Grand City Hotel

A nice location for a stay in Changwon. The room isn't large, but the place is good.

The LG Styler in my premium room was the highlight. Once I used a translation app to figure out the controls, its steaming and dust-removal settings made my clothes feel fresh and saved me from ironing. The room was a little bigger than standard, with a useful work desk and a lounger by the foot of the bed. The chair squeezed between the bed and window was hard to use because the curtains covered it. I was there for two weeks on business. The basement laundry is free and open around the clock, though there’s just one washer and sometimes a queue, despite having four dryers. There’s also a filtered water and ice dispenser in that room. The small fitness room is practical and stays open until 10 PM. Breakfast was good, but an hour after opening the rice and some other dishes were already gone and hadn’t been replenished by the time I left. I also saw a notice that the evening hour of free draft beer was being discontinued, which was disappointing. A grocery store is an easy walk away, and there’s a convenience store on the corner. Staff were friendly, though some didn’t speak much English.

I spent 27 days here and found it a good place to be away from home for that long. The rooms are small but do the job, and daily turndown kept mine feeling clean. Wi-Fi was strong enough for me to stream shows from the USA, and there was plenty of hot water. The large breakfast buffet had make-your-own eggs, and the hot dishes changed each day. I’d recommend it for a long stay.

The breakfast timing caught me off guard: the noodle station shuts at 9, and breakfast ends at 9:30, with no advance notice. Making your own egg is a nice option, though the infrared heater takes ages. Check-in is at 3 PM, and arriving sooner costs 22,000 won for each hour. That was a first for me after traveling around the world.