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Walkerhill Douglas House
Seoul, South Korea · Walkerhill · Accessible Luxury
Kim Swoo-geun's Douglas House is the MacArthur wing of a resort that opened in April 1963 as five hotels, each named for an American general: MacArthur, Ridgway, Taylor, Van Fleet, and Lemnitzer. The hill itself belongs to Walton Walker. The villa sits in the trees on Achasan above the Han, and in April 2018 it returned from a long run as the Douglas Executive Club as a house that turns away anyone under thirteen. Most rooms have a terrace. You book the mountain. The river is the upgrade.
- 52 rooms
- Opened 1963
- Neighborhood: Gwangjang-dong
- Architect: Kim Swoo-geun
About Walkerhill Douglas House
- SK Group bought Walkerhill in March 1973. The resort's own history dates the purchase to that month, after a first decade built for foreign guests and American troops stationed in Seoul.
- Louis Armstrong was among the Americans who played the Walkerhill Show in the early years. The grounds stayed lit through the city curfew, and the casino on the hill was one of the things the city would not allow downtown.
- There are 52 rooms now. Before the 2018 redesign, an expansion had already taken the villa to 65.
- You cannot drive to the door. Guests come up by shuttle, the minibar drinks and snacks are included, and an extra bed is not available.
History
Walkerhill opened in April 1963 on Achasan, named for Lt. Gen. Walton H. Walker of the Eighth Army. Five hotels stood there at the start, each named for an American general: Douglas MacArthur, Matthew Ridgway, Maxwell Taylor, James Van Fleet, and Lyman Lemnitzer. Kim Swoo-geun designed Douglas House, and it opened on 8 April, the same day as the hill. He also designed the Hilltop Bar, now Pizza Hill.
The annex later ran as the Douglas Executive Club. It was remodeled in August 1989, and more rooms were added in 1993. In April 2018 the club was rebuilt and the Douglas House name came back, aimed at quiet adult stays. Children under thirteen are not admitted. SK Group has owned the resort since March 1973. The address is 177 Walkerhill-ro, Gwangjin-gu.
The setting
Gwangjang-dong, at 177 Walkerhill-ro, is the forested side of Achasan above the Han, across the ridge from the denser city. Grand Walkerhill and Vista Walkerhill share the campus. Douglas is the quieter annex: cars stop short, and a shuttle finishes the trip. The booking default is the mountain view. The Han is an upgrade. The restaurants are in the main building on the shared campus.
Restaurants and bars
- Myongwolgwan — Restaurant · Korean
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