Namu Guesthouse

For what I paid, I really can’t complain. The location was perfect, close to the express bus station, a bus stop, restaurants, cafes, and the historic sites. The building itself is simple and basic, but still really nice. I had a four-bed female dorm to myself, and the room was clean and roomy enough. They provided things like toothpaste and shampoo. The woman at check-in was kind; her English wasn’t enough for everything, but we managed to communicate. There’s a nice rooftop where I had dinner, and the price was hard to beat. The downsides were no elevator and a very poor included breakfast, just eggs and bread with jam or Nutella.

We had both the ondol room and the twin room, and both were well maintained, clean, warm, and had good hot water. The staff were friendly and patient, and spoke English. Breakfast is self-service, but I’d skip it since there’s so much good food nearby. It’s a nice, quaint little guesthouse, within walking distance of hwangridan-gil and attractions like cheongseongdae. One thing to keep in mind: we had some trouble getting a taxi to come on a weekend night. Maybe it’s because the place is a little tucked away.

The location is a real plus, about a five-minute walk from the express bus station and within easy walking distance of lots of sights. Breakfast is self-serve in the basement: eggs as many as you like, toast, jam, nutella, orange juice, and tea, sometimes with fresh cut fruit. We took our plates up to the café for breakfast because we always need good coffee in the morning. The lattes were great, and the coffee at Namu Café is fantastic! A note for foreigners considering an ondol room: the floor bedding comes with rather thin mattresses, and it took our western backs a while to adjust.

There’s a small cafe on the ground floor, with outdoor tables where you can sit among the beautiful flowers. The staff were extremely polite and generous, and happy to help with directions or recommendations. In the basement you can make your own breakfast, with eggs, bread, juice, and instant coffee. It’s a wonderful little guest house. The rooms were clean and comfortable, and I’ll stay here again next time I’m in Gyeongju.