go a few stops further and you can get out at Jongno 5-ga Subway Station and eat up local Korean delicacies at Gwangjang Traditional Market.

Hop on a different line from Yongsan and you can get to Hannam Station where you can visit Leeum Samsung Museum or have brunch or lunch in the popular Hannam district. And, if you want to hit the Han Riverside, this is also really close to the Ichon Han River Park. Suffice it to say, the central location is great and makes it easy to get north, south, east or west to see it all. In general, this is an ideal location for any traveler to Seoul, Korea. You can access the traditional sites in the north, the hot spots of central Seoul and get down to the Han River and south within minutes.

What’s Nearby

Amore Pacific Signature Tower, Museum of Art, Yongsan, Seoul, Korea

Amore Pacific Signature Tower, Museum of Art, Yongsan, Seoul, Korea: Hallie Bradley

Amore Pacific – Signature Tower Art Museum (아모레퍼시픽미술관)

While we were out and about we came upon the newly opened Amorepacific Signature Tower. Also opened at the end of 2017, the building is very interesting from inside to out. With this building, Amorepacific Group wanted to promote connectivity between nature and city, the local community and the company, and customers and employees. The exterior is gorgeous with piping all around the exterior and welcomes visitors into the lobby area with a tall expanse open to the ceiling with exposed concrete and allows for natural light to get in.

The majority of the building is off limits to visitors, however there is an awesome art museum in the basement. Art installations outside will welcome you in to see more on the first and then an entrance leading down will welcome you to more. Visit the art museum and see what is new. The pre-exhibition was amazing and currently their first exhibition has opened and looks to be just as interesting.

Address: 100 Hangangdae-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (서울 용산구 한강대로 100)
Hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00am ~ 6:00pm

The National Museum of Korea, Seoul, Korea

The National Museum of Korea (국립중앙박물관)

The National Museum of Korea is not only great, but it’s also FREE. It’s massive and is a great option for something to do indoors when it’s cold or wet. When it’s not though, the museum is still stunning and the grounds outside are beautiful to walk around as well. The museum was opened in 2005 and features relics from history. My favorites are the relics and paintings from Buddhist history in Korea. The galleries are quiet and there are benches where people can sit and think, relax and ponder.

Address: 137 Seobinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (서울 용산구 서빙고로 137)
Hours: Sunday – Tuesday; Thursday – Friday: 10:00am ~ 6:00pm; Wednesday & Saturday: 10:00am ~ 9:00pm

The War Memorial of Korea (전쟁기념관)

The War Memorial of Korea sits where the Korean infantry headquarters once was. The museum is free and features an outdoor exhibit with the Korean War Monument that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Korean War ceasefire. There are seven halls full of replicas, artifacts, dioramas, records and videos. Placards and guides provide English information. This is a must-see if you are interested in the wars that ravaged Korean history.