Exterior of Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Myeongdong, formerly Courtyard Seoul Namdaemun
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Courtyard Seoul Myeongdong Review: My Stay at the Former Courtyard Seoul Namdaemun

ByJ.Woo

Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Myeongdong was still called Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Namdaemun when I stayed there during Chuseok in October 2020.

It was the middle of the pandemic, Seoul hotel prices were unusually low, and I paid roughly KRW 160,000–180,000 for one night. As a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite member, I also received Executive Lounge access and breakfast for two.

At the time, the hotel was widely known among Korean guests as a practical central Seoul staycation option: relatively inexpensive, conveniently located and unusually generous for a Courtyard.

I rated that stay 8.5/10.

Six years later, the building is still there, but the value proposition has changed. The hotel has a new owner and a new name. The Executive Lounge has disappeared, the rooms have not undergone a full renovation, and rates are now much higher.

The hotel remains physically familiar. The reason for booking it is not.

Looking for the essentials? Jump to the Quick Verdict, Stay Details, 2026 update, or Final Verdict.

Quick Verdict

My 2020 stay at the former Courtyard Seoul Namdaemun was an easy 8.5/10.

For less than KRW 200,000, I received a clean Seoul Tower-view room with a bathtub, a generous Executive Lounge happy hour and breakfast for two. Staff were consistently friendly, and the location worked well for a quiet Chuseok staycation in central Seoul.

Under current conditions, my value assessment would be closer to 6.7/10.

Recent rates I have observed are generally around KRW 280,000–380,000 or 38,000–44,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. On high-demand dates, cash prices can approach KRW 600,000.

The Executive Lounge is gone, while the rooms remain broadly similar. Breakfast at MoMo Café is still valuable for eligible Platinum members and above, but the old combination of modest price and generous lounge benefits no longer exists.

This was once a strong-value city hotel in a location that sat between several districts. It is now a much more expensive hotel in exactly the same place.

For a broader comparison with hotels located more directly inside Myeongdong, see my guide to the best hotels in Myeongdong, Seoul.

Stay Details

  • Stay: October 2020, during Chuseok
  • Hotel name then: Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Namdaemun
  • Booking: Premier King Room
  • Room received: Guest room with an N Seoul Tower view
  • Rate: Approximately KRW 160,000–180,000
  • Status: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite
  • Upgrade: Better view rather than a higher room category
  • Personal score for the stay: 8.5/10

Location: Still More Namdaemun Than Myeongdong

The hotel now carries the Myeongdong name, but Namdaemun Market remains its most immediate neighbourhood.

Hoehyeon Station on Line 4 is the closest subway stop. City Hall Station on Lines 1 and 2 and Euljiro 1-ga Station on Line 2 are also within walking distance, placing the hotel roughly between Namdaemun, City Hall and the western edge of Myeongdong.

I arrived through City Hall Station and walked for about ten minutes.

Namdaemun Market is the closest major destination. City Hall and Myeongdong are also easy enough to reach on foot, while Seoul Station is close enough to look convenient on a map but not always close enough to feel convenient with luggage.

Second-floor lobby and tall central atrium at Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Myeongdong
The second-floor lobby sits beneath a tall internal atrium extending through much of the hotel.

After dinner, I walked slowly to Myeongdong Cathedral in about twenty minutes. The cathedral was especially peaceful during the Chuseok holiday, when central Myeongdong was far quieter than usual.

The following day, I ate in Namdaemun Market’s galchi-jorim alley. The narrow restaurants specialise in spicy braised hairtail, a local experience that may appear more intimidating than the fish itself.

Entrance to Namdaemun Market’s galchi-jorim restaurant alley in Seoul
Namdaemun Market’s famous galchi-jorim alley is one of the most distinctive local experiences within easy walking distance.

The hotel had advised me by phone to use public transport because parking could be difficult. As someone without a car, I followed this unusually convenient piece of hotel advice.

Premier King Room with Seoul Tower View

I booked a Premier King Room and received a Seoul Tower-view guest room on the 16th floor.

The room was suitable for one person and slightly compact for two. In 2020, however, the hotel was still relatively new, and the room felt clean and well maintained.

Premier King Room with N Seoul Tower visible through the window at Courtyard Seoul Namdaemun
My 16th-floor room was compact but comfortable for a solo stay, with N Seoul Tower visible beyond the bed.

The bed was acceptable rather than memorable. I slept well, although the bathtub may deserve more credit than the mattress.

