Imperial Palace Boutique Hotel, Seoul
The Imperial Palace Boutique Hotel in Seoul is a stylish landmark located in the heart of the vibrant Itaewon district. Originally built in 1987, the property underwent significant renovations in 2025, refreshing its guest rooms with contemporary, artistic interiors. It is widely recognized for its bold aesthetic, which incorporates pop-art paintings and unique design elements that cater to travelers seeking a trendy, high-energy atmosphere.
The hotel is noted for its Art Deco architectural influences and individually decorated rooms. Guests can choose from a variety of layouts, including spacious duplex suites that are particularly popular for those looking for something beyond the standard hotel experience. The lobby and common areas maintain an artistic edge, reflecting the eclectic and multicultural spirit of its surrounding neighborhood.
Positioned just a three-minute walk from Itaewon Station, the hotel serves as an ideal launchpad for exploring Seoul. Itaewon itself is famous for its diverse dining options, international shops, and nightlife. For those looking for culture, the prestigious Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, and the performance venue Blue Square are just a stone’s throw away.
Beyond its immediate surroundings, the hotel’s location offers easy access to significant landmarks like the N Seoul Tower, which provides sweeping views of the city. Whether you are heading to the historic Gyeongbokgung Palace or wandering through the nearby Namsan Outdoor Botanical Garden, the hotel remains a centrally located hub for business and leisure travelers alike.
Expert reviews
“The IP Boutique Hotel is conveniently situated in Itaewon. It has a colorful facade that matches the 132 comfortable rooms within: think lots of white with splashes of Pop color.”
Featured in New York Times’ 36 Hours in Seoul.
“With its distinctive, multicolored exterior, the IP Boutique Hotel manages to be an Itaewon landmark without quite joining the chaos of the party district in earnest. The lobby is open and sociable and the location is ideal.”
What guests liked
- Clean rooms
- Friendly staff
- Boutique style
- Great location
- Comfortable beds
Location
Recent guest reviews
12 February 2026
Good hotel in great location
Great location with spacious and comfortable rooms
Noisy street can be heard at night as well as bass from the club. Soundproofing can be improved for rooms facing the main street.
25 January 2026
Very good location, great beds and nice staff in the hotel.
Very good location, ITAEwon is a lively neighbourhood with lots of shops, restaurants and bars. Also because the hotel was recently renovated there was a promotion and the price was very good when we booked. The beds were comfortable, with lots of pillows and the room was big with 3 beds.
The shower was poor. One of those showers with a shower inside a bathtub and not full wall to protect the water from coming out + the mechanism to select the main shower vs. the spray was complicated. The bathroom could be better.
11 January 2026
Would stay again for location.
Location was amazing.
Breakfast was dreadful.
6 January 2026
It was a beautiful room with a fantastic view. The location is a worth the stay.
The location was great. It’s within walking distance of so many shops and restaurants.
The rooms were not insulated well meaning I could hear neighbors loudly in the hallway and next to me.
27 December 2025
I would recommend the Imperial Palace.
Location ideal
Very clean
Friendly staff - worked with us well
The bathroom - not very private
The size was smaller than anticipated
14 December 2025
decent stay. great location. great price
nice boutique hotel, though the rooms and hall were very dark.
not enough lighting and a bit too modern for my taste
27 November 2025
Comfortable hotel in Itaewon
Comfortable bed, clean room and enough space.
The room was quite warm (we were there in November) and cozy
For a newly renovated hotel, I expected a bit more.
The bathroom does not offer any privacy - you come out of the shower and the bathroom only has glass walls and is surrounded by mirror walls. If you are not comfortable with it, you should not come here.
Also, I chose the hotel because it offers a gym but I was told at the time being the treadmill is not functioning.
The front desk was quite far away, so we had no contact to the staff and I would say they also did not make any effort.
I chose the location because of the shops/restaurants but I would say it is not the most convenient if you visit for the first time and want to see the major sights.
19 November 2025
loved it and would stay there for sure next time we go to the city
we enjoyed every aspect of the stay . We stayed for three weeks and had no complaints about anything . location is superb for all things you might want to do in seoul
there was nothing that we didnt like
18 November 2025
Good stay at IP boutique hotel
Great location. Close to subway.
No room for clothing. Badroom not designed well. Hard to get into bath tub. Cannot reach the tapered your hot of the bath. Cannot reach enteren phone from the bath.
Only one side of the bed has electrical outlet.
10 November 2025
An enjoyable stay
Great location and lovely decor. We really enjoyed breakfast in the cafe on the ground floor. You can choose Korean or Western style. This set us up for the day!
Staff were polite but not as welcoming or helpful as other places
10 November 2025
Good location if you want to be near Itaewon strip
Great location
Can be a bit noisy as close to the clubs
8 November 2025
The hotel is beautifully done and the staff was very friendly and welcoming.
Good location near many restaurants, coffee shops, shopping, nightlife, and the subway.
Restaurant on the property was small, limited breakfast menu.
