The Plaza Seoul closed on 30 September
Hanwha Hotels & Resorts suspended operations at The Plaza Seoul on 30 September 2026. The operator announced the decision on 19 August 2026, and Chosun Daily, Chosun Biz, Seoul Economic Daily, Asia Economy, Herald Business and Maeil Business each carried it. The hotel opened in October 1976 and sits across from Seoul City Hall, beside Deoksugung Palace.
Chosun Daily carries the operator's own wording: "To mark the hotel's 50th anniversary, we will carry out a large-scale remodeling to strengthen competitiveness."
The capital programme
The operator plans a full remodel that runs about three years and targets a 2029 reopening. The 2010 refurbishment took about six months, from May to November, and stands as the hotel's last major work before this one. The room plan replaces a deluxe-led mix with top-tier suites, adds in-room workspaces and expands the club lounge.
An elevator on the exterior wall reaches the rooftop garden, which the operator opens to the public as an observation deck with views of Seoul City Hall, Gwanghwamun and the Gyeongbokgung and Deoksugung palaces. On food and beverage, the operator recruits fine-dining restaurants into a culinary platform beside the existing The Plaza Dining. The facade keeps its present form.
The Sogong district programme
The hotel work sits inside the Sogong Districts 1, 2 and 3 redevelopment. The Plaza occupies District 1, the Hanwha Building District 2 and the Hanwha Finance Plaza District 3. The operator retains the structural frame of each building and renovates all three.
The pipeline position
Chosun Daily puts the operator's aim as joining The Leading Hotels of the World. The Plaza carried the Autograph Collection name inside Marriott's system up to the 30 September suspension.
The operator calls the reopened hotel a seven-star property. Korea's official grading scale tops out at five stars, and Seoul Economic Daily describes The Plaza as a five-star hotel in central Seoul today. The operator's target year for the reopening is 2029.