Royal Emporium Incheon Airport Hotel

It was a strange place. On my floor, most doors had notices about a court order, and the rooms seemed vacant with their fittings removed. The beds were really uncomfortable, with springs all you could feel. I also don't know why booking sites call it 'Royal Emporium Incheon Airport' when the airport is 18 km away.

For an 18-hour layover, this was a handy place to stay. It’s about a 20-minute drive from Incheon International Airport, and the hotel offers free shuttles both ways. The bed was comfortable, the shower was hot, and there’s a 24-hour convenience mart in the basement, so I didn't need to go out. The walls are thin enough that noise from next door woke me easily. Still, considering the price and convenience, I’d recommend Royal Emporium Hotel for a quick stop in Incheon.

The rooms themselves were quiet, comfortable, and good, but the airport shuttle caused a lot of trouble. They changed the days it ran after I booked, and arranging a ride was a hassle. They eventually made an exception to pick us up, then directed us to a stop 14C that didn't exist. We also asked reception to arrange a taxi for around 6 or 6:30 the next morning, but no taxi was there. Finding one at this dead end wasn't easy. The airport doesn't seem far, but public transport looked like a long adventure. I was disappointed with the service.

A guest came into our room in the middle of the night using a key card a staff member had given them, then another staff member came up to ask why we were in the room. We'd checked in at 3 p.m. that day, shown our passports, had them copied, and been given our key. Even after I explained we'd booked and paid and gave our name, they still issued another couple a key to our room. Nobody apologized for waking and disturbing us. The bed was also very uncomfortable. The receptionist was rude and abrupt from the moment we arrived, and things only got worse during the stay. I found the incident intimidating and feared they'd make us leave in the middle of the night, even though we'd booked and paid in advance. I'm extremely disappointed and disgusted with this hotel and absolutely wouldn't recommend it. I book through booking.com a lot, but this upsetting experience has made me think I should book directly instead.