6 November 2025
a pleasant stay in a modern and stylish hotel in Itaewon, Seoul
The room was newly refurbished, clean and comfortable. The hotel is located in Itaewon high street close to a metro station, very convenient for getting around Seoul and enjoying all the trendy shops, restaurants and bustling nightlife of Itaewon / Hannam. The breakfast offers 4 sets of menues (American, Continental and 2 types of Korean). If you prefer to have lunch at the hotel, the chef's cooking is superb.
A male receptionist on my arrival impressed me as being unwelcoming and dismissive. The room attendant apparently cared only to clean the visible parts of the floor, omitting the area under the bed, where I accidentally discovered a sock and bits of trash left by previous guests.
5 November 2025
Enjoyed stay and view. Did not like bathroom/bedroom division.
Location good. Clean. Nice sunrise view. Inviting lobby,
Did not like openness of the bathroom. Very hard to have privacy with just a curtain to the bedroom. Room too dark.
3 November 2025
Overall, we enjoyed the stay due to its convenient to travel by trains nearby major attractions.
The location is very near to Itaewon train station and to take the exit 2, it is very convenient however we found the lighting in the room in quite dim. Staff members are helpful and the hotel provides water bottles in the room and also at the lobby counter.
Improve the lighting in the room for tripe sharing room.
29 October 2025
Perfect hotel in Itaewon
Location, large room size, comfy beds, friendly staff.
AC wasn't working but they brought a fan and it ended up being a cold evening, otherwise it was great!
17 October 2025
Fun and well taken care of by friendly and professional staff
Perfect location. Close to metro and bus stops and the heart of Itaewon, but not *too* close. There is construction nearby, as well as a major clubbing district, but we got a high room and didn’t have any issues with noise. Certainly not your average chain hotel. Design is kinda like Itaewon itself—some very flamboyant choices, but ultimately charming and comfy. Loved the random mini alcove in our room just wide enough for a chair surrounded by bay windows, great place to drink a morning coffee. Staff were excellent and helpful.
Didn’t bother us, but as a warning, no real wall between the bedroom and bathroom, so not for couples seeking discretion... But there is a thoughtful curtain you could pull to shield the light if someone uses the bathroom late/early, and there’s a landline phone by the bidet toilet which feels 80s lux!
16 October 2025
Perfect and sure to be here again.
The location of this hotel is really suitable for Muslim traveler. The beautiful mosque is just nearby. You can find a lots of halal food around the mosque. The hotel management is so kind and helpful to allocate my room even though my arrival quite early in the morning.
Maybe the variety of the breakfast menu can be expand. Other than that is superb.
15 October 2025
Wonderful staff, great location, not quite a "family" place.
The staff was extremely helpful and went above and beyond to assist with unique aspects of our stay (language barriers with ordering a taxi) and helped with some issues post-checkout. The whole establishment was clean and had a very modern art aesthetic, which was nice. The location was great for seeing the popular areas of Seoul.
While the room was structured to allow for four members to stay, however, the motif of the room was geared more towards couples. The bathroom was a glass box inside the room that had a curtain for privacy on one side, but little else. This is fine for couples, but somewhat awkward for families with children. The entire room was quite dark and centered around “mood lighting,” which is fine, but when you are attempting to get dressed and ready for an event, it does little to help with the situation. Lastly, the double bed was extremely stiff and was a similar experience to sleeping directly on a piece of plywood.
9 October 2025
Quirky, comfortable stay in a great location
The room was comfortable and well appointed. The hotel in a good location and the staff were always very helpful
The decor is interesting... But I think that's the idea
1 October 2025
Strategic location, food and shops easily accessible by foot.
The location was very convenient as I was attending an event nearby and could go there on foot. The area can be a bit hilly, but there are plenty of shops and restaurants.
15 September 2025
More than met expectations
Very clean & modern
nothing, it was top drawer
13 September 2025
Overall a good stay
Great location on the edge of itaewon and Hannam. The room was very spacious and the shower was great
We had trouble figuring out the lights and there was a sensor light that went on when you went to the bathroom in the night.
4 September 2025
Perfect stay for Seoul in a lively and safe neighbourhood
The housekeeping staff amazing, check in was efficient and fast.
Room was spacious and great view
Toilet door wouldn’t lock or close, see through bathroom.
Hotel facilities
Business facilities
- - Meeting/banquet facilities (additional charge)
- - Fax/photocopying (additional charge)
Reception services
- - 24-hour front desk
- - Express check-in/check-out
- - Currency exchange
- - Luggage storage
- - Concierge service
Activities
- - Fitness centre
- - Fitness
General
- - Non-smoking rooms
- - Lift
- - Safety deposit box
- - Non-smoking throughout
Cleaning services
- - Laundry (additional charge)
- - Dry cleaning (additional charge)
- - Ironing service (additional charge)
- - Daily housekeeping
Parking
- - Parking garage
- - Electric vehicle charging station
Miscellaneous
- - 24-hour security
- - Key card access
- - Security alarm
- - Smoke alarms
- - CCTV in common areas
- - CCTV outside property
- - Fire extinguishers

More photos

13 February 2026
Overall very good but the sewerage smell was unpleasant!