Hotel Gaon Golden Park Dongdaemun

I visited Seoul solo in January 2025, and this was the worst stay I’ve had. The room was very hot, poorly ventilated, and I couldn’t adjust the heater. It felt hard to breathe. Noise was unbearable too: all night I could hear other guests showering, brushing their teeth, and flushing toilets, so I couldn’t sleep properly. The rooms seemed to be divided by thin boards, with no building standards at all. The door was flimsy too, just a thin board with a key lock, and I felt unsafe. This place can’t even be called a hotel. It felt like a random building with poorly partitioned rooms, run by people with no hospitality standards.

Dongdaemun and the station are both close, with restaurants nearby and a grocery store right across from the hotel. The front desk guy was really sweet and helped us a lot. But the rooms are small and need a deep clean. The sheets were old and smelled bad, so cleaning needs more attention.

This felt more like a guesthouse than a hotel, and there are rooms for students. The staff were good, but our room wasn't clean when we arrived. I asked them to clean it again, and during our whole month there they never cleaned it on their own. The neighborhood is convenient, with Dongdaemun and Sindang stations nearby and lots of inexpensive restaurants and convenience stores. I wouldn't stay here for a long time.

For the price, this place is really great, and the staff are some of the nicest people. They even gave us a free room upgrade when we arrived a little earlier than expected. The floors looked a bit dirty, but otherwise I was very happy here. Highly recommend it.