Midtown Hostel

The hostel itself has a lot going for it, with toiletries and towels provided, plenty of facilities, a lovely rooftop, and a great location. But I had the worst sleep I've ever had in a hostel because so many guests were inconsiderate. People snoozed alarms starting at 4:30 AM for over an hour, switched lights on in the middle of the night, watched videos without headphones, packed loudly early in the morning, ate smelly food in their rooms instead of using the kitchen downstairs, ran hairdryers in the powder room at 2 AM, and made loud phone calls in the hallway at unsociable hours. Some general noise comes with staying in a hostel, of course, but this was excessive. Setting an alarm is understandable, but snoozing it for an hour while others are trying to sleep isn't. It was several different guests. Many stayed just one night and were replaced by people just as bad, so I clearly got very unlucky. This ruined my sleep three nights out of four, and I've stayed in plenty of hostels without seeing this much disregard for other guests. Please explain the basic house rules and hostel etiquette when people arrive. The guest behavior ruined what was otherwise a lovely hostel.

The bathrooms were modern and clean, and everything seemed well maintained. I went in the off season and was the only person in one of the rooms, which was nice. The bunks have enclosures and roller shades for privacy, plus a lockable foot locker for each bed. There's a well-equipped kitchen with supplies for making breakfast during the designated hours. Check-in and checkout were easy. It's close to a major subway station, so it's a great budget option.

I spent three nights in the women-only dorm on level 3. At check-in, the owner gave me a basket with two towels, an access key, a bottle of mineral water, and an earplug. The elevator makes it easy to get to every floor. The rooftop is on level 7, with a spot nearby to dry laundry. Laundry costs KRW 3,000, but it's free for stays of three nights or longer. There's no breakfast, though the kitchen has all the tools you need. Hot and cold water, coffee, and tea sachets are free.

I missed my train and was only 15 minutes late, but the hotel refused to help me check in. I texted about what had happened and got no reply, and I asked someone to call three times for help, but they were refused each time. The hotel then called it a no-show, even though they knew I was supposed to arrive the next day. They could have shared the door code and told me where the key was at the counter, but didn't. I think they treated tourists very badly. It's also unacceptable to cancel a booking after payment has been made. I've never known a hotel that treats customers worse. Never booking here again.