Gyeongju Novella Pension

Really nice place to rest, with a private hot spring in the room. The boss is so nice too. It's a little hard to find, that's all.

The best parts were that it felt roomier than the photos, and the third floor has a window in part of the ceiling above the bed, so you can watch the clouds. Barbecue is available in a shared area on the first floor or on private terraces on the second and third floors. They say strong winds can prevent terrace grilling, though a moderate breeze is fine. It's charcoal, so there's a lot of smoke, haha. You can't bring an outside burner, but you can use the one they provide. They have most seasonings there, but I bought ssamjang at a supermarket. Toothbrushes and soap are at the front desk, so I didn't need the ones I brought. There may be a hinoki tub, though I'm not sure every room has one. The booking app, Yanolja, should show whether a room has one. There are two air conditioners and they cool well. You can borrow board games, and there's pocket billiards and a table tennis room open until 10. The Wi-Fi doesn't have a password, and there seems to be one in each room. There were two extra sets of pillows and blankets in the room. A few things were inconvenient: controlling the shower water was surprisingly tricky. Taxi drivers didn't want to take us from Gyeongju World or the luge because they said it wasn't worth the fare, so we walked for 25 minutes. Late-night food delivery was also a problem. Delivery apps showed fees of 9,000 to 12,000 won, and even though the pension is about 15 minutes from nearby restaurants, orders from there were quoted at a flat 10,000 won with all sorts of excuses. One chain listed a 1,000 won fee, but when they called, it turned out to be 9,000 won, so I canceled. Some places list the lower amount hoping someone will accept it anyway. These issues were really with the taxi drivers and delivery riders more than the pension itself.

The hinoki tub was satisfying, and the owner was kind. It gets quite dark around there if you arrive at night, so be careful. Also, the cat at the counter is cute!!

Breakfast was simple, eggs, bread, and coffee, but the coffee really stood out if you like it rich and nutty. We were on the third floor, and the sky looked amazing from the hinoki tub. The owner was super friendly, and the place had a great feel. There’s a pool table too, which kept us entertained. You can arrange to grill meat on the veranda for an extra 20,000 won. Oh, and the light bulb is ours^-^