Hotel Susung is the hotel people in Daegu name first when you ask where to swim outdoors in the middle of the city. It sits directly above Suseongmot (Suseong Lake), and its two signature features are a rooftop infinity hot-spring pool that runs year round and an in-room mini onsen pool fed by the same spring water.

I stayed one night with my wife and our baby, and we ended up in the water three times in under 24 hours. This guide covers the history behind the hotel and the lake, the rooms, the rooftop pool and its rules, the 5th-floor spa floor (and one restriction that catches families out), breakfast at Four Seasons, rates, and how to get there.

A quick word on Daegu & Suseongmot

Daegu is Korea’s fourth-largest city, about 1 hour 50 minutes from Seoul Station by KTX to Dongdaegu Station. It rarely makes a first-time itinerary, which is exactly why it is pleasant — big-city food and coffee without Seoul’s queues.

Suseong-gu, on the south-east side of the city, is Daegu’s leafy district, and Suseongmot (수성못) is its centre of gravity: a lake ringed by a walking path, cherry trees, cafés and restaurants, with a musical fountain in the evenings. Hotel Susung sits on the slope directly above it.

A little history — the lake came first

Suseongmot is not a natural lake. It was built as an irrigation reservoir: construction began in 1925 and finished on 24 April 1927, after repeated floods and droughts had been ruining the farmland on the Suseong plain. The project was driven by a Japanese settler named Mizusaki Rintaro, working with funding from the colonial Government-General. He died in 1939 and is buried beside the water he made.

The numbers are still substantial: roughly 1.06 million square metres of surface, a 2 km shoreline loop, and a capacity of about 700,000 tonnes. The farmland it was built to water is long gone, replaced by apartment towers, and the reservoir became a city park instead. When Daegu Metro Line 3 opened in 2015, cafés and restaurants filled in around the shore and the lake turned into one of the city’s most-visited evening spots.

Hotel Susung grew up alongside it. The lobby wall carries the line “Since 1960, Daegu” — this has been a hot-spring hotel here for over six decades, long before the infinity pool and the Instagram photos. That is the part I find interesting: the pool everyone comes for now sits on top of a spa resort that has been quietly working the same spring water since the 1960s.

Location & how to get there

Address: 106-7 Yonghak-ro, Suseong-gu, Daegu (대구 수성구 용학로 106-7)
Phone: 1899-1001

The nearest station is Suseongmot Station on Metro Line 3, at the lake. The hotel is up the slope from there, so most people take a taxi for the last stretch — it is a short, cheap ride from the station or from Dongdaegu. Show a driver the Korean name 호텔수성 and you are fine.

Coming back down to the lake on foot looks daunting because of the hill, but there is a shortcut worth knowing: from the hotel car park a sky bridge crosses into the Hotel Susung Square building, and an elevator inside drops you at lake level. We used it with a stroller without any trouble.

There is a dedicated car park. If you drive, register your plate by QR at the front desk — and note that registration is single-use, so you have to do it again if you exit and come back.

Lobby & first impression

The lobby is tall and quiet, with one wall given over to Korean calligraphy and a lounge area facing straight into the hillside forest. Two lifts flank the check-in desk — one for the old wing, one for the new wing — so check which one you need before you load up the luggage.

The rooms

New-wing rooms sit on floors 11 to 13. Ours was a twin, and the thing that mattered most to us was simple: it was big. Two beds, luggage spread across the floor, and still enough clear space for a crawling baby. The floor is a wood finish rather than carpet, which made it easier to let him move around.

There is a small sofa and table at the window, and the window is filled with trees. Rooms are sold as mountain view or lake view, and the lake-view side costs more.

A coffee machine, kettle, cups and tea bags are tucked into a drawer. The bathroom has a separate shower area and a wide vanity with room to put things down.

Three things to know before you pack. The bath products are Atelier Cologne and they smell good — but under Korean waste-reduction rules they are refillable dispensers, so you cannot take them, and you will be charged if you do. There are no toothbrushes or razors in the room; they are sold for ₩2,000 each. And extra towels are ₩1,000 each, which matters more than it sounds when you are swimming several times in one stay.

The in-room mini onsen pool — the part I did not expect

Hotel Susung calls it a mini onsen pool, and it is filled with the hotel’s own hot-spring water. Everyone books this place for the rooftop, but with a baby we used the room far more.

The reason is logistics. Getting to the rooftop means swimsuits, a lift, a changing floor, and a cold walk back. In the room you just run the water. We floated a baby ring in it and it became a private pool. We used it before going up to the rooftop and again before bed.

One important caveat: the mini onsen pool depends on the room type, so check that the room you book actually includes one. House rules also ask you to keep the blind closed, skip bath salts, and never leave the water running while you go out — flooding damage is charged to the room.

What is on each floor

• PH floor — rooftop, four-season infinity hot-spring pool, food court
• PP floor — infinity pool changing rooms
• 13F / 12F — new wing guest rooms
• 11F — new wing guest rooms, Executive & VIP membership lounge
• 5F — sauna, indoor swimming pool, fitness, Four Seasons restaurant

Important: the 5th floor is adults only

This is the one thing I would want to know in advance. The 5th-floor sauna and indoor swimming pool are no-kids zones — children are not admitted. They also carry a separate charge on top of your room, settled at check-out, so ask at the front desk for current pricing.

So if you are travelling with a child, your water options are the rooftop infinity pool and the in-room onsen pool — two, not three. Plenty of listings mention an “indoor pool” without mentioning the age rule.

The rooftop infinity hot-spring pool

This is the reason the hotel is famous. It is free for staying guests — you are given a red wristband at check-in and wear it to get in.

