Canvas Hostel

The only thing I'd change is the light switches in the cabin. You have to crawl through the cabin or over the bed to switch them on or off. Otherwise, I felt welcome by the young service team, and the Korean breakfast was a nice touch. The place seems brand new, everything still shiny, and the price was a pleasant surprise. Haeundae-Beach is very close, just a little walk. I'd recommend it.

The location is great, just a short walk from the beach and main Haeundae area, and the pod was big enough to stand up in. There were plenty of showers, staff were fairly friendly, and it was great value. But several things made the stay frustrating. The bed's odd mattress protector was noisy whenever I moved and made me slide around. The aircon was unreliable; one night it turned off completely, leaving the room humid and everything wet. I nearly slipped on the floor a couple of times. There’s no staff after 8pm, so any problem has to wait until the next day. You can't properly lock the room door when leaving. You have to lock it from inside, then bring a Q-tip or cotton bud to work the lock when you return. My big backpack wouldn't fit in the pod. The two towels were basically hand towels, barely big enough to wrap around me, so I had to try drying off in the hot, steamy shower room before putting on underwear. You aren't allowed to eat in the “gallery,” which is a problem when more than two people are using the little kitchen table. That table was usually dirty because people didn't clean up after themselves, and the kitchen bins were hardly emptied, often overflowing and smelling bad.

The location and price were the best things here. Apartments are relatively affordable in most parts of Busan, so I’d consider spending a little more for one. There’s a lift to every floor, with shared bathrooms, showers, and toilets on each floor. The rooms felt like sleeping in a closet. By reception, there’s a kitchen where you can cook and get tea or coffee, plus a small art gallery in the waiting area. The capsules had several problems: you couldn’t control the A/C, which kept shifting between cold and warm, and mosquitoes stayed inside and made it hard to spend even a short time there. I wouldn’t recommend the capsule if you’re a bigger person, since moving in and out would be uncomfortable. There’s so little space that your things take up even more of it unless you leave them in the walkway, which I definitely wouldn’t recommend. You can’t lock the capsule, so I worried about the security of my belongings and carried my most important possessions with me. It was helpful that I could leave my bags before the 3pm check-in and go explore the neighborhood. There are local cafes, shops, and convenience stores nearby, though the local train line is a fair walk away. I checked out a day early, so aside from check-in, I barely interacted with the staff.

I paid for nine nights but left after two. The amenities like the shower, towels, and fridge seemed fine, but I couldn’t sleep in the women’s shared dorm on the third floor because the capsules were so hot. With 26 degrees outside and 29 inside, there was barely any airflow, and the air conditioning seemed to run very little. You can’t control the temperature, and the door blocks airflow when it’s shut. The privacy door sounded useful, but it made the heat worse. There was nowhere for a suitcase, no overhead or under-bed storage, and no safe. The capsule door could only be locked from inside, even though it was a full door. I’d want a fan with a switch in each capsule, individual or decent summer air conditioning, USB outlets by the bed, and a vent that can be opened, closed, and locked. A safe and storage in each capsule would help too. The toilet doors should open outward because they barely close with someone inside.