Is this the most stylish place to stay in Seoul?

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Concept hotel A Better Place in Seoul imagines what urban living could look like if it perfectly balanced form with function. Its central location allows visitors to get a taste of local life without being far from the city’s tourist hotspots

Location

Seoul’s Han River famously bisects the city, and A Better Place (or ABP) lies in the north, in the trendy, yet time-worn, Sindang neighbourhood.

There is also a second location, housing a single apartment, around 30 minutes away by subway in Jongno. This historic area is known for the tourist hotspots, Gyeongbokgung, the primary palace of the Joseon Dynasty, and the Bukchon Village, where you can see traditional hanoks (or houses), and explore stylish cafes and shops.

The main ABP location is less than five minutes’ walk from Sindang’s historic Jungang Market, where old-school fish and vegetable stalls sit alongside wine bars and street food spots. The area is also known for its Tteokbokki Town, as jeukseok tteokbokki (table-cooked spicy rice cakes) were first made here, and there are plenty of restaurants where you can try the dish.

The hotel is around an hour’s drive from Incheon airport by taxi. Ubers are readily available and booking via the app will ensure you avoid a language barrier with your driver.

The vibe

Conceived by South Korean design studio Useful Workshop, ABP is a hospitality concept which imagines what urban life might look like in the near future. As such, the hotel is designed with custom modular furniture and every architectural detail balances form with function.

The Sindang location opened this year, housed in a discreet, slim five-floor building occupying a corner address on an unassuming street away from the city rush.

A Better Place’s main location is in the Sindang neighbourhood (A Better Place)

A cafe and bar space on the ground floor (1F) doubles as the reception, as well as a second living room for guests. You’ll find a cool crowd of locals gathered here until late in the evening.

The serviced apartment-style rooms above the cafe occupy one floor each and are among the city’s most unique places to stay – a perfect antidote to the many skyscraper hotels with cookie cutter rooms. You can use a street entrance to access the corridor to your room if you prefer not to see anyone else when coming and going.

Throughout the building, the colours and materials recall a David Lynch movie, while feeling surprisingly zen. Think red or minty-green carpets, plywood fittings, butter-yellow shelving and angular aluminium end tables.

Service

APB’s inimitably stylish front of house team perfectly balance efficiency with warmth. Two out of three of the staff I met were English speaking.

On arrival, your luggage will be shot up to your room via a dedicated lift where it can be reached from a hatch – though not before you’ve been welcomed with a free tea or coffee. My flat white was one of the best I tasted in the city.

Bed and bath

ABP’s four rooms are open-plan, designed for two guests, and curated to a tee. Use a touch-activated key pad on your door handle to enter into a mirrored hallway (where slippers and umbrellas are conventionally laid out), which opens onto a compact kitchen-diner, followed by the living area and bedroom.

The rooms at A Better Place are minimal and modern (A Better Place)

Modular shelves extend across the length of the room’s interior wall, hiding dozens of useful tools and utensils – and plenty of items which are just for fun. Think pen knives, tea towels and board games such as Uno. While open shelves display pleasingly curated objects, such as books by Korean novelist Han Kang arranged in Pantone order.

The living area has a smart TV, while the bed has super-soft ABP-branded bedding and robes hung nearby. Matcha cookies and calming chamomile tea bags are laid out for your arrival.

An iPad set up next to one of Useful Workshop’s futuristic designs, the Edgeform Lounge chair, doubles as a home control system. Use it to do everything from decide the temperature to dimming the lighting. It will be playing a chilled-out playlist when you arrive.

I stayed in room 201, where the separate bathroom had twin sinks opposite a small bathtub, and cubicles for a rainfall shower and Toto toilet. Everything from shaving kits to expanding shower sponges are within arm’s reach and elevated amenities include a Dyson hairdryer and Aesop shower products.

Food and drink

The ABP Lounge is a lovely spot from which to people watch, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the street. Guests get 30 per cent off the menu, and can order in person or via the in-room tablet. The menu spans coffees (non-dairy milks are on offer), teas, snacks and sandwiches – such as granola and pastrami paninis – as well as small plates, including prosciutto with melon.

The cocktail bar is stocked with an extensive selection of whiskeys, as well as local beers and curated wines. Try the ABP Old Fashioned, made with port.

Room 201 is one of the three open-plan guest suites (A Better Place)

There’s no dinner menu, but a folder left on the dining table in your room details recommendations of nearby restaurants, which are immaculately organised in a matrix of type and distance. It allowed me to find a taco stall to grab a quick bite, which I never would have spotted otherwise.

Facilities

Listen to vinyls while looking out over the city’s skyline at the rooftop lounge (A Better Place)

There is no spa or pool at ABP, though as well as the cafe and bar, it has a rooftop lounge on the fifth floor from where you can take in sweeping views of Seoul and listen to vinyls. There’s a custom plywood communal kitchen here too.

Accessibility

This is a boutique property with no lift, requiring guests to walk up multiple flights of stairs, so it isn’t well suited to those with accessibility needs.

Pet policy

The hotel isn’t pet-friendly.

Family-friendly?

This is a late night area and not best suited to families or those with small children, though two of the rooms in Sindang can have extra beds added to accommodate up to two extra people, at a cost of 25,000KRW (£13) per person, per night.

Check-in/check-out

Check-in is at 3pm; check-out is at 11am. Staff will invite you to leave your luggage in the cafe if you’re arriving early.

201’s bathroom comes with twin sinks, a bath and separate shower (A Better Place)

At a glance

Best thing: The inspiring design aesthetic.

Perfect for: Couples or pairs of friends who want a stay which feels truly unique to Seoul.

Not right for: Those seeking spa facilities or a destination restaurant.

Instagram from: In the cafe when the light casts arty shadows from the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Address: 22 Samil-daero 19-gil, Gwancheol-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea

E-mail: info@abetterplace.kr

Website: abetterplace.kr

Hayley was a guest of A Better Place

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Call-in Numbers: 917-633-8191 / 201-880-5508

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