Urban Art Stay

The hostel itself was clean enough and fine, but the organization was a mess. I waited an hour in the upstairs lobby to check in. The receptionist didn’t answer when I rang, emailed, or messaged on Kakao. When I finally arrived, Seung said he’d been at the gym. The next day nobody was around at checkout, so after I’d already left I had to pay by PayPal. I wouldn’t recommend it based on that.

The location is handy, near two subway lines, restaurants, and pleasant neighborhoods. There’s an elevator, and the price is low for Seoul. The sleeping setup was awful for me. The foam beds are only 5 cm thick, and I could feel the hard floor beneath them. My hips and ribs hurt, and I couldn’t sleep. There’s also a cat, which is a problem since I’m allergic. The floors looked clean, but a tiny piece of copper wire got stuck in my foot for three days. Over six nights, the garbage was taken out only once, and the kitchen was a mess. There was mostly no host, and texts and email went unanswered. It felt like a dormitory packed with extra people as cheaply as possible. The owners seemed interested only in profit, not in hosting.

The shared kitchen and dining room are nice, though the price is high enough that you could get a proper room. The dorms could use better screens or curtains, especially on the upper level. The area itself is fascinating, with flea markets, roadside stalls, and heaps of used electronics, plus a very good riverside walk.

The shared bathroom was really clean, and the place is easy to find. Good value, and I was happy with my stay. Just a heads up, a resident cat hangs around the check-in and communal area if you have allergies.