I bought bath salts, took a long bath and treated the room as a small private recovery centre. Not every staycation requires elaborate facilities. Sometimes hot water is sufficient.

The minibar area was ordinary except for a pale green finish that looked dated even then. Functionally, the room resembled a well-kept business hotel.

Seoul Tower View and Chuseok Full Moon

The view was not completely open. Namdaemun Market, nearby commercial buildings and several large hotels occupied much of the foreground.

Still, N Seoul Tower was clearly visible.

Daytime N Seoul Tower view from a high-floor guest room at Courtyard Seoul Namdaemun
The view was not fully open, but N Seoul Tower remained clearly visible above the surrounding buildings.

That evening, the Chuseok full moon appeared beside the tower.

Chuseok full moon and N Seoul Tower seen from a hotel room at night
The full moon beside N Seoul Tower became the most memorable view of my 2020 stay.

I made a wish in the traditional Korean manner.

Whether the hotel deserves credit for lunar scheduling is another matter, but the scene remains one of my clearest memories from the stay.

The Former Executive Lounge

In 2020, the Executive Lounge occupied the 22nd floor.

I used my Platinum lounge benefit with one companion. The hotel had warned that the lounge would be busy, so we arrived before the official starting time. Only a few seats remained, and a queue developed later.

Pandemic restrictions meant that food arrived as a plated set rather than a buffet.

Plated Executive Lounge happy-hour meal with city view in 2020
During my October 2020 stay, the pandemic-era happy hour was served as a generous plated meal rather than a buffet.

The selection included LA galbi, tandoori chicken, jeyuk-bokkeum, sweet-and-sour pork, sliced pork and seafood salad. I requested one additional serving of the meat dishes, which the staff provided.

The LA galbi was the best item.

For a Courtyard, the food quality was remarkably strong. I would rate the happy hour around 90 out of 100 when judged against the brand level.

I mainly drank sparkling wine.

At the time, I thought it was simply a good lounge benefit. Looking back from 2026, the spread feels unusually generous for a Courtyard—almost like photographic evidence from a different era of hotel benefits.

A Brief Return in 2021

I returned to the Executive Lounge in February 2021, although I retained fewer notes from that visit.

By then, food appeared to be offered in a more conventional self-service format rather than as one plated meal.

Hot dishes in the former Executive Lounge during a February 2021 visit
By February 2021, the former Executive Lounge appeared to have returned to a more conventional self-service food display.

This later visit suggests that the plated October meal reflected pandemic-era operations rather than the lounge’s usual permanent format.

The important present-day point is simpler: the Executive Lounge no longer operates.

Breakfast at MoMo Café

Breakfast was served at MoMo Café on the second floor.

I arrived before 7:00 a.m., but the restaurant was already busy with Chuseok guests.

Travelling alone with breakfast for two, I asked whether I could try both the Korean and Western sets. The staff kindly brought both. My commitment to comparative breakfast research was already well established.

Korean and Western breakfast sets at MoMo Café
I requested both the Korean and Western breakfast sets and received a highly efficient morning feast.

The Korean set included seaweed soup, jeon, fish and tteokgalbi. The Western set included an omelette, sausages, bread, fruit and juice.

The food was satisfying, and MoMo Café has remained one of the hotel’s more reliable strengths in my later dining experience.

Open kitchen and buffet counter at MoMo Café
MoMo Café served the hotel’s main breakfast and remains an important benefit for eligible elite members.

Eligible Marriott Bonvoy Platinum members and above currently receive breakfast at MoMo Café, since the hotel no longer operates an Executive Lounge.

Fitness Centre and Atrium

The fitness centre was in the basement.

Cardio and strength equipment in the hotel fitness centre
The small fitness centre offered enough equipment for a basic workout rather than an ambitious training session.

I did exercise there, although the room was small and the equipment selection limited. Guests who consider the gym central to a hotel stay should keep expectations modest.

The hotel’s tall internal atrium was more visually distinctive.

Multi-storey internal atrium viewed from an upper guest-room corridor
Guest-room corridors looked down through a tall atrium toward the second floor, creating a dramatic if slightly unsettling view.

From the upper corridors, I could see down toward the second floor. The architecture was impressive, although impressive and reassuring are not always identical when standing beside a high railing.

What Has Changed Since 2020?

The hotel opened in 2016 as Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Namdaemun. Ownership changed in late 2025, and the property was renamed Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Myeongdong in March 2026.

