Hotel Skypark Central Myeongdong

For a hotel that isn’t cheap, the room felt small for the price, with not much space for belongings. There’s no one offering to help with bags. Still, the staff were courteous, the smart toilet worked well, and the shower had good pressure and heat. It feels mid-tier, perhaps close to budget level, but the location is hard to beat: the train station is five minutes away, restaurants and shops are nearby, and a large 711 is downstairs. There’s also a money exchange machine in the lobby. The 711 is handy, though Lemon Mart, Olive Young, and other shops for food and retail are around too.

The location made getting around easy. Restaurants, bus stops, the Cathedral, and underground trains are close, with a Seven Eleven right below. Myeongdong’s busy area is just a three-minute walk away, but the hotel isn’t directly over it, so it was relatively quiet. Getting to or from Incheon Airport by regular AREX was manageable too. The nearest subway elevator is a 5-10 minute walk, and we only had to carry our suitcases on stairs once, when changing to Line 3. Elevators handled the other level changes, once we found them. We stayed in a standard twin on level 12, and it was better than expected. Though the photos made the room look old and musty, it was fresh, clean, and well maintained. The sheets were clean, and the firm bed was comfortable. One pillow was hard, but the other three were nice. There was enough floor space to open three large, though not extra-large, suitcases. The bathroom was clean but small, and it had a bathtub. I can’t say whether every standard twin has one. The toilet had an automatic bidet, and we had no blockage as long as we didn’t flush too much toilet paper. Heating took some figuring out. The room follows a fixed central temperature unless you raise the panel setting until it turns red to switch on the heater. That heater just keeps blowing warm air and doesn’t regulate the temperature, so I had to turn it off myself when the room got too hot. It was fine for me in peak winter. The staff I met were friendly and respectful, and the cleaners greeted us in the mornings. Staff also said hello in the lobby. One staff member spoke Indonesian, though he might leave after finishing his degree. There’s an indoor smoking area on level 12, probably on every floor. Tobacco smell sometimes reached the hallway, but usually stayed contained. Facilities are limited. There was a free water dispenser on my floor, which was great, but no gym, pool, or laundry. You can use the laundry at the Skypark 2 next door. The free Wi-Fi included in my booking worked fine. I’d stay again unless I decide to try another hotel.

The hotel is centrally located, so everything is within reach. The room is cramped, with little room for luggage, and feels like a place to sleep and move on. The smart toilet is a plus. They don’t provide toothbrushes or toothpaste. I also don’t understand why used cups and other utensils aren’t collected daily, they wait two days. With so little space, I wish they’d empty the trash regularly, too. :(

The location and cleaning service were the only things I liked. The cleaners did a good job, but the rest of the stay was rough. The rooms were unbearably hot in winter, around 25-28 degrees on fixed central heating that guests can’t adjust. When we asked the front desk to lower it or turn it off, they told us to open a window. That helped on windy nights, though the netting kept much of the cool air out. Without wind, the room became warm, stale, and stuffy. The open window also let in loud noise, making sleep difficult in this busy tourist area. It was incredibly expensive for a subpar hotel. They didn’t provide basics like toothbrushes or toothpaste, the basin was tiny, the TV dated, and the lighting dingy. The hand soap was a little piece of bar soap, and the toilets were so small there was nowhere to put clothes while changing. I wouldn’t book here in winter.