Signiel Seoul Opens High in Lotte World Tower

Signiel Seoul opened in April 2017 on floors 76 to 101 of Lotte World Tower, the 555-metre, 123-storey skyscraper in Songpa district that had been completed that spring as the tallest building in South Korea and, at the time, the fifth tallest in the world. With it, Lotte Hotels & Resorts launched Signiel, a new brand placed above its existing hotels.

The hotel has 235 rooms: 126 deluxe rooms, 67 premier rooms and 42 suites. The height is the point. Rooms look across the Han River and the city or towards the mountains to the south, and on clear days the view runs far beyond Seoul.

Lotte brought in established names for the restaurants. Stay, the European restaurant on the 81st floor, is directed by French chef Yannick Alléno, and Bicena serves contemporary Korean cooking and already held Michelin recognition before moving into the tower. Bar 81 opened with what the hotel described as the largest champagne selection in Korea, and The Lounge serves afternoon tea. All guests have access to Salon de Signiel, a residents’ lounge. Wellness facilities include an Evian Spa, a swimming pool, a gym and a sauna, and a ballroom occupies part of the 76th floor.

The hotel shares the tower with offices, private residences and an observation deck near the top, and sits above a shopping mall, a concert hall and an aquarium. Incheon airport is about 80 minutes away and Gimpo about 50.

Signiel gave Seoul its first hotel of this kind, a Korean-owned luxury brand competing directly with the international groups, and it established the eastern side of the city, around Jamsil, as a place to stay. The brand later expanded to the coast with Signiel Busan. OKYTO’s page on Signiel Seoul covers the hotel today.