Lotte City Hotel Jeju Review: A Family-Friendly Stay in the Heart of Jeju City
Lotte City Hotel Jeju Review: A Family-Friendly Stay in the Heart of Jeju City
If you’re looking for a hotel that puts you in the middle of Jeju City rather than tucked away in a resort area, Lotte City Hotel Jeju is worth a serious look. It’s about 40 minutes from where we live, sitting in the middle of what counts as Jeju’s “skyline” — and we ended up there for a stay that doubled as both our wedding anniversary and our daughter’s birthday celebration, since the two fall just two days apart.
This review covers the Deluxe Family Twin Room, the pool and sauna facilities, and a few important changes worth knowing about before you book.
1. About Lotte City Hotel Jeju
1) Location and What’s Nearby
Lotte City Hotel Jeju sits in Jeju City, surrounded by what feels like Jeju’s version of a downtown skyline — a notably different setting from the resort-style hotels clustered around Jungmun. The hotel is about a 5-minute drive from Jeju International Airport, with easy access to Hallasan General Hospital and Lotte Mart nearby.
2) A Building With Some History
Lotte City Hotel Jeju was built on the former site of the Jeju Ilbo headquarters, with a total construction cost of around 160 billion KRW. The building spans four basement floors and 22 above-ground floors, with a height of 89.95 metres. Construction began in June 2011 and the hotel opened in February 2014. Before Jeju Dream Tower was completed, this was actually the tallest building on the island.
3) The Lobby and Layout
Check-in is on the 6th floor, which also functions as a hub for several hotel facilities — conference rooms, the pool, a coin laundry, and an outdoor terrace are all clustered around this level.
2. The Deluxe Family Twin Room: What to Expect
1) Room Configuration
We stayed in a Deluxe Family Twin Room with mountain view, on the 16th floor. This room type officially accommodates 3 guests, with a combination of a queen bed and a super single bed — a practical setup for a parent and child sharing a room, or a small family.
2) A Note on the View Lotte City Hotel Jeju
One detail worth mentioning: the view from the hallway just outside our room was genuinely striking, but the room itself didn’t have a direct line to that same view. If a specific view matters to you, it may be worth confirming the exact room location at check-in rather than assuming based on room category alone.
3) Family-Friendly Touches
We’d requested a bed guard rail in advance, and it was already installed when we arrived — a small thing, but a reassuring sign of attentiveness for families traveling with young children.
4) In-Room Amenities Lotte City Hotel Jeju
The room includes a TV and desk facing the bed, with a mini fridge and tea supplies in the cabinet below. The hotel also offers complimentary rental items for guests — including multi-plugs and voltage converters (220V–110V) — available and returnable at the front desk.
5) An Important Update on Bathroom Amenities
This is a meaningful change worth knowing about: as part of an environmental initiative, Lotte City Hotel Jeju no longer provides disposable amenities such as toothbrushes and toothpaste. Pack your own — don’t assume they’ll be in the bathroom.
3. The Pool and Sauna: What’s Changed
1) A Major Renovation
If you’ve read older reviews of this hotel, the pool situation has changed significantly. The pool underwent a five-month renovation from January to May 2023. The renovated outdoor pool now spans 296㎡, with raised deck heights and fewer visual obstructions for a more open feel. A new seating zone and sunbed area were added, with 44 sunbeds now available for guest use.
2) Pool Now Requires a Separate Fee
Here’s the change that matters most if you’re planning your visit around the pool: the 6th-floor outdoor pool, which was previously included for guests, now charges an entry fee of KRW 12,000 per person (adults and children alike), valid for one use during your stay. This is a notable shift from previous years when pool access was simply included with your room — and it’s one of the most frequently mentioned points in recent guest reviews, so it’s worth setting expectations before you arrive.
