Hotel PJ Myeongdong

We paid $395/night for a triple room for 5 nights. On the second night, people in the room next door started smoking, and from midnight our room reeked of cigarette smoke. It was also 27° inside with no AC. We told the hotel, and they apologized but made no effort to move us, even though we had little kids. Worse, at $400/night, we got bedbugs too. I was bitten all over my ankles, knees, legs, and arms. It was terrifying. They just apologized and kept saying housekeeping checks. Hot and stuffy, no AC, bedbugs, and absolutely no customer service. DO NOT BOOK HERE!

We only had one night in Seoul after a long cruise, and I wish we’d been able to stay longer. The included breakfast buffet was incredible, with lots of Western and local choices. Our room was very spacious, and the tub was lovely for a soak. The bed was the least impressive part, but there was still plenty of room to rest after a long day. When we arrived, the elevator valets met our transport and helped get all our luggage onto the elevator. We were too early to check in, so the free, easy baggage lockers came in handy. With rain on the way, we got a cab quickly from out front and went to find underground shopping. It poured, just as expected. Later, the front desk gave us printed directions to places we wanted to go and a card for cab drivers to help us get back. We used it twice. Great location and value, and I’d stay at Hotel PJ again.

The one real plus was being about an 8 minute walk from 4 subway lines, which made getting around Seoul easy. Otherwise, I’d avoid this low-budget hotel unless it’s super cheap. We visited in fall, when the hotel turns off the A/C. Our room was 27 degrees, and they told me to open the window. A fan they brought only got it down to 25, still far too warm for me. The building’s old and outdated, with thin walls, so I could hear our neighbour sneeze. The toilet barely flushed, and both the sink and tub drained very slowly, nearly clogged. It’s about a 25 minute brisk walk to the Myeongdong shopping area, and the commercial area around the hotel felt sketchy and unpleasant to walk around.

Se-Hyeon Jang at the front desk gave me a warm welcome at check-in and patiently sorted out an issue I had. I really appreciated his help. I stayed 8days in a Prestige twin room. The room was clean, with a mini bar, and had a spacious, comfortable bed, though the pillows were so soft they flattened out. I liked having a separate shower, washroom, and powder area, which felt safer for elderly guests than a shower inside the bathtub. The level 8 coin laundry, water, and microwave by the lift were handy, and the shuttle bus was a nice extra. The hotel’s well located, near 2 subway lines and airport buses, with plenty of food and convenience stores around. The subway lines are convenient for popular areas. Housekeeping didn’t consistently restock coffee, sugar, stirrers, or slippers, so I had to call and ask. They could pay more attention to details. From the balcony, we could clearly hear the neighbours talking. There seemed to be a partition with an open gap at floor level, where I could see their light. Some other staff didn’t seem welcoming or approachable in their attitude and body language when helping us, who look like Chinese. I hope this gets addressed so the hotel maintains its service and professionalism.