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Swimming on a Seoul roof is a June to August plan, since average highs fall to 11.9°C in November and 4.2°C in December. Of the four hotels with a rooftop pool here, only Hamilton Hotel sells day passes. One is guests only, and two don't publish who can swim.
Our first pick is Hilton Garden Inn Gangnam: a heated pool up on the 18th floor, limited to 40 people per session, for guests only. Hamilton Hotel is the easier route if you aren't staying, with day passes sold on myguideseoul.com, though the pool sits on the 5th floor and the pass price isn't shown.
Heated 18th-floor pool for guests only, closed in winter
4-star hotel, rated 4.5 on Google (1,260 reviews)
Sample photo, not Hilton Garden Inn Gangnam. Jose Monica, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
18thfloor pool
Who can swim
Hotel guests only
Day pass
No
Heated
Heated
Season
Seasonal, April to October; closed in winter
Why it's here. Book here if you're staying anyway and want a heated pool high up. It's on the 18th floor and limited to 40 people per session, but it closes in winter and non-guests can't use it.
This is an outdoor rooftop pool on the 18th floor of the hotel at 253 Gangnam-daero, Seocho District. It is heated, and the hotel has a children's pool on the same roof. Season is the limit: the hotel has announced a winter closure.
Best forFamilies staying in Gangnam who want a heated pool plus a children's pool on the roof.
Skip it ifYou aren't staying overnight or are visiting between November and March.
Heated 18th-floor garden pool with jacuzzis and a sauna
4-star hotel, rated 4.2 on Google (1,991 reviews)
Sample photo, not Somerset Palace. Alexandre Ultré, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
18thfloor pool
Who can swim
Access not published
Day pass
No
Heated
Heated
Season
Seasonal outdoor pool, open during summer season
Why it's here. Pick this for a heated pool in a rooftop garden on the 18th floor, with jacuzzis and a sauna nearby. Access rules aren't published, so confirm before you count on a swim.
This heated outdoor pool sits in a rooftop garden on the 18th floor, at 7 Yulgok-ro 2-gil, Jongno District. The garden has greenery, lounge seats and jacuzzis, with city views. It is seasonal, open in summer.
Best forFamilies and couples who want a heated garden pool with jacuzzis in Jongno.
Skip it ifYou want a confirmed day pass or a pool that's open outside summer.
Gangnam rooftop pool with a poolside bar, few details published
4-star hotel, rated 4.1 on Google (267 reviews)
Sample photo, not Grammos Hotel. Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Access not published
Day pass
No
Heated
Not published
Season
Seasonal outdoor pool; open months not stated
Why it's here. Choose this only if you're drawn to the location and the poolside bar. Floor, access, season and heating are all unpublished, which makes it the hardest pool on our list to plan around.
This is a rooftop pool at 6-5 Teheran-ro 33-gil, Gangnam District, and the hotel has a poolside bar on site. No floor is given, so there's no height to compare. Seasonal opening and who can swim are also unstated.
Best forGuests already booked in Gangnam who like a bar next to the pool.
Skip it ifYou need a confirmed floor, day pass or opening dates.
The one pool on our list you can buy a day pass for
3-star hotel, rated 4 on Google (1,567 reviews)
Sample photo, not Hamilton Hotel. Hu Totya, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
5thfloor pool
Who can swim
Non-guests can swim
Day pass
Sold, price varies
Heated
Not published
Season
End of May to early September each year, dates shift with weather
Why it's here. The easiest pool in Seoul for non-guests: day passes are sold on myguideseoul.com. It's an outdoor pool on the 5th floor in Itaewon, so it's low, and the pass price isn't shown on the seller's page.
The pool is outdoors, atop the 5th floor of the hotel at 179 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan District. It's a modest height compared with the 18th-floor pools on our list. Weekends are busier than weekdays.
Best forTravelers who want a pool day in Itaewon without paying for a room.
Skip it ifYou want a high floor, a heated pool or a quiet weekend.
June to August is the best three months for a rooftop swim in Seoul. Aim for those months if the swim is what you're traveling for.
Winter is a poor bet. Average highs are 11.9°C in November, 4.2°C in December and 2.1°C in January. Hilton Garden Inn Gangnam is heated but closes in winter. Somerset Palace has heating too, but no season is published, so ask the hotel before you plan a cold-month swim. We have no event dates for Seoul to flag.
Average daily highs: November 12°C (53°F), December 4°C (40°F), January 2°C (36°F). The warmest stretch for swimming is Jun–Aug.
Hotels you might expect here, and why they're not
These six hotels come up in Seoul pool searches, but their pools are indoors or not placed on a roof, so they aren't on the list.
The Westin Josun Seoul. The pool is described as indoor, inside the City Athletic Club. No source places it on the roof or on a top-floor terrace, so it does not meet the rooftop criteria.
Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul. No roof or top-floor pool is stated. The hotel's site mentions indoor and outdoor pools without locations, plus in-room relaxation pools.
Amanti Seoul Hotel. None of the sources mention a swimming pool. The only rooftop facility cited is a rooftop track on the highest floor, which is not a pool.
Le Méridien Seoul, Myeongdong. Sources describe only an indoor pool. None place it on the roof or a top-floor terrace, so it is not confirmed as rooftop.
Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas. The hotel's own site describes an indoor pool ("our indoor pool") and never places the pool on a roof or top-floor terrace. Pool is not rooftop.
Fraser Place Central Seoul. The hotel's own pages describe an indoor swimming pool with no roof or top-floor placement. The Panorama rooftop bar is mentioned separately, with no pool attached.
Seoul rooftop pools: questions people ask
Which Seoul hotels let non-guests use the rooftop pool?
One does for certain: Hamilton Hotel sells day passes on myguideseoul.com for its outdoor 5th-floor pool, and the price isn't shown there. Hilton Garden Inn Gangnam is guests only. Somerset Palace and Grammos Hotel don't publish their access rules.
Are any Seoul rooftop pools heated or open in winter?
Two are heated: Hilton Garden Inn Gangnam and Somerset Palace. Hilton closes in winter. Somerset Palace doesn't publish its season, so confirm with the hotel. Heating isn't published for Hamilton Hotel or Grammos Hotel.
Which Seoul hotel has the highest rooftop pool?
Two publish an 18th-floor pool: Hilton Garden Inn Gangnam and Somerset Palace. Hamilton Hotel's pool is on the 5th floor. Grammos Hotel doesn't publish its floor.
Are any Seoul rooftop pools family-friendly or adults-only?
No hotel on our list publishes an adults-only rule or a family policy. Hilton Garden Inn Gangnam caps its pool at 40 people per session, which is the only usage limit published.
How can I swim in a Seoul rooftop pool for the least money?
No price is published for any of the four. The only pay-per-visit option is the Hamilton Hotel day pass on myguideseoul.com, and its price isn't shown on that page. The other three need a stay or a call to the hotel.
