Utopia Tourist Hotel

The area was okay, though there weren't many places that stood out. Gwang-ali is about a 45-minute walk away and, of the two beaches, I thought it was easily the best. Haeundae is too far to walk, but worth an afternoon visit. Take what you'll need for the day with you. The location might keep you occupied for a night or two. From outside the hotel looks decent, but the lobby and halls seem to be the only parts updated since the 80s. The rooms felt dated and were about as small as a love motel, with less class. It was also hard to find from their directions, since it's actually one street over from the subway exit. They say the rooms have air conditioning, but the hours were inconsistent. We were told it ran from 8 pm to 11 am, yet it often didn't come on until 9 pm, and once it was turned off at 4 am. Busan gets very hot in summer, and we were up by 5 and heading for the beach. I can't comment on the bar or other services since we were out early and stayed out late; each time we passed, the bar looked empty and lifeless. For something within crawling distance, the Japanese restaurant Sumo right across the street seemed a better choice.

The rooms were clean and spacious. The receptionist didn't speak English, but we managed with Google Translate and gestures. The bathroom was the only downside. It was poor and could use a renovation.

The staff were very friendly and spoke good English. The hotel is centrally located, so getting to the main tourist spots was easy, and a nearby subway stop connects to two lines that make traveling around the city simple.

The staff were really friendly and helpful, and the subway made the accommodation easy to reach. Breakfast had sandwich bread, flakes, cheese, ramen and milk. We could take as much as we needed.