Brown-Dot Songdo

The room had a vomit and cigarette smell, and the pillows were dirty and smelly. At check-in, the counter staff stayed on their phone, didn't look at me, and just tossed me the key card. Parking was a hassle because it's a mechanical system, and getting in and out took ages. I booked another hotel and asked for a refund, but they refused t

Well, that was a new experience 😆 I couldn't sleep all night and won't be coming back.

The room could've been cleaned better before we arrived, but the rates felt fair. The view gets five stars from me. This part of town is quieter than Busan's best-known beach, which suited my wife and me.

Songdo beach worked well as a base for seeing Busan. Buses to gamcheon, the city centre, and the food quarter are within walking distance, and you can get a discount on the skyrail. The rooms were spacious and clean by normal standards, with air-conditioning, a spacious bed, shower, fridge, and pay-per-view TV that also had basic Korean channels. We had a standard room with a half view, which was fine. I can't speak for the rooms below it, but higher ones should have more space and a better view. I was unsure after reading a review, but took the chance and was glad I did. It's a nice, cheap hotel, about 25 euro a night. It's clean by our European standards, though maybe not the five-star Hilton kind of clean. You wouldn't compare it to a 250 euro room, right? Breakfast is included, though it's basic: toast bread, eggs, jam, milk, sweetened cornflakes, chocolate puffs, coffee, and tea. In the evening, you can use the sea-view pantry to make ramion or have coffee, or bring your own soju and watch a storm from the hotel's dry comfort. Getting here by bus is easy. No Hilton, but no Hilton prices either. Well worth the gamble. Enjoy Busan, it's great!