UTOP Boutique Hotel & Residence

I chose the Utop Boutique Hotel for a conference and found it convenient for a short work trip. The Kim Daejung Convention Center isn’t right next door, but it’s walkable if you’re up for a short, easy walk. The rooms were clean and well kept, and the staff were helpful and polite. It’s a reasonably priced business hotel with simple but sufficient facilities, and good value for conference attendees.

The room has a fridge, freezer, microwave, induction cooker, and washing machine, though there’s no dryer. It’s very cramped once you open your luggage, with hardly any room to walk. The comforter was so thick that I kept waking up to adjust my temperature, and the twin room had just one stool.

The staff were kind, professional, and helpful, and spoke good English, which made things easy. I also appreciated getting three bottles of water every morning. For a business trip, the room was spacious and had a comfortable bed, functional bathroom, large fridge, plenty of closet space, and the basics I needed. The in-room washing machine was especially handy for a longer stay. There was a stove but no pots or pans, so the kitchen wasn’t much use. Cleanliness could be better too, especially on the floor and balcony, which felt neglected. I’d recommend the hotel to business travelers, and with better cleaning and kitchen supplies it could be close to perfect.

There are restaurants and bars around, and the location is pretty good. The room also feels quite new and has lots of facilities. It was noisy at night even from the 16th floor. Getting there can be awkward: from the bus, you have to carry all your luggage over a bridge, and the subway isn’t very far, but the route is under construction.