U Stay Hostel

The room was very clean and had a washer, fridge, hangers, fresh towels, hair dryer and brush, shampoo, conditioner, and wifi. The uncle-looking staff member was kind and quick to help when I ran into trouble. The price seemed reasonable, perhaps because of the location. Bring a conversion plug if your country uses a different type from Korea, and pick up water on your way to the hostel. Thanks for a comfortable stay!

The room was clean, with the basic amenities, and there was room under the bed for my suitcase even though the aisle was narrow. A water dispenser and washer-dryer are on the fifth floor too. Getting there with luggage takes some planning. Exit 4 at Dongmyo Station is closest, but it has no elevator. From Subway Line 1, the underground walk to Exit 4 is quite long. Exit 10 is quicker and has an elevator; from Exit 4, cross the street and you’re there. Triple rooms are all on the fifth floor, and the building has no elevator, so ask ahead and consider whether you can carry your bags. The bathroom drain seemed clogged with hair on the first night and caused a small flood. I couldn’t open it to fix it, but the landlord came at noon the next day and sorted it out.

I felt quite comfortable staying here as a solo woman traveler and would come back. It was around 8,000 yen a night as part of my hotel package, though I don’t know the exact rate. The station is close, which made getting around convenient, even if the walk there felt a little scary. In mid-December the heated floor kept me warm. It was fairly clean by Japanese standards, and each room had a fridge and microwave. Toilet paper could be flushed. A few things were awkward: there’s no divider between the shower and toilet, so the toilet area gets wet after bathing, though it dries by morning, and it’s hard to keep toilet paper there. The shower temperature was tricky to adjust, so a thorough hair wash seemed difficult. I’m a single parent and didn’t wash my hair, so that wasn’t a big issue for me. There was someone’s hair on the towels, and there’s no elevator. It could also be noisy: my room was by the stairs, so I often heard early checkouts, and I could hear someone watching videos while I was in the hallway. No pajamas or mineral water, but toothbrushes and toothpaste were provided. There were no power outlets.

The convenient location was the only good part of my 15-day stay. When we arrived, the host wasn’t there and had sent no check-in instructions. He spoke very little English, which made things hard to explain. We then found we’d been given a different room from the one we booked. He said the photos showed several rooms and that guests couldn’t know which one they’d get, even though I’d deliberately booked a specific room. He made no effort to solve the problem and was rude and unhelpful. The washing machine in the room didn’t work either. When we needed basics like toilet paper, he was never around and we didn’t know who to ask. I don’t recommend this place, mainly because the host was so unhelpful.