OYO Hostel Dongdaemun 1

The shared rooms and rooftop were superb, and I loved my stay here. My single room was clean, comfortable, and quiet. It’s in a great area, too. Susie and Tessa were warm, lovely, and easy to talk to. Thank you 🙏🏻

The room was disgusting, with a mildewy bathroom, dirty floors, fake windows, bad plumbing, and stained towels and sheets. There’s no elevator, and the steep, narrow stairs made it hard to manage our luggage. We’d already circled through a smelly, unsanitary neighborhood full of trash and closed businesses. Finding the place was nearly impossible. It’s tucked in an alley inside another alley, with no visible signs, and taxis can’t get to it. When we called for directions, the owner, a foreign investor who doesn’t live in the area, just kept repeating the address to the taxi driver and couldn’t describe any landmarks. She then told us to get out and walk with our luggage. After we saw the awful state of the room, she ignored our calls. That was completely different from our other hotels in the country, which were clean and had helpful, polite staff who seemed proud to host visitors.

The location worked really well, and the modern bathroom was a plus. The room was small but enough for my stay. I have an allergy, and the staff kindly brought feather-free bedding from another OYO location. They also had umbrellas by the entrance, and the simple breakfast was fine. Just be ready to carry your luggage up and down the stairs. There was unpleasant shouting in the alley in the early morning, too.

We left after one night, even though we had booked four. We found another hotel for about the same price and slept much better. The room conditions simply weren’t what we expected for a place to rest. It was affordable, and the central location was convenient, close to a main street with bus routes and just a block from a metro station. Still, the street felt isolated and had a few places that made us uneasy, especially at night. The worst part was a strong smell like sewage or stagnant water that hung around throughout our stay. The air freshener we brought barely helped. The bathroom was clean but old and not well maintained, with a window left open to help air out the smell. A leak dripped loudly all night. The bed felt like an inflatable mattress, so we could feel each other move. The walls had chipped paint, and the old air conditioner didn’t work very well. All of that made it hard to feel comfortable. There were some good points. The staff member who checked us in was very friendly, explained things clearly, and made us feel welcome. Reception is on the second floor with no elevator, but that wasn’t a problem for us. They also told us about the laundry service: leave a basket in the morning and get the clothes back in the evening, though we didn’t use it. Breakfast on the terrace was simple, with cereal, bread, and coffee, but enough to start the day.