The Plaza Seoul hotel closes until 2029 and sets its sights on the Leading Hotels of the World

Opposite Seoul City Hall, The Plaza hotel closed its doors on 30 September 2026 for its first full overhaul since 2010. Its owner, Hanwha Hotels & Resorts, plans to reopen it in 2029 as an ultra-luxury address, with suites in place of the Deluxe rooms, a public rooftop garden and an application to join the Leading Hotels of the World.

Closed since 30 September, at 50 years old

Opened in October 1976 on City Hall square, a stone’s throw from Deoksugung Palace, The Plaza is marking its 50th birthday behind closed doors. Hanwha Hotels & Resorts announced the project on 19 August 2026: operations ending on 30 September, construction starting in early 2027 and completion targeted for 2029. The group says it has obtained planning permission; the review procedures for the interior demolition are under way.

The last transformation dates back to 2010: six months of works, from May to November, with interiors entrusted to the Italian designer Guido Ciompi. This time only the façade will stay as it is; interiors and services will be completely redone. “For its 50th anniversary, The Plaza will become a completely different luxury hotel,” summed up an executive at Hanwha Hotels & Resorts.

Suites in place of the Deluxe rooms

The hotel had 319 rooms before it closed, most of them Deluxe. The future Plaza turns that logic on its head: upscale suites with a dedicated workspace will replace most of these rooms, and the club lounge will be significantly enlarged. Hanwha has published neither the number of keys at reopening nor their sizes, and no renderings of the future interiors have been released.

Which restaurants for the new Plaza?

Hanwha wants to attract world-class fine-dining restaurants, alongside The Plaza Dining, the dining venue already on site. No chef or restaurant brand has been named yet. The project also promises more cultural and artistic content, as well as rest areas open to passers-by.

A rooftop garden open to everyone

It is the most visible novelty: a dedicated external lift will run straight up to the roof, laid out as a garden open to the public. Designed as a viewpoint, it will look out over City Hall, Gwanghwamun avenue and the Gyeongbokgung and Deoksugung palaces, in the heart of historic Seoul.

From Marriott to Leading Hotels of the World

Under an agreement signed in September 2015, The Plaza has been part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. For its reopening, Hanwha is applying to join the Leading Hotels of the World, the association of independent luxury hotels: membership is not yet secured. Marriott, for its part, simply announces the closure on 30 September and a reopening in 2029. Another Asian address to have undergone a complete overhaul: the Mandarin Oriental The Landmark, in Hong Kong.

Sogong: three Hanwha buildings renovated

The hotel is only the first piece of a wider scheme. The works are part of the redevelopment of the Sogong 1, 2 and 3 zones, carried out with the City of Seoul: The Plaza in zone 1, the Hanwha Building in zone 2 and the Hanwha Finance Plaza in zone 3 will all be renovated. Seoul is also drawing other luxury names: Aman is preparing its first hotel there with Shinsegae.