Mokpo Ocean Hotel

The city view was open and refreshing, and having a convenience store and restaurant on site was handy. The room had separate bathroom and shower stalls, and the floor heating kept us warm through the night. We had a great stay, though the soundproofing was basically zero: our room was right by the elevator, and other guests talked all night, so we woke up early. The building is under three years old, near Dongmyeong Port in Mokpo, and the exterior and room were in nice condition. We booked through Agoda for under 60,000 won on a weekday. Parking is underground. The front desk setup was a bit inconvenient: there’s one on the first floor, but check-in is on the 9th floor and check-out on the 1st. ^^

What upset me most was the hotel’s response and lack of responsibility for luggage I’d left in their care. I was staying several nights and had to change rooms, so I left my bags with the hotel. When I came back to check in, they’d been opened. Nothing was missing, but the front desk insisted their staff couldn’t have touched them and guessed another guest had. They said they’d investigate internally, then never followed up. Shouldn’t luggage be kept in a restricted storage area, with tags and records? Even at a hotel that isn’t luxury, basic care and accountability should be common sense. Is it normal for people to be able to touch my luggage?

I’m up in the middle of the night writing this after a restless sleep. The room is small, and the hotel is surrounded by markets and workshops. Temperature control is centralized, with no way to adjust it in the room, so it gets too hot and I have to sleep with the window open. Even in early winter, I had to turn on the air conditioner in the middle of the night.

The location is great, and I’d highly recommend it. My room was clean, and I had the welcome drink on the 9th floor on my first day, where the view was incredible. The in-room water purifier was good too. Too bad the pool costs 20,000 won per person.