The One Hostel Hongdae in Seoul - 외국인 전용숙소

I didn't disagree with the complaints that the hostel is kind of gross and the beds are cheap. My bigger problem was how management handled an issue. The person in the top bunk kept banging on the bed or wall because I snored, even though other people in the room snored too. I was the one below him, so I had to put up with the disturbance. I asked management if I could move to another empty bed in the same room, so he couldn't bang on mine the next night. They refused, saying someone else had already taken that bed for the following evening. It was a simple fix that could have helped everyone, but they chose what was convenient for themselves. I’d avoid this hostel at all costs.

The location was good, but sleeping there was awful. I've been travelling for 10 months, and this was probably the worst place I've slept. We had a private double room, but it was full of mould. Lying on the bed, I was only 20cm from the mould on the wall. The mattress was extremely outdated, and I could feel every spring. The sheets were stained, and even earplugs couldn't block out the loud music from the street. It’s not a place for anyone who wants proper sleep. I’m not paying to get a breathing condition.

The location was truly great, but I stayed four nights and never once saw staff clean the bathrooms or sweep the floor. The place was run by a group of French people who I presumed were foreign students at nearby universities. The fridge was full of expired food with mould and fungus, and nobody seemed to check or clear it out. Clean bedlinen was left inside the washing machine, with no one free to take it out and dry it. Check-in is at 4pm, and if you arrive early, there may be nobody there to let you in.

It was an absolute waste of time. The sheets were dirty, the bathroom floor was covered in toilet paper, and there was only one bathroom and shower for 20 people. Random people were sleeping on the living room floor, and the private bedroom door wouldn't lock. Absolutely disgusting. Management was completely unwilling to fix any of it.