Bonum 1957 Hanok and Boutique

The garden is lovely, and we could see the seoul tower from our room. Staying in a traditional-looking hotel in such a good location had real potential, but the room was small and there wasn't much space for luggage. Housekeeping was poor: one cup hadn't been washed, and the tea bags and coffee sachets weren't replenished. The bathroom was a decent size, though the bath screen was too short, so shower water dripped onto the cupboard beside it. I would've been fine with being told ahead of time not to leave our pyjamas on the bed, but instead it wasn't properly made the next day. They also say they'll charge if you stay past the 11am checkout. I'm not sure I'd recommend it or return.

There's a cute cafe right next door, and the place itself has an old-time feel with modern conveniences. The rooms feel like a special guesthouse, though they're not high-end and could use a small upgrade. Even so, I'd recommend staying here.

The clean room had a great view, and the hotel was comfortable, easy to find, and staffed by people who speak English. My only issue was that another guest took the wet umbrella I'd left just outside, but still inside the hotel. I reported it at reception and got no solution. At minimum, they should've offered me another umbrella.

We'd been looking forward to spending our last night in Seoul here and had a confirmed one-night reservation. Then the property asked me to cancel and book again, saying there were technical issues. I did, only to discover they'd blocked the night I'd booked and accepted a longer stay instead. The owner blamed delays between booking systems, but it felt like too neat a coincidence, as if they preferred the higher-revenue booking. I wouldn't trust them to honor a confirmation. You can't know whether they'll stand by it.