Hotel May Yongsan

There was underfloor heating, but the comforter was thin and I felt cold. The listing said the room had a bathtub, but there wasn’t one.

The standard double room was very spacious and clean, and I liked that the bathroom was separate. It came with disposable slippers and bathrobes, and the location is close to HYBE and cafes. That’s about all I liked. It’s far from the station, and there aren’t many shops open late around there, so the area can feel like a bit of a waste of time. I might stay again if it were cheap. Check-in starts at 5 PM. Most guests leave their bags in a storage-like area, following instructions in Korean from a phone near the entrance. The front desk isn’t always staffed. They monitor guests through security cameras and come check the entrance. A phone rings suddenly when no one is around, and there are instructions to answer it. Check-in is by machine, but my Booking.com reservation number didn’t show up. Then the phone beside the machine started ringing, which surprised me. The explanation was in broken Japanese and was troublesome. I would have preferred the instructions to be all in Korean. The unusual bathtub has no stopper, so you can’t fill it with water. I was pretty surprised, lol. It’s only useful for keeping shower splashes in. There’s no elevator, so you have to carry luggage up the stairs yourself. One warning about the airport bus: the stop is close, but it’s the last one before the highway, so the bus can already be full and you may not get on. I missed two buses because they were full, so really watch out. If you’re short on time, the airport railway from Yongsan Station is a safer option.

The rooms are warm and comfortable, with clean bedding and comfortable beds. The HYBE building is right across from this place, so you’ll see lots of BTS fans around. It’s the best accommodation near Yongsan Station.

This is a budget hotel without staff, so you can’t leave luggage before check-in or after check-out. There are no elevators or escalators either, just stairs, which makes it a poor choice if you have large bags. At the entrance, a large touchscreen asks for your reservation number to check in, but it didn’t seem to work properly. I had to confirm my name verbally over the phone next to it. There wasn’t much else to the process, but be aware that communication is in English, not Japanese.