24 Guesthouse Myeongdong Avenue

The location is central for downtown Seoul, restaurants, and sights, and the coffee mix provided was very good. The shared outdoor kitchen on the cluttered upstairs terrace is useful in nice weather. The room itself is small and offers no privacy when sharing with companions. There’s no separate bathroom, just a built-in toilet stall with a sink and handheld shower. The towels provided are only hand-towel size.

The room was filthy and so cramped, even the sheets were dirty. I didn’t want to sit on the bed. The shower and smelly toilet share the same room, divided by a glass wall, so you can hear and smell everything. Just disgusting, ewh.

What I appreciated most was how understanding the owner was. I arrived for a four-night stay just after hearing that my 92-year-old aunt was ill in Pohang, Korea. When I checked in, I asked if I could stay one night, visit her, then come back to use the rest of my booking. He gave me his cell number and said to call when I was ready. That was a really kind, flexible gesture, and I was grateful. The room itself worked perfectly for traveling alone: clean and equipped with what I needed. The location is handy, across from Namdaemoon and a short walk to Myongdong, with Dongdaemoon about a 20-minute bus ride away. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants nearby, the wifi is fast, and the building has an elevator, which is a big help with heavy luggage. The radiant floor heating runs through hot water pipes, so if the room feels too warm or cold, tell the manager and they can adjust the water flow. Seoul also has a luvloc wifi.

The place looked very different from the photos on booking.com. I booked two compartments, but what I got were two hostel rooms, and both were dirty and smelled bad. There weren't any stores nearby where I could buy things. For the price, it felt very expensive compared with three-star places in Europe and Japan. The owner's family were having breakfast at the front, like they were in their own dining room.