The pool is split into two zones, and the sign at the top explains it: the East Zone takes room guests, public guests and the kids’ pool, while the West Zone is room guests, members and adults only. With a child you want the East Zone. I liked that the split exists — nobody is in anybody’s way.

And then the view. The waterline runs straight out toward Suseongmot and the Daegu skyline, with the mountains behind — lake and city in one frame. There are palm trees planted around the deck, which is a cheerful bit of nonsense this far from the tropics.

Because the water is spring-fed and warm, air temperature matters much less than you would expect — this is an outdoor pool that works in the cold months, which is unusual in Korea. There are also jacuzzi sections around the pool to warm up in. We went on a weekday afternoon and it was calm enough to drift around with the baby.

Rules worth reading before you go up:

• Open 15:00–21:00 only — no access before check-in or after check-out, so plan your swim for the afternoon you arrive
• Swimsuit and the red wristband are required
• Life vests or arm floats only for children
• Change and shower in your room, not at the pool
• No outside food or drink
• Sunbeds are a paid rental
• The rooftop food court is not open year round — it was closed during our stay, so don’t count on buying lunch up there

Breakfast at Four Seasons (5F)

Breakfast is a buffet at Four Seasons on the 5th floor of the new wing, 07:00–09:30 with last entry at 09:00. Miss nine o’clock and you don’t get in, which is easy to do on a lazy morning.

One rule catches people out: you cannot come down in the room robe or slippers. Get dressed. You give your room number at the door.

The window wall is the best thing about this breakfast. Suseongmot, the far ridge and the city all sit in the glass, and at 5 floors up the angle over the lake is just right. Window tables start filling around 8am, so come early if you want one.

On variety, be realistic: this is not a sprawling five-star spread. What it does have is a sensible set of corners — eggs, bacon, sausage and chicken tenders; curry and fried rice; a Korean side-dish and soup section with rice, bulgogi and mixed fish cake; rice noodle soup; salads with several dressings; bread, cereal and pastries; fruit and yoghurt; juices and a self-serve espresso machine.

For families there is a dedicated kids’ corner with easy things like rice balls and mini hot dogs, plus child-sized trays, cutlery and cups already set out — we brought nothing and needed nothing. High chairs are available too.

Four Seasons also runs brunch and dinner, and there are three private rooms that combine to seat around 50 — locally it gets used for first-birthday parties and company dinners.

Around the hotel & for families

The obvious move after check-out is the lake. The Suseongmot loop is about 2 km, flat, and lined with cafés and restaurants, so it is an easy walk with a stroller once you have taken the sky-bridge shortcut down. Evenings are the busy, pretty time.

Practical family notes from the lobby lounge: there is a microwave and an ice machine (useful for baby food and bottles) and a 24-hour convenience store — card only between 23:00 and 08:00. Food delivery has to be collected outside the lobby rather than brought to your door.

Quick facts — rates & operations

• Check-in / out: 15:00 / 11:00. Late check-out ₩20,000 per hour
• Room rate: roughly ₩200,000 on weekdays, around ₩350,000 at weekends — varies by date and room type. We paid the low-200,000s on a weekday, which felt like the smart way to book this hotel
• Rooftop infinity hot-spring pool: 15:00–21:00, free for staying guests, red wristband required, sunbeds extra
• In-room mini onsen pool: depends on room type — confirm when booking
• 5F sauna / indoor pool / fitness: separate charge, settled at check-out. Sauna and indoor pool are no-kids
• Breakfast: Four Seasons 5F, 07:00–09:30 (last entry 09:00). Guest rate ₩23,000 adult, ₩17,000 elementary, ₩10,000 preschool, free under 36 months
• Restaurant reservations: Naver reservation, CatchTable, or extension 777
• Parking: on-site, register by QR at the front desk, re-register after exiting
• In room: free Wi-Fi, charger loan at the desk, extra towels ₩1,000 each, no toothbrush or razor supplied (₩2,000 each), smoking penalty ₩200,000
• Address / phone: 106-7 Yonghak-ro, Suseong-gu, Daegu · 1899-1001

Frequently asked questions

Is the rooftop infinity pool open in winter?
Yes. It is a four-season hot-spring pool, so the water stays warm and it runs through the cold months. Hours are 15:00–21:00 year round.

Do guests pay extra for the rooftop pool?
No, it is included for staying guests — you wear the red wristband you get at check-in. Sunbeds are a separate paid rental.

Can children use the pools?
Children are welcome in the rooftop pool’s East Zone, which has a kids’ pool. However the 5th-floor sauna and indoor swimming pool do not admit children, so with a child your options are the rooftop and your in-room onsen pool.

Can I bring a swim ring for my child?
Only life vests or arm floats are permitted at the rooftop pool.

Does every room have the onsen pool?
No — it depends on the room type. If the in-room hot-spring bath is why you are booking, confirm it before you pay.

How do I get to Suseong Lake from the hotel?
Walk through the sky bridge from the car park into the Hotel Susung Square building and take the elevator down; it puts you at lake level without the hill. Stroller-friendly.

How far is Daegu from Seoul?
About 1 hour 50 minutes by KTX from Seoul Station to Dongdaegu Station, then a short taxi ride to the hotel.

The bottom line

Hotel Susung is not the newest hotel in Daegu and it does not pretend to be. What it has is spring water, a 60-year head start, and a rooftop that looks out over a lake dug in the 1920s — a combination no new build in the city can copy.

Book it for the water. The rooftop pool earns its reputation, but the in-room onsen pool is the one that made the stay work with a baby, and it is the detail I would tell a friend about first. Check the room type includes it, book a weekday, and know that the 5th floor is off-limits to kids before you arrive.

Written by WY, a Seoul-based local sharing honest, first-hand guides to Korea. Nothing here is sponsored; I go and pay my own way. More about me →