Ara Palace Hotel

Ara, the owner, was so kind and accommodating, and treated me like family. I stayed a few nights. The room was nice, and it came with a washing machine.

The manager dealt with my friend's reservation problem quickly. The guest directions were useful too, with signs and labels explaining where to go, what to do with towels and trash, and pointing out nearby places to eat and see. Our room was clean and quite spacious. I thought it was great value for the price.

We enjoyed the neighborhood and stayed for 3 nights. There are food options tucked into all sorts of corners. The studio itself was clean and decent, like one in a typical k-drama, and we had no issues with it. Check-in and check-out were clear and easy. I did feel uneasy about the place calling itself a hotel when it doesn't run like one, with daily housekeeping and so on. There were signs all over the studio telling us to sort and take out our own trash. As a first-time tourist, I was already stressed navigating the area, and all those instructions made me anxious that I'd be fined or reprimanded if I disposed of things the wrong way after checkout. Set your expectations for the stay accordingly.

We changed our itinerary at the last minute and booked the ARA. The host was friendly, helpful, and quick to reply by text. This place doesn't have a staffed desk, though staff are apparently available when needed and keep office hours sometimes. We picked up the key at check-in without any trouble, even with nobody at the desk. We had two rooms, on the 7th and 10th floors. Both were laid out well with nice city views, especially the top floor. The bathrooms were clean and roomy, with a good shower. The clean kitchenette had a big fridge and freezer, stovetop, electric kettle, dishes, and utensils. I found the beds comfy, though one person in our group thought hers was a bit uncomfortable. The elevator was fast. Downtown spots were walkable, the underground mall was about 5 minutes away and the city market about 10 minutes, maybe less. One tip, taxi drivers don't know this hotel, so have its name and address in Hangul ready. Otherwise, who knows where you'll end up.