Mandarin Oriental, Seoul

Mandarin Oriental, Seoul marks the group's first hotel in South Korea, a deliberately small 128 room and suite property conceived to feel closer to a private club than a large luxury hotel. It anchors the hospitality component of Hanwha Group's Seoul Station North redevelopment in Bongnae-dong, Jung-gu, a five building mixed-use complex of offices, MICE facilities, residences, retail and cultural space rising to 39 storeys above six basement levels on the northern edge of Seoul Station. Interiors are by Hong Kong designer Andre Fu, whose restrained, tactile work is intended to read as a contemporary expression of Korean craft. Dining is stacked at the top of the hotel, with a destination restaurant on the 21st floor framing panoramic city views and a floor below holding an elevated international restaurant, a refined Chinese room and a Korean chef's counter staged for an audience. The Spa at Mandarin Oriental spreads across four floors and is paired with a 25 metre pool, a fitness centre, golf simulators and a multiball court, placing the hotel within reach of the central business district, Namsan and the cultural landmarks north of the Han River.