The new name is understandable from a marketing perspective. Myeongdong is internationally recognisable, while Namdaemun may require slightly more geographical knowledge.

Still, I consider Namdaemun the more accurate name.

Sungnyemun Gate and central Seoul viewed from the hotel
Sungnyemun and Namdaemun Market remain more immediate neighbours than the busiest streets of Myeongdong.

The former Executive Lounge has been replaced by THE 22 Namdaemun Bakery & Bar on the 22nd floor.

MoMo Lounge & Bar on the second floor is a separate paid venue and should not be confused with the former elite Executive Lounge.

THE 22 currently operates from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on weekdays and from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekends.

Guest rooms now include water purifiers as an environmental alternative to routinely supplied bottled water. Bottled water can still be requested.

A complimentary shuttle to Seoul Station has also been introduced, making AREX airport-rail connections easier. This did not exist during my 2020 stay and is a useful improvement for international travellers.

Street scene near Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Myeongdong and Namdaemun Market
Despite the Myeongdong name, the hotel’s immediate surroundings still feel distinctly Namdaemun.

The former Sapoon Sapoon café associated with the hotel’s previous ownership has disappeared. The space is currently vacant, although the guest route largely avoids it, so it does not dominate the hotel experience.

The guest rooms have not undergone a full renovation since my stay. This does not automatically mean they are poorly maintained, but it does make current pricing harder to justify.

Current Value

Over the past three months, I have generally seen:

  • Cash rates around KRW 280,000–380,000
  • Award rates around 38,000–44,000 Marriott Bonvoy points
  • Peak cash rates approaching KRW 600,000

My personal comfort level would be in the low-KRW 200,000 range. At similar pricing, I would now lean toward Aloft Seoul Myeongdong for slightly better access to the part of Myeongdong most visitors intend to explore. For another select-service option east of Myeongdong, see my Four Points by Sheraton Josun, Seoul Myeongdong review.

That would not have been my conclusion when this Courtyard still had its Executive Lounge.

The building is the same. The room product is broadly familiar. The benefits and price have moved in opposite directions.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Immediate access to Namdaemun Market
  • Walkable to City Hall, Myeongdong and Euljiro 1-ga
  • Friendly staff during my stay
  • N Seoul Tower and Sungnyemun views from selected rooms
  • MoMo Café breakfast for eligible elite members
  • In-room water purifier
  • Seoul Station shuttle for AREX connections

Cons

  • Executive Lounge no longer operates
  • Current rates are much higher than in 2020
  • No full guest-room renovation
  • Compact fitness centre
  • Location feels more Namdaemun than central Myeongdong
  • Peak-date pricing can be difficult to justify

Final Verdict

My 2020 stay at Courtyard Seoul Namdaemun was an excellent example of what made Seoul hotel staycations attractive during that period.

For under KRW 200,000, I received a clean Seoul Tower-view room with a bathtub, a generous Executive Lounge dinner, breakfast for two and consistently friendly service.

That stay deserved 8.5/10.

The current Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Myeongdong offers several useful improvements, including water purifiers, THE 22 and a Seoul Station shuttle. MoMo Café also remains a genuine strength.

But the Executive Lounge is gone, the rooms have not been fully renovated, and typical prices are now far higher.

Under current conditions, my provisional value assessment is 6.7/10.

It was once a practical central Seoul hotel with unusually generous benefits. Today, it is a competent hotel whose location, room condition and price must do considerably more work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Myeongdong the same hotel as Courtyard Seoul Namdaemun?

Yes. The hotel was renamed Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Myeongdong in March 2026 and remains in the same building.

Does Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Myeongdong have an Executive Lounge?

No. The former 22nd-floor Executive Lounge is no longer operating. THE 22 Namdaemun Bakery & Bar now occupies the upper-floor space.

Do Platinum Elite members receive breakfast?

Eligible Marriott Bonvoy Platinum members and above currently receive breakfast at MoMo Café, subject to the hotel’s current elite-benefit rules.

Is the hotel actually in Myeongdong?

It is within walking distance of Myeongdong, but Namdaemun Market is closer. Hoehyeon, City Hall and Euljiro 1-ga are the most practical nearby subway stations.

Is Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Myeongdong worth the current price?

It can be convenient for travellers prioritising Namdaemun, City Hall and central Seoul. At rates above KRW 300,000, however, I would compare it carefully with hotels located more directly inside Myeongdong.

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