The Grand Lotte Seoul reopens with French flair, chocolate scent and roomier suites

"This is the new room type we're introducing for families."

On Friday afternoon, a reporter visited the Superior Suite Family Twin Room on the 21st floor of The Grand Lotte Seoul's main tower in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul. The room is one of several new categories added as Lotte Hotel Seoul — with nearly 50 years of history — completed a 15-month renovation and relaunched under the classic luxury brand name The Grand Lotte.

Opening the door, guests are greeted by a sweeping view of the Seoul cityscape, Namsan and N Seoul Tower. The room itself is decorated in a bright white palette. At 57.7 square meters, it is divided into a living area, bedroom and bathroom. Two sliding doors separate the living and sleeping spaces, striking a balance between openness and privacy.

The living area features a dining table for light meals or refreshments in place of a work desk. The bedroom, which holds two beds, is furnished with the HEON mattress — co-developed by Lotte Hotel and Simmons — and goose-down bedding. Guests can choose from five pillow types, including buckwheat, memory foam and wool. French-style interiors are accented throughout with Korean elements such as celadon ceramics and contemporary Korean artworks.

The most significant change at The Grand Lotte Seoul, which Lotte Hotels & Resorts reopened on Aug. 14, is the room configuration. Floors 7 through 9 of the main tower — which spans floors 7 to 21 — were converted to lease space, reducing the total room count from 737 to 590. The previous lineup of 451 superior, 246 deluxe, 39 suite and 1 royal suite rooms has been replaced with 205 superior and grand superior rooms, 321 deluxe and grand deluxe rooms, 25 suite family twin rooms, 38 suites and 1 royal suite.

With fewer rooms, each unit is now more spacious. Given the hotel's location — a popular destination for foreign tourists — the property aimed to deliver what it calls "quiet, refined hospitality." A Lotte Hotels & Resorts official said the team paid close attention to multiple details, including the expanded per-room floor area and the placement of at least two artworks in every deluxe room and above.

The spatial design has also been overhauled. French interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon led the project, weaving together a French luxury sensibility with Korean aesthetic elements. Colors, materials and furniture design flow consistently from the elevator lobby through the corridors and into the guest rooms.

Touches evoking Lotte's heritage — rooted in central Seoul since 1979 — are woven throughout the property. A large floral installation in the center of the lobby uses the brand's signature navy, light blue and gold palette. Staff uniforms have been redesigned in neat navy incorporating the collar and neckband details of traditional Korean dress. Along the path from the lobby to the elevators, the hotel diffuses a chocolate scent inspired by Lotte's Gana Chocolate brand.

The main tower lobby now displays a new series of works from "Pyeongmyeong Conditions" by Choi Myung-young, a first-generation Korean monochrome painter. Guests on the room floors can view Park Seo-bo's "Ecriture No. 20-22" and works by Yoo Choong-mok. A Lotte Hotels & Resorts official said the response since the reopening has been strong, with weekend occupancy rates exceeding 85 percent in each of the first two weeks.