Urbanstay Incheon Chinatown

The self check-in directions were easy to follow, though they were in Hangul, so we had to translate them. It wasn’t too hard to manage. The place was spotless, and they supplied everything from shampoo, conditioner, and body wash to dish soap, hand soap, and laundry detergent. There’s a CU convenience store right downstairs, which was handy for quick purchases. Our only issue was getting around. Bus stops and train stations are quite far away, so with lots of luggage and no plans to take a taxi, it can be challenging.

The room was decent, if a bit overpriced, and the kitchenette was the one real plus. It’s very far from the city center and the airport, and getting to Seoul or nearby places would be a hassle. There’s no staff to help with check-in, and the self check-in process was really confusing.

I’ve never stayed in a worse hotel. After booking, we learned there was no reception, only a virtual concierge, and the instructions from booking.com were only in Korean. We couldn’t get into the building when we arrived and weren’t even sure it was the right place because the sign didn’t show the hotel name. Several other tourists were wandering around in the same situation. Eventually a few of them worked out how to open the main door. The email gave a room number but no floor, and a kind Mexican tourist figured it out for us. Once inside, the room was a tech nightmare, with switches and screens everywhere. I’d never seen anything like it, and we couldn’t turn on the bathroom lights. Thank goodness I always travel with a headlamp. The power sockets also shut off after a while. It’s still about 2k from Chinatown centre. We’re five people and asked if they could call us a taxi to the airport. They just said no. There was no service at all.

The bed was comfortable, and I liked the well-equipped kitchen, which had an espresso maker, kitchenware, and an oven, though there were no oven-safe dishes. The modern bathroom had a deep tub and plenty of hot water, and there’s a convenience store nearby. But the overall stay at Hillstate Harbor House Stay was frustrating. The big windows were dirty enough to obscure the view of a scrapyard and industrial area. The surroundings felt uninviting, dominated by warehouses and heavy truck traffic, with little appeal for visitors wanting good public transport connections, cafes, restaurants, or a pleasant atmosphere. The large TV had no English instructions, and I couldn’t log into the services. There was no shower curtain or door, so the whole bathroom got wet. Lights and outlets often didn’t respond to switches and needed frequent resets. The open Wi-Fi kept disconnecting, so it wasn’t reliable for work and felt like a security risk. Getting in was a mess too. The address they gave was incomplete, so I had to contact customer service for the right location. The glitchy system didn’t recognize my reservation, and several attempts plus unhelpful support made check-in needlessly complicated. It took 24 hours to get the elevator code, so I had to follow other people in. The rules were confusing and poorly translated, with truncated sentences that were hard to read. There were no English instructions for the appliances. Check-in was very late at 4 p.m., and early check-in came with steep fees. Supplies were sparse, just two small water bottles and two coffee capsules, with everything else left to you. There was no cleaning even for longer stays. I was told to buy garbage bags and take my own trash to the basement. Their “guest service” document was mostly more rules and a list of charges for extras. The guest information says, “To respect your privacy and enhance your comfort, room cleaning service is not provided during your stay.” That felt ridiculous and frankly offensive. It sums up the place for me: no service, very little effort, and a cost-cutting measure dressed up as a feature. It may work as a functional place to sleep if you don’t mind hassles. But poor service, an impractical check-in, and unreliable amenities made the stay frustrating. If you expect basic service, dependable internet, or an easy arrival, avoid it.