Hongdae Hostel 88 Seoul Crown

Finding it: it’s above Taylor Coffee, and the entrance marked “Golden Dragon” is on the small street beside the convenience store. AK is lively and delightful, and she lives here herself, which may explain why the place is so immaculate. Her staff are meticulous and attentive. The whole team speaks Mandarin, Korean, and English. The check-in instructions are mandatory and can feel like a lot after a long flight and commute, but they work very well. There’s free breakfast every day, slippers for the shared areas, umbrellas to borrow, and a luggage scale on the 5th floor to check your weight before the airport. Innisfree products were a lovely surprise, especially the thoughtful makeup remover. The room also had a Smart TV and converters. In 3L, the bed was very hard, though the other beds are really soft. A great base for exploring Seoul, tucked into a lovely neighborhood away from the tourist areas.

The owner was wonderful and kind, and the rooms were super clean. It’s in a perfect spot outside the touristy areas. The bed is hard, which is normal in Korea, so keep that in mind. Such a great hostel.

Simple breakfast, and the place was clean.

The hostess is Taiwanese, very friendly, and thoughtful. The rooms here are honestly cleaner than hotels. They’ve got just about everything you need, maybe the best amenities anywhere, so you only need to bring your toothbrush and toothpaste. Two people can fit two 28-inch suitcases in the double room without trouble. Since we didn’t speak the language, the B&B also helped us order food delivery, which was great. The only downside was the walk from the main street of Hongdae, especially with luggage. Still, I’d absolutely recommend it.