24 Guesthouse Seoul Station

There was mold everywhere, and the place hadn't been cleaned properly. The fridge still had things left from before, and there was hair on the floor and bed, including facial hair. At night, with the light on, you could see in from the street. The staff seemed nice, but I left as soon as I could and booked somewhere else.

The staff were nice, and they seemed to be doing what they could with an old building. There was a communal area by the entrance with coffee and utilities, they let me store luggage, and the place is close to the lift entrance to the Seoul Station underground. The price seemed about right for this kind of guesthouse. Even so, I had four terrible nights and wouldn't return or recommend it unless major changes were made. I wish I'd booked somewhere else after the first night. The rooms have been packed in so tightly that opening the door and getting inside is difficult, and two people can't pass at once. My room was tiny, with nowhere comfortable to sit apart from the bed. The bed was hard and uncomfortable, and I struggled to sleep every night. Its loose headboard wasn't safe to lean against. There is no lift, so getting heavy bags up the stairs can be a problem, especially to the third floor. The floor heating couldn't be adjusted and got so hot underfoot it felt close to burning. The room became roasting hot, so I had to leave the window open all day and night. The blind couldn't be lined up to block the light because of a gap between its opaque and transparent sections, so sunrise woke me. The bathroom and toilet were combined without a curtain or divider. Even with the fan on, poor ventilation left water there until the next day, covered the walls in condensation, and soaked the toilet roll where it touched the wall. The building and room showed their age and damage, with makeshift repairs, rusty broken metal and a railing side fixed back on with filler.

My key didn't work when I arrived, and there was no staff around to help. They apologized profusely and said they'd refund me, but several days have passed and I still haven't heard back after asking them to confirm it. Check that keys work before assigning a room to someone. Luckily, I found a room at the last minute. I don't recommend staying here.

It's a simple guesthouse, but it was good enough for us, good value, and I wouldn't mind staying again. The staff member even messaged me through agoda to thank me for leaving the room clean after checkout. I could tell he meant it. We pay for the service, but leaving a room in decent shape is a small courtesy to housekeeping and makes their work easier. The location is good, near the exit 12 elevator, but you have to walk uphill. In snow, the icy path is challenging and can make you stumble. There's no lift, so you need to carry your luggage up the stairs. Breakfast supplies include eggs, bread, milk, cheese, cereal, coffee, green tea, jam and peanut butter. You prepare it yourself and should tidy and clean the area afterward. There's also a washer and dryer available from 5pm to 10pm, so plan your laundry around those hours.