From a rooftop high above Gangnam, Seoul stretches out in every direction.

Office towers catch the last of the afternoon light, traffic threads through the avenues below, and in the distance, N Seoul Tower rises above the city. By nightfall, Kloud Rooftop Bar named one of TourScanner’s 50 Best Rooftop Bars in the World, takes on a different energy as the city lights come on below.

This is Seoul south of the Han River, where Gangnam reveals a side of the city worth staying for.

Gangnam is one of Seoul’s busiest business and lifestyle districts, where corporate towers and convention centers sit alongside luxury shopping, restaurants, fashion and entertainment. Stay here rather than simply passing through and its personality changes from one neighborhood to the next.

Cheongdam is Gangnam at its most polished. Its streets bring together global designer flagships, and some of Seoul’s most celebrated dining and drinking. The neighborhood is home to three-Michelin-starred Mingles and two-Michelin-starred Jungsik, both known for contemporary interpretations of Korean cuisine. The cocktail scene has its own international credentials: Zest was named Korea’s best bar and ranked No. 2 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars in 2026, while nearby Alice, hidden behind a flower shop and secret door, came in at No. 13.

Just next door, Apgujeong Rodeo Street shows a younger, more fashion-forward side of Gangnam. Korean designers, independent boutiques and restaurants draw a stylish crowd, while K-Star Road nods to the K-pop stars who helped turn Seoul into a global cultural capital.

In Sinsa, Garosu-gil takes its name from the trees that line the street, more than 160 ginkgo trees that turn a brilliant yellow in autumn. Once a creative enclave of galleries and designer shops, it has grown into one of Seoul’s best-known fashion and lifestyle streets. Today, you can browse Korean brands and K-beauty or wander into the smaller streets of Serosu-gil for cafés and restaurants.

Around Gangnam Station, the energy rises another notch. Office workers pour out after dark into streets packed with restaurants, bars and shops, while an extensive underground shopping arcade offers a more accessible side of Korean fashion and beauty.

And yet some of Gangnam’s most memorable places have little to do with modern Korea.

At Bongeunsa, a Buddhist temple founded in 794, the pace of Gangnam suddenly slows. Lanterns hang beneath traditional eaves while the glass towers of COEX rise just beyond the temple walls. It’s a scene that captures Seoul beautifully: centuries of history alongside a city that is always looking forward.

Nearby, the UNESCO-listed royal tombs of Seonjeongneung offer another pause from the city’s pace. Come autumn, tree-lined paths turn shades of amber and gold around the resting places of Joseon royalty.

In the middle of it all, AC Hotel Seoul Gangnam makes an easy base from which to explore.

Set in Yeoksam, the hotel is contemporary without feeling overly formal. The rooms are modern and thoughtfully designed, with warm interiors and generous windows, an inviting place to return to after a long day in the city. Yeoksam Station is just a few minutes away on foot, making it easy to venture farther across Seoul.

There are also reasons to stay in.

Four of the hotel’s suites, including a top-tier Premier suite, come with their own private pool. Heated for year-round use, they make the property just as suited to a relaxing staycation as to a business trip.

The fitness center is spacious and well equipped, while the sauna offers a welcome reset after hours spent walking Seoul’s streets. Mornings can begin over a leisurely breakfast at AC Kitchen before heading out, with the hotel providing an easy place to recharge between plans.

For business travelers, Yeoksam’s location within Gangnam’s commercial district is an added advantage. The hotel also has meeting and event spaces and a Premier Lounge where eligible guests can work, meet or unwind.

But you don’t need a meeting on your calendar to appreciate the address.

There is plenty to fill a day without leaving Gangnam, from the royal tombs and Starfield Library to shopping in Cheongdam and Sinsa. And when you want the palaces, markets and traditional neighborhoods north of the Han, the rest of Seoul remains within reach by subway or taxi.

By evening, there is good reason to return to the hotel and head upstairs to Kloud for a cocktail as Gangnam lights up below.

And no visit to Gangnam is quite complete without a nod to the song that made its name famous around the world. Outside COEX, visitors pose beneath the giant Gangnam Style sculpture, recreating PSY’s famous dance moves. It’s almost as much fun to watch as it is to join in.

After all, you can’t come all the way to Gangnam and not do a little Gangnam Style.

That’s the pleasure of staying here. Modern Seoul is at your doorstep: fashion, food, beauty, business and nightlife.. with pockets of a much older Korea in between.

AC Hotel Seoul Gangnam makes an ideal base for discovering both.