Brown Dot Hotel Nampo Chungmu

The good points were the location, Netflix in the room, and the espresso. The rest was awful: the service was terrible or useless, and staff couldn’t even turn off the hallway music. They didn’t know basic things about their own city, like currency exchange, and didn’t speak English. We’re in Busan, not some remote village! The room had no thermal insulation, and cold drafts came in by the windows, right beside the bed and headboard. Soundproofing was terrible even on the fifth floor, and we could hear everything outside and in the hotel. The hallway music was incredibly loud and only stopped at 11:00 PM, so it kept people from resting, which is the main purpose of a hotel. Having music in the hallways is pointless anyway. The towels were dirty and had hair on them, which made me worry about the sheets and pillowcases too. They didn’t change the bath towels, and the bathroom had no heating in the freezing cold.

With a car, the location shouldn’t be a problem. Without one, it’s a bit of a walk to Nampo-dong. The room was fairly clean and good value, just okay overall. There was some hair hanging from the frame, but I took it off and threw it away.

We paid over 200,000 won for a deluxe room for four. It was spacious, the bedding was comfortable, and there were no major issues. The heating worked well in the chilly weather, and it’s easy to get to Jagalchi Market and Busan Station. Being close to Jagalchi Station is convenient, and the chain seems to provide a reliable basic level of service. Parking is limited, but for the price it’s a decent place to stay.