OYO Hostel Myeongdong 5

The bed was right below the air conditioner, set to 19 degree, and cold air blew straight onto me. I was sneezing and freezing. You can adjust the temperature, but only with staff permission. I booked the dorm for two nights and was assigned the L1-2 bed on the floor beside the dorm room door. People walking past and the door opening and closing were clearly audible, and I couldn’t sleep. I asked to switch beds, but was told they were fully booked. I also asked to cancel the remaining night for free and was refused, so there was no solution. The noise kept going, with people walking by, opening and closing the door, and talking in the public reception area just outside the dorm. My next day was ruined. I was so sleepy when I tried to go out that I picked a random nearby restaurant, ate, then went straight back to try to sleep. It was still hard to rest. Luckily, I’d only booked two nights. I don’t think I’ll stay here next time I visit Korea. If you want a good night’s rest, this may not be the best place. The location is good, about 10m walk from the nearest station. The rooftop is nice, though the tables and chairs were dusty.

We stayed six nights and felt we got good value for the price, though the experience depended more on the staff than the facilities. James, the manager, was the hostel’s biggest asset. His English was perfect, he genuinely cared, and he even carried our bag when we arrived after 10pm. The main building does need maintenance and has worrying soundproofing problems. We also had a leaking sink in room 206.

Our mother passed away, so we couldn’t take the trip as planned. We contacted OYO Hotel Myeongdong directly and worked with Agoda under its Extenuating Circumstances policy, sending all the requested documentation, including a death certificate. The hotel still offered no accommodation at all: no refund, no date change, and not even a response that showed basic human consideration. I understand that policies exist, but discretion and human judgment should matter in a confirmed family bereavement. This showed a complete lack of empathy. The way it was handled says a lot about how this property treats guests when their circumstances become inconvenient. Proceed with caution.

The room was always clean, with fresh towels every day, and the location is very close to the station. You do have to walk up and down a hill to reach the hostel or lodge. The compound is split across a small street, with a hostel section and a lodge section. I spent seven nights in the lodge. When I arrived, they told me the aircon wasn’t working properly and gave me a free laundry voucher. The following day they said the unit needed replacing and gave me another voucher. The service was pretty good, and the laundry basket they provide fits about 2-4 days’ worth of clothes. Breakfast is basic toast and cereal, with a spacious reception area to eat in, though it gets busy around 8am and 9.30am. There’s also a basket where people can leave or take free items. The walls are thin, though. On my last night I could hear the baby next door crying all night. There’s a cat around the lodge that’s always meowing for pats.