Guro Nice Motel

The bed was hard, and there weren’t enough hangers or hooks for coats and towels, so I took off a star for those things. The room itself was a decent size, though a few more places to hang clothes would help. It was clean, but a little dusty. The location worked well: the metro is a two-minute walk away, there are restaurants and convenience stores nearby, and a mall with Daiso and a supermarket is right next door. There’s another supermarket five minutes south. Service was good. I suspect the other one-star reviewer may have had a bad experience with a staff member.

The kitchen restrictions caused us a lot of stress during our stay. We weren’t allowed to use the dishes, even after clearly saying we’d clean and wash them ourselves. We’d also put some food in the kitchen refrigerator, and staff fitted a lock to it right in front of us. By evening, the kitchen was locked entirely, with no explanation. We’d come from another country for a sports competition, so being able to eat properly and recover mattered to us. We arrived in early April after a long trip. Around 10:00 AM that day, we politely asked an older man at reception about breakfast. He responded sharply and seemed irritated from the start. We don’t remember his name, possibly Lee or Kim, but his rude manner had a significant effect on our experience. The hotel itself is decent, and Seoul left us with a positive impression. Still, after traveling in many countries, we’d never been treated this way before, and this staff member gave us a very different impression of local hospitality. We recommend that management focus on service quality and proper staff training, since reception staff represent the hotel.

The ramen cooking machine may have been the one bright spot. The front desk staff were good, and the hotel is near the station, with cafes and convenience stores close by. But the actual place was quite different from the pictures on a booking website. Also, the toilet and shower aren’t separated from the room, so I wouldn’t recommend it for a group.