Hotel 8 Hours

The hotel is very central, but the street itself felt dirty and was full of shady clubs, with people hanging around all the time. Our room for three was spacious, but the tiny window, at most 30cm x 30cm, had frosted glass. The entire ceiling was moldy. They'd tried painting over it, but both the mold and especially the smell still came through. It was really musty. The shower and toilet were separated from the room only by a glass wall, so there wasn't real privacy from travel companions. I wouldn't recommend staying there.

There are useful amenities in the shared area, including a water fountain, hot water, coffee machine, microwave, free tea, and biscuits. Reception staff were really polite and friendly, and English was fine. I think one person also spoke Mandarin. Laundry was reasonably priced, though the clothes came out a little damp after the tumble dryer. Room cleaning each day seemed limited to a quick bathroom floor dry and emptying the bins. Towels were changed, but sometimes they ran out of large bath towels and we had to use smaller ones. The location is convenient for walking to myeongdong, namsan tower, gyeongbokgung palace, and city hall station. Convenience stores nearby include GS25, 7ELEVEN, and olive Young, plus twosome palace for coffee. We took the 6001 airport bus, which is very close, and I'd recommend it over the metro because station transfers can be a long haul with luggage. Our room was very compact, windowless, and dark, so it felt claustrophobic at times and we couldn't tell if it was raining. It wasn't soundproof, and I could often hear noise outside. I also didn't like the wet-room bathroom, where everything seemed wet all the time. There's a mini fridge and small table, but the place could use some renovation. For a reasonably priced short stay it's convenient, though I'd try for a room with windows since daylight would make a big difference.

Good value for a short Seoul stay, with restaurants and a subway entrance within walking distance. The airport limousine bus stop is just ten minutes away on foot. The receptionist was friendly, and the room was cleaned and towels changed every day. Free snacks, coffee, tea, and a microwave are available at reception, and there’s even a luggage scale. The room has AC, a small window, and a Japanese-style toilet. It is very small, though, with hardly any room for belongings. There's no closet, just two coat hangers.

The biggest problem for me was how thin the walls were. I could hear everything from next door, and a rowdy group in the next three rooms talked loudly in the hallway late into the night. I politely asked reception to get them to keep their voices down in their room, but nothing was done. Light sleepers should avoid booking here. The shared amenities area also closes around 10-11pm, so there's no hot water or microwave access afterward. The bathroom was neither the cleanest nor the worst I've seen, but it's tiny, with hardly any space for cosmetics or skincare. On the plus side, it was good value for the location. The rooms were fairly clean, public transport was nearby, and the receptionist spoke English well enough that communication shouldn't be a problem. Hot water, a microwave, tea, and bottled water were among the decent amenities.