The Empress Hotel

I barely slept, and the place felt unsanitary and frightening by the end of the night. I stayed up late working on my computer and didn’t realize how revolting the room was until it was time to go to bed. It was too late to find somewhere else, so I was stuck. There’s a bed bug problem in Korea these days, and I’m careful about choosing hotels for that reason. Bedding that hasn’t been washed makes this place seem like a likely bed bug risk. Just gross. Under the pillow I found long black women’s hair, and the pillow smelled like unwashed hair. There were other little bits in the bed too, so the sheets clearly hadn’t been changed. The bathroom floor had clumps of hair. I took photos of the floor, but when I saw the bed hair I freaked out and just threw it all onto the floor. There was no soap, toothpaste, or toothbrush, even though housekeeping had been in, since there was fresh toilet paper and towels. At first I liked the location and thought the interior was cute. I’d been looking forward to leaving a good review. Cleanliness is the most important part of hospitality, and this hotel failed badly. I was in town for an academic conference and didn’t sleep at all. I spoke politely in Korean at the front desk. One person gave a weak apology and said he’d tell the cleaning staff to do better next time. The woman kept clicking her mouse and glancing at me as if she wanted me to disappear. I found the lack of response very racist, possibly anti-foreigner. They should at least have offered a partial refund. This is a boutique hotel that charges a significant amount, not a cheap place. Don’t stay unless you’re willing to gamble on getting a clean room. The indifference was horrible.