The 1st Andong Hostel

The owner is fantastic, the facilities are great, and it’s close to the bus terminal. Whenever I go to Andong, this is where I stay.

The bedding smelled awful, which was unbelievable, and there wasn’t even any bottled water. I was also surprised there was no elevator, and wasn’t sure where to shower or why the bedding hadn’t been set up. Getting in was a hassle. The place seemed deserted, and even though I understand Korean, I couldn’t work out what to do without calling. How are people without a Korean phone supposed to manage? It wasn’t that cheap, so I definitely won’t stay here again.

The owner is super friendly and the furnishings are clean. My room ran a bit hot because the air conditioner was weak. I spent most of the day out sightseeing and didn’t ask to move, though I have a hunch the owner would have helped if I’d mentioned the heat. Haha. If I’m back in Andong, this is the first place I’d consider. I looked at other places too, and after seeing their good reviews, I understand why this one has such a high score. I had a wonderful stay in the middle of summer and got to explore Andong thoroughly. I arrived with more guests than the standard occupancy, but they kindly gave me a discount since we were long-term guests. The surroundings are quiet and peaceful, and parking was no problem. It’s near both the bus terminal and city bus stops, with lots of buses from the nearby stop to major attractions. There’s a small supermarket close by. I heard an ITX train line will open soon, which should make getting around easier once it’s running.

It’s near Andong Terminal and seems to be used mostly by foreigners. I remember the price as quite expensive, and you can’t stay without booking in advance. After taking the civil service exam, I was wandering around with nowhere to sleep when a Vietnamese guest happened to cancel their reservation, so I got a room on the first floor. The other accommodations seemed fairly good. There’s a small supermarket nearby.