Pharos Hotel

We had a pretty spacious room with a fridge and some water, and being near Starbucks was handy for grabbing a snack on our first day. The café stayed closed during Chuseok, though, and there’s no laundromat in the hotel. The nearby one required a Korean phone number, which we didn’t have, so we had to hand-wash our clothes in the bathroom. Not a great start to the trip. For the two or three nights we were there, it felt quite self-serve. There was only one person at the desk all day, and for other things we had to use some kind of computer system. I’d come back for one night if needed, but not for a multi-night stay unless it was a last resort.

The price and location are the only real positives. The room stayed hot: it was set to 18c, but wouldn’t cool below 23c and kept climbing back to 25c. They said all rooms were like that and told my husband to open the windows, which barely open. There’s mold in some grout, no bidet, and they don’t provide a bath towel or rag. The vending machine in the lobby sells poor-quality towels. The tub’s jacuzzi and nearby TV didn’t work. Hot water was so weak that filling the bathtub took an hour, even with two adults sitting in it. The waterfall shower only worked while we held it open, so mostly we took turns holding the small shower head for each other’s hair. I’d pay more to stay somewhere else. They say there are no full refunds when you get the room, and we didn’t think much of that until finding the AC and hot-water problems. I’d give zero stars if I could.

We arrived last night and found no hot water. The main shower head didn’t work, and neither did the jacuzzi or TV, so we used the small shower head. At the front desk, we asked to switch rooms and were told every room was the same, though booking.com doesn’t mention these problems. The manager offered a refund for one night if we left right then, around 10pm, to find another hotel. Stay away.

Large, clean room, and the best hotel in this area. I’d recommend it 100000%.