Rakkojae Seoul Main Hanok

We stayed at Rakkojae Seoul Main Hanok for a few nights, in the patio room, which was once used as a den in ancient times, and the experience was truly special. The hanok is about 140 years old and has been beautifully preserved. You can genuinely feel the history the moment you step inside, yet everything is thoughtfully maintained, clean, and comfortable. The craftsmanship, layout, and quiet elegance of the property made staying here feel less like a hotel stay and more like living inside a piece of Korean heritage. The neighbourhood is calm, charming, and authentic, tucked away from busy tourist streets but still very convenient. There are lovely local shops and cafés nearby, and the location is ideal, situated between two major palaces, making morning and evening walks especially enjoyable. We particularly loved the in-room breakfast, which felt intimate and relaxing. Starting each day with a traditional Korean breakfast in such a historic setting was a highlight of our stay and added to the overall sense of slowing down and being present. The staff deserve special praise. Everyone we interacted with was warm, attentive, professional, and genuinely caring. From check-in to daily interactions, they made us feel welcomed and well looked after without being intrusive. Overall, the property is exceptionally well cared for, peaceful, and full of character.

The location for travel is excellent, it’s near the underground station and the airport bus station. The room and service including the breakfast is nice. The attendant is ver helpful.

We stayed for three nights and loved the experience of being in a traditional Korean house. We were slightly concerned before arriving that we might find the beds too hard and would have difficulty sleeping. Once we tried them we realised this was not a problem at all - it seems there are specially-designed foam layers underneath the traditional mats. You do need to be able to get down to floor level and back up again. For us, this was not a problem and we slept very well every night. The place is really peaceful and the service on arriving and for meals was of an exceptionally high standard. We ordered traditional Korean food for breakfast and dinner (two nights only) and it was always delicious. ||This was all perfect for us, but it might be the wrong choice for some people. You have to remove shoes while inside, which can be uncomfortable if you are used to orthotic support. The furnishings are traditional and therefore not as plush as a regular hotel. The buildings are raised and the steps up and down are steep (as they are in all old areas of Seoul). A few concessions were made for the modern traveller - coffee machine with extra pods on request, small TV hidden in the cupboard, face masks, modern bathroom - all of which we appreciated (though did not use the TV). ||On the whole, this is a most interesting traditional experience, much more than a hotel, and the staff were wonderful and extremely helpful. Our only regret about staying here is that we were out seeing the sights every day and did not have more time in the quiet and beautiful environment, and did not take advantage of the sauna and other options available on site.

Thank you Rakkojae for an amazing and one of a kind stay! It is truly a magical place and I wish I had more time there. I stayed for a weekend in late December. All of the staff were incredibly attentive during my stay, they went above and beyond to make sure my stay was comfortable and help when they could. I was welcomed with Tea and a treat, they generously let me check in earlier as the room was available. I was worried about it being cold but the floor heating system is one of a kind and kept me toasty throughout the stay. It was so comfortable. Breakfast is included and was incredible, I believe you could chose but I opted for the Korean breakfast which was phenomenal and the portions very generous, with a good selection and it changed daily. Even though the room is traditional, it has features you would expect from other hotels such as a closet, mini fridge, coffee pot and the snacks/drinks provided were all complimentary and restocked daily! For departure, they held my luggage and helped me get a Uber to the airport, even speaking to the driver to make sure he did not get lost and provided tea as I waited for it. Location wise, very good as it is walking distance to the palaces, Bukchon village, and a ten minute walk to the subway station. There is also a convenience store very near by. Because its a traditional hanok, sound travels but they have a quiet policy in the evenings for these reasons and I had no trouble sleeping/no noise at night. However, the slight thing I will say is I was woken up quite early by other guests (7am-8am), having there breakfast very early so if you like to sleep in and are a light sleeper, it is something to consider. I wish they had quiet hours in the morning as well to help with this, but kind of hard to implement because of breakfast I suppose. I also opted for the makgeolli bath and which was wealth worth it to relax in after a day of out walking around in the cold. They have you go to the mud sauna to start and then take you to the private bath which has makgeolli in it and a tray with light snacks and bottle of it. They source it from a local provider and it is really good. There is also a shower in the room so you can rinse of before and after. My slight thing is the bath water was a little luke warm, but I think because I came from the hot sauna and they were playing it safe. It was not a big deal because you can add more hot water easily with the tap which I did and continued to do during my soak. Highly recommend staying here if you can!

Definitely one of the best ways to experience a historic Hanok when visiting Seoul, very much worth the price. The main Rakkojae is nestled in a little back alley in a residential pocket of Bukchon. Quiet, private and not too hard to get around via transit (either metro or various buses - You will likely get to experience the #2 green mini-bus {fun when not busy}). Included breakfast is filling and traditional, delivered with a smile in the early morning at your requested time. Definitely request a time to sweat in the sauna, let the slow build of heat open your pores. Service is top notch and amenities are superb. Might as well go for the classical choice when hanoking right?

This place was such a pleasure to stay at. I was only here for my last night in Seoul but will definitely book a stay for longer on my next trip to SK. The hospitality and food were so good. They bring a welcome tea service to your room when you check in. They also serve a traditional Korean breakfast delivered to your room in the morning. Everything was delicious. The grounds were also very beautiful and they have Hanboks that you can wear and take pictures for no extra charge. This hotel is in walking to many great bakeries , restaurants and viral attraction. I definitely recommend staying here on your next trip to Seoul. It’s worth it.

Lovely buildings and very kind management but wasn’t a good fit for us! I was looking for a traditional experience with comfort. There is no common area of this complex and our room felt claustrophobic and small. There were only a few feet of space around the bed and the small room with the table was very dark. We were there in winter so opening the dining room windows wasn’t an option. Even if it was warmer, there would have been little privacy because all rooms look over one small courtyard. There was only window in the bedroom at it was above head level, so the room felt dark. On the plus side - the bed and heated floors were very comfortable and the breakfast was great. Hotel staff were so nice and did everything they could for a great stay. Personally didn’t feel the room size and layout allowed us to relax.

Step into the tranquility of a typical Korean ancient house or Hanok surrounded by Zen vibes in the middle of a bustling city. Simple but high quality toiletries all provided, the bed was extremely comfortable even though it was on the floor, comes with floor heating and even ac if you find it too stuffy. We were greeted by a nice uncle who speaks Korean, English and Mandarin fluently. We could also put down our luggage upon arrival and also at check out, just take note of their operating hours as they take great lengths to not disturb the guests after dark. We wanted a traditional Korean experience and got exactly what we wanted. 10/10 would return and not leave the property for the whole stay.