Brown Dot Hotel Seomyeon

The crew were all kind and spoke English, and it was easy to get around from here since both the Metro and bus stations are nearby. The price was nice for the location. Our room came with free bottled water and a toothpaste kit, and we could use the microwave and other things at no charge. One thing to keep in mind, if you shower after 11 pm, you may have to wait a while for the water to heat up.

The room was roomy and seemed recently refurbished. They were generous with bottled water and bathroom items, and each floor had a microwave with disposable chopsticks and spoons. There were four kinds of device chargers at the bedside, too. I slept well on the firm bed, which helped my back, and the soft pillows were just the right height for me. The toilet seat was warm. The reception staff, who seemed to be a husband and wife, were polite, helpful, and very courteous. The man spoke English. For improvement, the mirror could be placed somewhere more useful for getting dressed and doing makeup, and power outlets in the bathroom would help with using a hair dryer.

We paid about the same per night for a much better three-star hotel in Seoul, so this felt overpriced for what we got. Check-in and check-out were fast and easy, and the room was spacious, with a firmer bed that suited us. The location is handy, near a major subway station and surrounded by restaurants, cafes, and convenience stores. We also appreciated the unlimited free bottled water and a microwave on our floor for heating convenience-store food. Though the room looked modern, it wasn't well maintained, especially the bathroom. The faucet was loose enough to pull off the counter, and the floor and ceiling were dirty, with mold in the grout. There was no proper wardrobe, just a small hanging rack with five hangers. Outside noise came through the window, and the AC and heat unit wouldn't work with the remote. The room service button didn't work either, so nobody cleaned our room during our two-night stay.

There was free drinking water in the fridge, and we could take as much as we wanted. But a 5 pm check-in doesn't make much sense for tourists. It was raining hard, and the reception staff wouldn't lend us an umbrella, even though I saw several stored downstairs.