5 Seoul Hotels That Work for Families with Kids Aged 9 and 5 (Novotel Dongdaemun and More)

For a family of four including two children aged 9 and 5, the right hotel depends on whether the bedrooms are separate, whether there's a kitchen, and whether the pool has an age restriction. A 9 year old wants a bedroom that feels like their own space, while a 5 year old is at the age where a pool or play area matters, so it makes sense to start by narrowing down properties that satisfy both conditions at once. From Long Weekend Haus DDP, a Dongdaemun area property where every room comes with a kitchen, to a hotel just a 5 minute walk from Myeongdong Station, here are five properties lined up by condition.

Fraser Place Central Seoul

Fraser Place Central Seoul is located at 78 Tongil-ro, Jung-gu, within walking distance of Seoul Station (Lines 1 and 4) and a 10 minute walk from City Hall Station. It's a serviced apartment offering everything from Studio Twin rooms (34㎡, capacity 2) up to a One Bedroom Superior Deluxe (68㎡). According to data updated in August 2026 on momondo, rates have been observed ranging from $103 to $632 per night.

There's an indoor heated pool, a jacuzzi, and a sauna, and each room's kitchen comes with a refrigerator. Breakfast is buffet style with an additional charge of 36,000 won for adults and 22,000 won for children (as listed on Travelocity, checked in 2026).

Under the children's policy, one child under 6 can stay free, while a second child under 6 or any child aged 7 or older incurs an additional charge (per Booking.com conditions). Families of four should book a One Bedroom unit or larger rather than a Studio.

This suits families who want to use both the pool and a kitchen, but bringing a pet incurs an additional charge of 44,000 won per night.

Long Weekend Haus DDP

Long Weekend Haus DDP is located at 15-3 Ssanglim-dong, Jung-gu, in the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) area. Room 201, the Dining Suite (base occupancy 2, max 4, 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 35㎡), can accommodate a family of four as is. Based on the official site as checked on 2026-09-14, a surcharge equivalent to 10,000 yen per night is added for each person beyond the base occupancy.

Check in is at 15:00 and check out at 11:00. Every room uses a self check in kiosk, so you don't need to worry about front desk hours even with a late arrival. If your itinerary has you arriving from Incheon in the evening, this point directly affects how easy the schedule is to build.

All 12 rooms have their own independent kitchen, letting you prepare a 5 year old's breakfast at your own pace. Free Wi-Fi is included in every room, free cancellation is available up to 14 days before check in (Flex rate plan), and a 10% discount for stays of 3 nights or more is listed as an official booking perk.

• The Mars Suites in rooms 202, 302, and 402 have a base occupancy of 3 and a max of 6 (2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 44㎡), accommodating groups of 6 such as when grandparents join.
• Only the Penthouse in room 702 has a base occupancy of 4 and a max of 8 (3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 69㎡), so large family use is limited to this room type.
• The guest rating aggregated by Trip.com is 9.5/10 (66 reviews, checked 2026-09-14).

Since the booking condition requires the lead guest to be at least 19 years old, the reservation must be made under a parent's name. All rooms are non-smoking and pets are not allowed, which suits families who want a quiet stay.

Orakai Insadong Suites

Orakai Insadong Suites is located in Insadong, Jongno-gu, a 10 minute walk from Anguk Station (Line 3), with Jongno 3-ga Station also accessible. It's an apartment hotel with 213 rooms in total, including 3 Bedroom Deluxe Apartments. On the aggregator site makemytrip, as checked on 2026-09-18, rooms could be booked from around $367 per night.

In addition to an indoor pool, there's a children's pool and a children's playroom, giving a 5 year old somewhere to play on site. Each room has a kitchen with an oven, refrigerator, and washing machine, and an additional charge applies at check in for extra guests aged 6 and up.

Apartments with 2 or more bedrooms have separate bedrooms, making it easy to give both the 9 year old and 5 year old siblings a sense of their own space. Having a 7-Eleven across the street is also handy for late night shopping.

Reviews aggregated by Trip.com note that some rooms are somewhat dated and that cleaning is limited to certain days of the week (aggregated comments based on 33 reviews).

Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences

Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences sits next to the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), in a location served by three subway lines. It consists of a 331 room hotel wing and a 192 room residence wing with kitchens and washing machines, for 523 rooms in total. On hotels.com, as checked on 2026-09-18 (based on a December 15 stay), rates are shown from around $180 per night.

The rooftop outdoor pool is the only rooftop pool in the Dongdaemun area, but use is limited to those 19 and older (as stated on the official site, accor.com). The indoor pool has no stated age restriction, and the outdoor pool operates seasonally from April to October.

The Kids Zone requires a reservation and can be used only once per day, and the pool, fitness center, and Kids Zone are all closed on the first Tuesday of every month. One child aged 15 or under can stay free when using existing bedding (per conditions listed on Qantas Hotels).

Choosing the residence wing lets your family stay multiple nights in a room with a kitchen and washing machine. Keep in mind you'll need to plan around the split use case of parents only in the outdoor pool and the whole family in the indoor pool.

Four Points by Sheraton Josun, Seoul Myeongdong

Four Points by Sheraton Josun, Seoul Myeongdong is located in Jung-gu, a 5 minute walk from Myeongdong Station and a 6 minute walk from Myeongdong Cathedral. The Family Room accommodates up to 4 guests, and on planetofhotels, as checked on 2026-05-12, it was listed from $182 per night.

The Family Room comes with air conditioning, a private bathroom, and a city view, and a kids' buffet breakfast is also available. The additional breakfast charge is 40,000 won for adults and 22,000 won for children (as listed on Travelocity).

Children of any age can stay free using existing bedding, but extra beds and cribs are not provided (per conditions listed on both Travelocity and Booking.com). Bedding arrangements for a party of four need to be confirmed before booking.

There's no pool on site, only a fitness center. This is an option for families who prioritize walking distance convenience in Myeongdong and rely on nearby facilities for pool access.

Area and Rate Comparison Table

Sources and Criteria

The family friendly conditions for each property are based on specifications and dates listed on official sites or official booking channels.

• Marriott official site: the Family Room capacity for Four Points by Sheraton Josun, Seoul Myeongdong is stated as "up to 4 guests" (marriott.com, room page).
• Accor official site: Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun has 523 rooms (331 hotel plus 192 residence), the rooftop outdoor pool is limited to those 19 and older, the Kids Zone requires a reservation and allows one use per day, and it's closed on the first Tuesday of every month (all.accor.com).
• Outdoor pool seasonal operation: limited to the period from April through October (all.accor.com).
• ENA Suite Hotel Namdaemun (Korean: 이앤에이 스위트 호텔 남대문), which appears alongside these in comparison searches, is listed on aggregator sites as a property near Myeongdong Station with a pool plus children's pool, rated 9.2/10 (2,156 reviews) (Expedia, checked in 2026).
• Orakai Insadong Suites' children's pool and playroom are listed in the facility descriptions on multiple booking aggregator sites (Trivago, hotels.com, checked in 2026).
• Fraser Place Central Seoul's additional breakfast charge of 36,000 won for adults and 22,000 won for children is listed as an official condition (Travelocity, checked in 2026).
• The room category label "Family Room," which corresponds to searches such as "family friendly hotels Seoul" and "hotels with family rooms Seoul," can be individually confirmed on the official sites of Marriott, Accor, and Frasers Hospitality respectively.

Sources: Long Weekend Haus DDP official page

Sources: Fraser Place Central Seoul official page

Sources: Fraser Place Central Seoul children's policy (Booking.com)

Sources: Fraser Place Central Seoul breakfast charge (Travelocity)

Sources: Orakai Insadong Suites facility information (Booking.com)

Sources: Orakai Insadong Suites rate (makemytrip)

Sources: Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun official page

Sources: Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun facility conditions (all.accor.com)

Sources: Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun free child conditions (Qantas Hotels)

Sources: Four Points by Sheraton Josun, Seoul Myeongdong room information (marriott.com)

Sources: Four Points by Sheraton Josun, Seoul Myeongdong rate (planetofhotels)