Lotte City Hotel Mapo

The rooms are roomy, and everyone was friendly. There's a subway station, market, food and coffee on the lower floors, plus an amazing bathroom with a tub, waterfall shower, handheld shower and wet-room setup. Great spot for seeing the city. I'd recommend it and book again!

The location made it easy to get around the city, and the hotel was peaceful to come back to. Everything felt carefully looked after, from the clean, modern lobby to my spacious, quiet room. The bed was very comfortable, the linens crisp, and the bathroom spotless. The staff were warm and thoughtful from the moment I arrived. Every interaction felt professional, and I felt welcome throughout. It was one of my best hotel stays, and made the trip especially memorable. I'd happily return to Lotte City Hotel, for work or a holiday.

The room was clean, with a heated bidet seat. The pillows are soft, European style, so you might want to ask for firm ones. At night there's a 711 in the lobby, though the selection is mostly snacks and instant noodles. One thing to know, reception didn't have accurate information about airport transport when I asked before arriving. The details below may help if you're traveling with luggage. The airport bus drop-off and departure points are different, and a ride costs about KRW 17k. At Incheon T1, buy your ticket at the bus counter just left of arrivals after customs. The exit and numbered bus stop are right outside. It's a comfortable coach. Tell the driver LOTTE or Gongdeok station. From the drop-off, the walk to the hotel takes about eight minutes and crosses two roads. With heavy bags, the hotel entrance is uphill. Keep to the right of the building until you reach the flat paved area by Lotte Castle, the upscale apartment attached to the hotel. Continue along Lotte Castle to another entrance with a revolving door for Lotte City. The lifts are just left of the lobby as you enter, and reception is on level 2. For the bus back to Incheon, go to the stop in front using that flat courtyard. It leaves about 10 to 15 minutes before the scheduled time, so get there early or you may wait 30 minutes for the next one. The stop is in the middle of the road, so find it ahead of time instead of rushing at the last minute. The all-stop airport train is cheaper, but the walk to the hotel is quite long. At Exit 2 there's a lift to street level in a tucked-away L-shaped corner to the right of the stairs. Follow the lift sign.

I hate leaving a bad review, but the stay was rough. There were hairs on the bathroom floor and in the shower when I arrived. Someone cleaned them after I asked, but I kept finding other problems. I felt unwell in the room and then noticed black mold on the AC vent. I can't believe I had to ask for it to be cleaned, since it shouldn't have been there at all. There was more black mold in the shower, stains on the furniture, walls, floor and windowsill, and the floor stain looked like blood. The bedding was stained and had holes, as did one of my towels. I've spent weeks trying to get a refund, with no clear answer, and I'll keep following up until it's properly resolved.