Ssang-ma

We ended up here because of a booking mistake, and I was pretty upset that my mom and I were spending the night in a love motel. At check-in they handed us a kit with condoms, which felt funny and a little shocking at the time. Once we got into the room, things were better than I’d expected. It was roomy, clean and smelled nice, and the bathroom had good water pressure and plenty of space. There were about 300 satellite channels and lots of bottled water. They also supplied a range of beauty items, including lotion, perfume and hair products as well as shampoo and body wash, though I didn’t feel at ease using them. It was a relief that we didn’t hear any strange noises. The woman at reception, an ahjumma, didn’t speak English, so communication could be hard without Korean, but she was kind and helpful. Since we had two big suitcases, she put us on the first floor and helped us get settled.

The location worked really well, with the subway three minutes away on foot and the food street, full of restaurants and stalls serving Korean dishes, about five minutes away. We were wary of the bars nearby as we walked in, but our street-facing room stayed peaceful. We heard no late-night noise, and the rooms seemed well insulated from other guests too. Inside, everything looked like the earlier review’s video: modern and very clean. The bathroom tiles were spotless, the shower had strong pressure, and the bed was far more comfortable than beds at other places we’d stayed in Korea. A sweet older woman at reception helped when we asked to swap our duvet for a thinner one. She was lovely, though you’ll need a translator app to talk with her. We found that useful at plenty of restaurants and hotels in Korea anyway. There’s also unlimited free bottled water, handy if you arrive late or head out early. Great value, and I’d recommend it.

A really nice low-cost stay, and the room had enough space for two. They’d left a little welcome pack with things like a toothbrush, hair ties and cleanser. Both the bedroom and bathroom had windows for airing out. The bed linen was clean, and there was an electric blanket. For warmer weather, there’s air conditioning. The room also had a fridge, kettle, coffee, lotion, hair spray and a hairdryer. We got a big bundle of bottled water when we arrived. No trouble with outside noise. The staff were welcoming and greeted us with big smiles, even though they spoke little or no English. I’d stay here again on another trip to Busan.

There’s no elevator, so keep that in mind if you’re given an upper floor. I was on the fourth, and hauling myself back upstairs after a night of eating and drinking wasn’t much fun. Check-in was also awkward because I’d booked through a third party and there was confusion. The bed was the usual hard Korean style. The air conditioning worked, though, and the shower was nice.