3) Seasonal Operating Hours
Pool hours vary considerably by season, and it’s worth checking before you book if the pool is a priority:
a) January–March: Pool closed for the season
b) April–June: 11:30 AM – 9:00 PM (break 6:30–7:00 PM)
c) July–August: Split into two sessions — 10:00 AM–7:30 PM, and 8:00–10:00 PM (adults only for the evening session)
d) September–December: 11:30 AM – 9:00 PM (break 6:30–7:00 PM)
4) Water Temperature and What’s Allowed
The outdoor pool maintains an average water temperature of 28–30°C and is reserved for hotel guests only — swimwear is required. Large inflatable toys such as flamingo or dolphin floats are not permitted, along with snorkeling gear and fins — only small children’s floats are allowed. A swim cap isn’t mandatory, though a sun hat is worth bringing given how strong the daytime sun can be.
5) The Sauna — A Genuine Highlight
Right next to the pool, the dry sauna turned out to be one of our favourite details. After being in the warm pool water, stepping out into the open air can feel surprisingly chilly — the sauna is perfectly positioned for warming back up between swims. Our younger child, in particular, kept dragging us back in.
6) The View From the Pool
The pool area offers a genuinely impressive ocean-adjacent view, with Jeju Dream Tower visible from the pool deck, and at night, the runway lights of Jeju International Airport stretching along the coastline — easy to mistake for fishing boats at first glance.
4. Dining and Other Facilities
1) Breakfast
Breakfast is served buffet-style at C’Cafe on the 22nd floor, from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM, priced at KRW 30,000 for adults and KRW 22,000 for children (ages 4–12) when purchased on-site.
2) Coin Laundry
A coin laundry is located near the pool entrance on the 6th floor — a genuinely practical detail for longer stays or families traveling with young children who go through a lot of clothing changes.
3) Fitness Center
The fitness center is on the 7th floor, open from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Workout clothing and shoes need to be brought individually.
5. Our Anniversary Stay: A Personal Note
1) Two Celebrations, One Trip
Our wedding anniversary and our daughter’s birthday fall just two days apart, which means the anniversary almost always gets quietly overshadowed by the birthday celebrations — and this trip was no exception, in the best possible way.
2) The Cake Situation
We’d brought a cake along, but it was too large for the in-room mini fridge, so we left it with the front desk at check-in and picked it up later that evening with our claim ticket — a simple system that worked without any hassle.
3) A Small Birthday Setup
We blew up a few balloons we’d brought along and improvised a “Happy Birthday” garland using the room’s curtains. Our daughter’s birthday gift was an Olaf plush toy — something she’d spotted at Daiso weeks earlier and hadn’t stopped asking for since.
4) The Cake Itself
The cheesecake, topped with a few slices of fig, ended up being one of the best cheesecakes either of us has had — tart crust included, which our younger child actually preferred over the cake layer itself.
5) Our Own Quiet Celebration
For our actual anniversary — the 10th — we kept it simple: the same “Happy” garland repurposed (minus the “Birthday”), a bottle of wine my husband had recently received as a gift, and a small snack from Daiso. A quiet toast to “still going strong.”
Who Should Stay at Lotte City Hotel Jeju?
This hotel works particularly well for:
- Families wanting a central Jeju City location rather than a resort-area stay
- Travelers who value a renovated, well-maintained pool and sauna combination
- Anyone celebrating a special occasion who appreciates small front-desk accommodations (like holding a cake)
- Business travelers needing proximity to the airport and city center
For travelers specifically chasing resort-style amenities like kids’ clubs or extensive water park features, the Jungmun-area resort hotels may be a better fit — Lotte City Hotel Jeju is more of a polished, practical city hotel with a genuinely good pool as a bonus.
FAQ
Q1. Does Lotte City Hotel Jeju have a pool, and is it free for guests?
Yes, the hotel has a renovated outdoor heated pool on the 6th floor. As of recent updates, pool access requires a separate fee of KRW 12,000 per person (one use per stay), which is a change from previous years when it was included with the room. The pool is closed from January to March and operates on a seasonal schedule the rest of the year.
Q2. Does Lotte City Hotel Jeju provide toiletries like toothbrushes?
No. As part of an environmental sustainability initiative, the hotel no longer provides disposable amenities such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, or razors. Guests should bring their own.
Q3. What room types does Lotte City Hotel Jeju offer for families?
The Deluxe Family Twin Room is the primary family-oriented option, accommodating up to 3 guests with a queen bed and super single bed combination, available with ocean or mountain views. Standard rooms with double, twin, or triple bed configurations are also available for 2–3 guests.
