N285 Hotel Insadong

The hotel is right among the shops, restaurants and street food, and has a CU convenience store attached inside the front entrance, which made it easy to grab things. Our room was modern and clean, and the daily service was excellent. The location is excellent.

I asked for a room with a good view and was given one on the top floor, with an incredible look over the city. The room itself was small but comfortable, and everything seemed new. Staff were very friendly, and having a CU convenience store inside the hotel was handy. The location is the best part for me. It's my favorite area in Seoul, and this was my third visit to the city. I'd definitely stay here again.

The only upside was the convenience store attached to the hotel. The room was tiny, with barely space to move or put our luggage. The toilet was alarming, with black mold and a need for proper cleaning. Showering soaked the whole bathroom. Cleanliness wasn't good either, there was already hair on the bed. We asked for several extra pillows and got just one. The AC was on the ceiling right above the bed, blowing cold air while we slept, so we kept turning it on and off when the room got stuffy. Didn't sleep well. The dryer also left my clothes damp, even though I'd only put in a few things.

Insadong is a good base for exploring Seoul, especially if you want somewhere more grounded than Hongdae or Myeongdong while still being able to get to other areas quickly. We found it easy to reach pretty much everywhere by walking, bus or train. We stayed five days and could do laundry and book a DMZ tour through reception. The room wasn't spacious, but it did what we needed since we mainly used it for sleeping and recharging our social batteries. The hotel had everything we needed. 10/10, would come back.