Xian Hotel

We spent 4 days and 3 nights here in Cheongju. It wasn't fancy, but the location was handy and the price was reasonable. We picked it because it was near Cheongju Bus Terminal, and there was parking for our Lotte rental car. The parking was great, the amenities were unusual and plentiful, and my son loved the bathtub. The room itself wasn't so great. My son tends to leave a wad of toilet paper in the toilet, and it clogged; the next morning he was yelling at me to go to the bus terminal first. We later used Papago Translate to show the owner, who explained that toilet paper shouldn't be left in the toilet. Then we understood. There were two gaming computers, but the keyboards and language were in Korean, so I couldn't use them. My son didn't mind and enjoyed watching YouTube. Breakfast was simple and fell short of my wife's expectations. One day I drove her to get takeaway containers, another day we ate at the bus terminal. I got the feeling the owner was hesitant to give us fresh milk, almost as if it was being kept out of sight. One day there was no toast, so I looked in the fridge and found some. They told me no, as though I'd picked up the wrong toast. I don't know whose it was or whether it was expired or there was another problem. Later, though, they gave us about a dozen slices of toast and fresh milk. It may be easier to get toast and milk if you speak Korean. There seems to be a nightclub across from the hotel, so I wasn't very comfortable staying there with children. If that kind of setting concerns you, think carefully before booking. I suppose there are many similar businesses in this area near the bus terminal, like around Zhongli Station. The hotel is called Xian, which is easy to find, but on Naver Maps you have to enter "Sian" in English or search in Korean.

There are lots of useful extras: a simple breakfast with toast, lettuce, biscuits, and juice, plus coffee and popcorn whenever you want. The room also came with bottled water, three drinks, coffee packets, tea bags, a hairdryer, straightener, comb, styling products, and several charging cables. The Wi-Fi was a little unstable, but fair enough for the price. The location is convenient, about a 3-minute walk from Cheongju Bus Terminal and 5 minutes from Lotte Mart. The building feels old and dated. There was an unpleasant smell by the room entrance, though the room itself was fine and had a large bathtub. Seeing a lot of hair stuck inside the toilet bowl when I checked in was a bit frightening. Female travelers may want to take that into account.

The computers were well maintained, and the place was clean. Ramen and toast are available for breakfast until 9 am.

I asked for a massage chair room, but they gave me a room without one and just apologized. When I held the blanket up to the light, I could see something inside that looked like mold or rot. It really made me question how clean the place was. Check your blanket against a light. I'm not going back.