🇰🇷 Where to Stay in Seoul: Accommodation Guide
Before we dive in, here are a few things I should call out:
🧑🤝🧑 This information is tailored for a 2-person trip. If you're travelling in larger groups, you may want to consider bigger apartments or Airbnbs.
🛏️ If it's your first time, I recommend sticking to bigger hotels where they speak English well. Koreans hardly speak any English, even in Seoul, so your best bet is to play it safe. Airbnbs or apartments may come with a language barrier.
💰 Hotel prices are subject to change. Keep in mind, our trip was during the first week of April 2023 (peak cherry blossom season when everything is super pricey) + we booked at least 2 months in advance. At the time, we had a combined budget of Rs. 6000 or roughly 70 USD per night.
Top 5 areas to stay
First time travellers to Seoul can choose any of the below areas to stay:
All of these areas are great places for your first-time stay - they're all relatively close to most of the major tourist spots you're going to hit! But make sure you pick a hotel or an apartment that's walking distance from public transport! It's Seoul - so you're going to be doing A LOT of walking.
Also, even though its a popular neighbourhood, I recommend NOT staying in Gangnam, especially if you're on a budget. Its super expensive, full of brand outlets, and far away from most of the tourist attractions.
Hotels to Explore
While doing our search, we shortlisted a couple of properties which suited our needs. I'm linking them all down below, so you can explore!
Our Choice
Our final and winning pick was the Summit Hotel in Dongdaemun. And here's why I'll recommend it for your stay as well.
Staff ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The staff were all super nice, extremely friendly and helpful. They spoke English fluently so you won't have any issues in communication. They'll hear you out for any requests or issues you may have. What's more, they have a 24 hour reception, so if you're checking in very early or very late, there'll always be someone there to help.
Room⭐⭐⭐⭐
The room had all the amenities of a modern hotel you could ask for, including comfy beds, a hairdryer, heated toilet seat with bidet, toiletries, slippers in the room, fresh linen, a locker, and the list goes on...
The only two drawbacks I can think of are (1) the room is a bit cramped so not very spacious (2) the air conditioning is centrally managed so you can't make it hotter or colder as you please
Location⭐⭐⭐⭐
The hotel is conveniently placed right between two subway stations, so you can take your pick! There's also a bus stop nearby, and you can walk to the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in just 5 mins.
Budget⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This totally fit the budget we were looking for, for 7 nights and 8 days. We wanted something under Rs. 6000 or 75 USD for a room per night, and we got it. And it was well worth it.
Other Services⭐⭐⭐⭐
The hotel lobby has a cafe if you want to grab a quick bite, and a money exchange machine.
The hotel can also arrange taxis to the airport - but they best part is, you may not need to. Because the airport limousine bus stop is right in front of the hotel! Unless you're like us and flying in and out of Seoul at the weirdest hours, you can grab the airport bus at half the cost anywhere between 5 AM and 11.30 PM (please double-check these timings as they may change).
So, that's it for now! I hope this guide helped you narrow down your search for the perfect hotel in Seoul. Best of luck, and annyeong!
The home for unique & authentic travel
