North Korea's second-largest hotel features twin 43-story towers with revolving restaurants at the top. Opened in 1985 as the first five-star hotel in the DPRK, it offers international standards with restaurants, bars, swimming pool, billiards, karaoke, and a basement gym.
The Koryo Hotel occupies a prominent position on Changgwang Street in Pyongyang's Central District, roughly 2 km north of Kim Il-sung Square and within easy reach of the Grand People's Study House and the Mansudae Art Theatre. The nearby Chollima Line metro stations provide guided access to other parts of the city during escorted tours. The building's twin 47-story towers, connected by a lower podium structure, were completed in 1985 and immediately became one of Pyongyang's defining landmarks. Designed to serve as the DPRK's flagship international property, the Koryo was marketed as the country's first five-star hotel and continues to be the most frequently cited reference point for visitors describing the city's skyline.
Room categories range from standard doubles on lower floors to suites occupying the upper levels of both towers, where floor-to-ceiling windows frame panoramic views over the city grid and the Taedong River. Furnishings reflect 1980s-era prestige interiors updated through periodic renovations; televisions receive a small number of international satellite channels. Heating is reliable in winter months.
The hotel's dining program sets it apart from most Pyongyang alternatives. Twin revolving restaurants, one atop each tower, rotate slowly through 360 degrees and serve Korean and Chinese menus. The podium level houses a Korean barbecue restaurant, a Japanese-style dining room, a bar with local and imported spirits, and a karaoke lounge.
Leisure facilities include an indoor swimming pool, a gym with standard cardiovascular and weights equipment, billiards, and a basement shopping arcade stocking local stamps, books, handicrafts, and foreign-currency goods. Staffing is formal and professionally presented; guide-mediated service is the norm for foreign guests, consistent with arrangements throughout the country. The hotel works primarily with KITC-authorized tour operators and is well-practiced in handling large group logistics.
Amenities
- pool
- gym
- revolving restaurant
- karaoke
- billiards
- bar
- Korean BBQ restaurant
- Japanese restaurant
Location
Changgwang Street, Central District, Pyongyang
39.0236, 125.7531 View on map
Highlights
- Twin 47-story towers with one of Pyongyang's most recognizable skyline silhouettes
- Revolving rooftop restaurants on each tower offering 360-degree panoramic city views
- Multiple dining venues including Korean barbecue and a Japanese-style restaurant
- Indoor swimming pool, gym, billiards, and karaoke facilities in the podium
- Central location on Changgwang Street within reach of major monuments
Tips for visiting
- Foreign guests pay in hard currency; Euros, Chinese yuan, and US dollars are the most widely accepted denominations.
- Revolving restaurant meals are typically arranged through tour itineraries — confirm timing with the assigned guide rather than booking independently at the desk.
- The basement shopping arcade is one of the better spots in Pyongyang to find philatelic items, propaganda-art prints, and locally published books.
- No internet or Wi-Fi access is available for foreign guests — download all offline maps, reading material, and media before departure from home.
- Evening lighting from the rooftop restaurant provides some of the clearest aerial views of Pyongyang's illuminated boulevards.