Hotels in Korea

Korea’s hotel stars are official government grades, not marketing. A 3-star hotel is a solid, clean base for most first trips. Pick 4 or 5 stars if you want a pool or gym, several restaurants and English-speaking concierge help. Before you pay, check the grade on the official lookup at hotelrating.or.kr. A booking site’s star count can differ from it. This page reflects the grading rules in force on 16 October 2026. For hostels, hanok stays, Airbnb and templestays, see the accommodation hub.

Your situation	What to book
First trip, mostly out sightseeing, mid budget	A 2 or 3-star hotel near a subway or train station
You want restaurants, a pool or gym and concierge help	A 4 or 5-star hotel
Family with small children who want to cook	A family hotel (가족호텔), which must have cooking facilities
You want a traditional-style stay with hotel service	A traditional Korean hotel (한국전통호텔)
Staying 30 days or less and want the VAT back	A hotel on the government’s VAT-refund list

What the star grades mean

Every tourist hotel, small hotel, family hotel, traditional Korean hotel, floating hotel and medical-tourism hotel registered under the Tourism Promotion Act must apply for a grade. The culture ministry has handed the grading to the Korea Tourism Association. Inspectors score each hotel on service, rooms and facilities, and on whether it complies with safety laws. The current rules took effect on 1 July 2026.

Grade	Score needed	What the hotel must have (selected)
5 stars	90% or more	At least 3 food and beverage outlets including breakfast; duty manager, doorman or bell service and concierge
4 stars	80% or more	At least 2 food and beverage outlets including breakfast
3 stars	65% or more	At least 1 food and beverage outlet including breakfast; a property management system
2 stars	50% or more	A breakfast space and breakfast service
1 star	40% or more	A breakfast space and breakfast service

4 and 5-star hotels must also have:

• front-desk staff who speak a foreign language;
• at least one guest facility such as a gym, pool, sauna or lounge;
• a banquet hall for 50 or more people, and meeting rooms.

At 1 to 3 stars, foreign-language service at the front desk can come from staff or from digital translation tools. Every graded hotel needs CCTV security, an emergency guide and evacuation map in the room, heating and cooling, and a way for guests to complain, such as a complaint card or a satisfaction survey. Room service earns points but is not compulsory at any grade.

How grading works

• The grade lasts 3 years. Hotels must re-apply before it expires, and new hotels must apply within 60 days of registering.
• Inspections are partly secret. Hotels applying for 4 or 5 stars get an anonymous overnight stay by an inspector. Lower grades get an unannounced same-day visit.
• Top hotels get spot checks. A 4 or 5-star hotel must have at least one interim check while its grade is valid.
• Complaints cost points. Each overcharging complaint filed with the Korea Tourism Organization or the Korea Consumer Agency in the last 3 years takes 30 points off the score. False star advertising, including on booking sites, takes off 20.
• Results are public. The ministry publishes grading results every quarter. On 16 October 2026 the lookup listed 846 graded hotels: 72 at 5 stars, 129 at 4 stars, 231 at 3 stars, 327 at 2 stars and 87 at 1 star. Seoul had 300 of them.

How to check a hotel’s grade

1. Search the official lookup. Enter the hotel’s name at hotelrating.or.kr/hotel. The site is in Korean, so a browser’s translate option helps. The result shows the grade and its validity dates.
2. Look for the plaque. Graded hotels must display an official star plaque. The mark is shaped like a tiled roofline: indigo blue for 1 to 4 stars and brown for 5 stars.
3. Report a fake. If a hotel shows stars it does not hold, report it on the grading body’s false star sign page.

Jeju is different. Under the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Act, the Jeju governor grades hotels on the island, not the culture ministry. Jeju hotels therefore do not appear in the national lookup. Ask the hotel for its grade, or look for the plaque on site.

Hotel types you will see

The type is set when the hotel registers, and it tells you what to expect beyond the stars.

Type (Korean)	What it means for you
Tourist hotel (관광호텔)	The standard hotel. At least 30 rooms, each with a bath or shower, and set up to serve foreign guests
Small hotel (소형호텔)	20 to 29 rooms, breakfast service, foreign-language staff and at least 2 kinds of guest facility
Family hotel (가족호텔)	At least 30 rooms, with cooking facilities in each room or on each floor; rooms of 19 m² or more
Traditional Korean hotel (한국전통호텔)	A hotel built in traditional Korean style with full hotel services
Medical-tourism hotel (의료관광호텔)	At least 20 rooms, aimed at patients and their families visiting for treatment

Business hotels and “boutique hotels” are marketing names, not legal types. Some budget places that call themselves hotels are registered as general lodging (일반숙박업, usually motels) under the Public Health Control Act, and these are not graded.

Toiletries: bring your own

Lodging businesses with 50 or more rooms may not give out free disposable toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, shampoo or conditioner. Most mid-size and large hotels are covered. The ban covers free giveaways only, so a hotel may sell these items. Smaller hotels may still provide them, but pack a small kit to be safe.

VAT refund on your hotel bill

Foreign tourists can get the VAT back on stays of 30 days or less, but only at hotels on the culture ministry’s quarterly list. The accommodation hub explains who qualifies and how to claim.

Overcharging and complaints

If you are charged more than the agreed rate or face a problem the hotel will not fix, contact the Korea Tourism Organization’s Tourist Complaint Center by calling +82-2-1330 or emailing tourcom@knto.or.kr. Keep your booking confirmation and receipt. Complaints filed there count against the hotel when its grade is next decided.

Where to stay

The city guides list the best areas for a first stay:

• Seoul: Myeongdong, Jongno, Hongdae, Gangnam or Seoul Station.
• Busan: Haeundae, Seomyeon or Nampo.
• Jeju
• Gyeongju

Stay within a short walk of a subway or train station. It matters more than an extra star.

Common mistakes

• Trusting booking-site stars. Booking sites set their own star ratings. Check the official grade.
• Assuming breakfast is included. The hotel must serve breakfast, but your rate may not cover it.
• Expecting free toiletries. Hotels with 50 or more rooms cannot hand them out free.
• Booking a “hotel” that is really a motel. Ungraded lodging can be fine, but it has no official checks behind it.
• Missing the VAT refund. Ask whether the hotel is on the current list when you book.

Where to next

• Accommodation in Korea: all lodging types, Airbnb rules and templestays
• Money in Korea: cards, cash and tax refunds
• Getting around Korea
• Korea in 7 days