Mari Hotel

I was turned away after paying for what I thought was my booking, and the way it was handled left me extremely upset. I'd been looking forward to my first trip to Korea in more than ten years, but this experience changed my previously positive impression of Korean people. I want to stress that choosing the wrong hotel was my mistake, but it was still an extremely unpleasant experience. I wouldn't criticize a hotel stay without sharing what happened, and I'd suggest future guests choose with the expectation that the hotel might provide this kind of service. I had carefully researched and booked the Mari Hotel. Since I don't know Hangul or Korean geography well, I used Google Maps to look up hotel details before arriving. I eventually realized Google Maps had shown information for a different Mari Hotel than the one I meant, but I didn't know that when I checked in. The elderly man who seemed to be the owner was very overbearing. I don't speak Korean fluently and couldn't make international calls. He said I should have called the hotel I booked, or emailed ahead and built a relationship of trust. I had believed I was at the hotel I reserved, so I was completely confused about why a hotel I'd paid for was refusing me. I was shocked when he told me to leave. A polite explanation that I'd booked another hotel could have resolved the confusion.

While drunk and looking for a motel in Wonjong-dong, I came across this inexpensive place. It was affordable and decent.

Nothing special, just a decent, clean neighborhood motel. I often stay there for 25,000-30,000 won, though the cigarette smell seems hard to avoid.

There were lots of TV channels, but none had Korean broadcasts or Korean subtitles. At checkout, I happened to notice the towels from the room being sorted by hand and put back out without washing. That seemed unhygienic.