Golden Tulip Essential Namgang

The rooftop gives you a nice look over the city, and there’s a 7 Eleven downstairs. The traditional market is an easy walk behind the hotel. I picked this place for its location near Jinjuseong Fortress, with Jinju station just a taxi ride away. Check-in was easy, the room was spacious, and the bed was comfortable.

One good thing: when my friend left a mobile phone in the room, the hotel called us and sent it back. The rest of the stay was rough. The room had been left open when we arrived, and someone banging on our doors in the morning woke us. We had booked a triple room but found only two big towels, and a cup was missing. The receptionist didn’t speak English, so I had to go downstairs and show him what we needed. The tea and coffee tasted bad, and there was no creamer. They wouldn’t give us a little milk from the kitchen, though I’d had no problem asking for the same thing at Ibis hotel in Seoul. Street noise was a problem, and 7eleven had no sandwiches in the morning. The hotel felt very unfriendly by European standards. Thank goodness we were only staying one night.

Kim Chae Yeon and Jin Hyeon Seung at the front desk went far beyond what I expected. They patiently understood my travel-planning mistake and gave us smart advice, helping us get from Jinju to Seoul. Bring your travel problems to them. The hotel itself was as advertised, clean, with a mini-kitchen and a convenience store on the ground floor. It’s an easy walk from the bus station, and the tourist-level accommodations are good.

It’s close to the castle and probably the best hotel in jinju.