Ehwa in Myeongdong

The room was so small we couldn't open our luggage all the way, and there was no closet. That seems to be reflected in the price, though, and I wouldn't mind coming back if I visit Seoul again. It's a comfortable, clean, secure, quiet budget hotel despite sitting right beside a big road. Myeongdong, the airport bus, and trains are an easy 5-10 minute walk without crossing the street, and there's another bus stop just across the road. I also liked having a water dispenser on every floor.

The biggest issue was the room itself. We booked a triple room for four nights based on the photos on Agoda, but what we got felt like a cramped attic, with a low ceiling, beams and pillars in the way, and a window partly blocked by an interior wall. At 1.6m tall, I still hit my head on the beams and TV, and had to watch where I moved. Looking outside meant bending down, which made the room feel like a prison. I wouldn't have booked if the pictures had shown it honestly, and I won't stay here on another Seoul trip. The bathroom took up nearly as much space as the room, yet after every shower the floor flooded. We had to squeegee it each time. There was no kettle, just a dispenser attached to an open bottle without a lid, so insects could get in. That didn't feel hygienic. Service was absent during our stay. Nobody emptied our trash once in four nights. After checkout, we were told to leave our bags in an unsupervised lobby corner, and had to write and attach our own luggage tags. That felt worrying.

Breakfast was listed as running until 10:00, but around 9:30 one morning, about five families were still eating when the front desk staff member abruptly told everyone to leave, saying the kitchen closed “10 sharp.” It was handled rudely and felt unreasonable for a small hotel. We were there for five nights and asked to switch rooms, but got a cold, unhelpful answer. The Chinese lady at reception was rude and unhelpful throughout. We also requested room cleaning, as the hotel said we could, but the room was never properly cleaned. They only replaced the towels. It was the worst service we've experienced, and we wouldn't recommend this hotel.

The location is the main reason this works for a short visit. Myeongdong is under a five-minute walk away, and both Myeongdong and Euljiro metro lines are nearby. Staff were pleasant and let us check in early. The room was small, as the photos suggested, but the firm bed was comfortable. It also had a table and chair, TV, fridge, and a small bathroom with toiletries. The shower pressure was good, and the air conditioning worked well. No bottled water in the room, though there were hot and cold dispensers outside. Breakfast was free until 10am, with basic continental choices like cereal, toast and spreads, cheese, coffee, juice, and a boiled egg. Some eggs were still frozen inside, which wasn't nice. The toilet also flushed very slowly, so the bathroom facilities need improvement. It's acceptable for a brief stay, mostly because of the location.