Mangsang East House

I visited in winter and paid only 56,400 won for a quadruple room, perhaps because it was off-season. It was cramped and very cold. They said they’d turned on the underfloor heating ahead of time, but at first I had to keep my padded jacket on the whole time. It got a little warmer by early morning.

It’s good value, with clean towels and blankets and a spotless bathroom. If you buy meat, the owners will set up a barbecue for you. It’s free in the off-season and costs 20,000 won in peak season. They’re friendly and make the meat incredibly delicious, though you have to follow their instructions to really enjoy the flavor.

It’s within walking distance of the beach, and the price is relatively low for the area. If you only need somewhere to sleep and care about value more than the view or facilities, it could work. It’s quite run-down, though reasonably clean. There’s a strong draft, and even though smoking is prohibited indoors, cigarette smoke comes into the room from somewhere. There’s no body wash, so after swimming you have to use soap. You can hear everything outside the front door very clearly, and the owner is aloof. The bedrooms have little beyond a bed and TV stand, with almost no room to sit. Unless your back hurts too much for you to sleep on the bare floor, I’d recommend the ondol room or group room.

Great value for the money. The bedding and towels seemed especially well laundered. Just plan ahead for the meat, it takes about 20 minutes to grill, so the wait can drag.