Star Hostel Dongdaemun Suite

Awful place. My room was full of mold, and the host ignored my messages and calls. They wouldn't change my room or refund me, even though I didn't stay there at all.

We booked two private rooms, expecting somewhere basic and small but clean. Instead, within minutes we were questioning whether it was safe to stay, and we left before our booking ended. We've traveled for nearly a decade across more than 50 countries, and this was our third trip to Seoul. This is the only accommodation our group has ever left early. The location felt seedy, and there seemed to be no staff. The old reception space had become a pile of laundry. Another guest told us his dorm felt like a prison, only without locks on the doors. That made the place feel especially unsafe for young travelers. The rooms were in terrible condition. Vinyl covered the walls in what looked like an unsuccessful attempt to hide black mold. One room's bed was held together with packing tape; in the other, someone's false eyelashes had been left on the wall. One room was built into a doorway so narrow that a large person, someone carrying a big suitcase, or anyone with mobility issues would struggle to get in. The kitchen was dingy too, with a joking death threat on the fridge that might have been funny if the whole building hadn't felt like a death trap. There were loose electrical wires and leaks throughout the building, wet floors, signs of a recent fire, bugs, and widespread black mold. The bathroom light didn't work, and there was evidence it had been on fire. We decided it wasn't worth staying, and management never replied. We were misled by this place sharing a name and logo with another hostel on the same street in the same suburb, one with much better reviews. I believe that confusion is the only reason this business is still open. Star Hostel should close it, and the building should be torn down.

The only real positives were the fast Wi-Fi and being close to gwangjang food market. The beds were uncomfortable, and my bunkmates got bitten by mosquitoes. I paid $17 a night, but the hostel was still pretty disgusting. It smelled musty and unclean, and one of the two bathrooms shared by 20 people had a horrible-smelling toilet. The ads make it look much cleaner and tidier than it is. There's nowhere to lock up valuables, the rooms don't have keys, and the front entrance has no lock or password, so anyone could walk in at any time and potentially steal your things. I wouldn't recommend it unless it's your absolute last option.

The price was good, and the area wasn't too bad. What kept my stay from being a bad time was the good company of the other people staying there.