While in Korea, we stayed in 3 hotels in 3 different areas:
- 24 Guesthouse Namsan Garden, Myeong-dong
- Egg House Sokcho Guest House, Sokcho
- Cozybox Guesthouse, Ewha Women's University
The guesthouses averaged RM100 per person per night and we picked rooms with attached toilets at all the guesthouses.
One thing to note is that all the guesthouses we stayed at used thin, hard mattresses (I consider them to be mats more than mattresses) but they're not that uncomfortable to sleep on. Also, the towels here are tiny so bring your own to avoid using the towels which are about the size of 2 face towels put together. Finally, they will provide you with only shampoo and body wash and the only other amenity was a pair of room slippers at Cozybox. 24 Guesthouse and Egg House did not have this. So, be prepared and bring your own amenities if you'd like to live in absolute comfort.
Here are short reviews on the places we stayed at and some photos.
24 Guesthouse Namsan Garden, Myeong-dong
Pros:
The room managed to fit 3 big luggage bags so it was just right for us. It was bright with one window and their bed linen and towels fresh and soft. Hot water and air-conditioning was consistent.
Breakfast was decent - they had toast with butter and jam, orange juices, 2 types of cereal with milk, coffee and tea.
Click the card to view full size.
Location was great, it was a 5 minute walk from Myeong-dong station.
On top of all that, their staff were very friendly and helpful. I managed to borrow a hammer from them to fix my luggage and we could get coffee at almost any time of the day except for when the office was close from 11pm till 8am.
Cons:
Our attached bathroom was very small and the frosted glass will show silhouettes. Also, there is a steep slope up to the guesthouse, you may face some difficulties with large luggage to lug.
Egg House Sokcho Guest House, Sokcho
Pros:
The room and bathroom was bright and clean. The bathroom had a separate bathing area and toilet. Air-conditioning worked fine.
Location was awesome, it was only a 2 minute walk from the Sokcho Bus Terminal.
Breakfast was decent - they had toast with butter and jam, 2 types of juices, 2 types of cereal with milk, coffee and tea and eggs cooked to your liking.
Cons:
The room would be quite small if you're travelling with big luggage but we were travelling light so it was just right (visit their website for photos - we stayed in the triple room with an en suite bath). The hot water needs more than 3 minutes to heat up even though instructions on the wall says 3 minutes.
Cozybox Guesthouse, Ewha Women's University
Pros:
Clean room and bathroom. The bathroom is located away from the sleeping area so the frosted glass didn't affect us as much. Also, one of our bunk beds had a day bed below facing the tv, we used it as a seating area and absolutely loved the fact that we didn't need to sit on the floor.
They leave your breakfast outside your room every morning attached with your room number.
They have a good breakfast spread. 3 choices - the breakfast box (photo above), the traditional kimbap or instant noodles (photo below).
We had pal saek in the area and their friendly and helpful staff printed out a map to help us get to the restaurant. The Ewha University area has lots of food and a lot of shops are open till about 11 pm every night. Mcdonalds and Burger King is open 24 hours here.
On the last day we stayed at Cozybox, we ordered some food through the staff (there's an entire menu to order from at the office) and the food arrived within 15 minutes, warm and fresh.
Cons:
The room is a little small for 3 large luggage bags. We could all pack at the same time but we would have no walking space while doing this.
The location is not too great and not too bad for those travelling with big luggage bags. It is actually closest to Sinchon station on Line G but it's difficult to get on/transfer to Line G. If you follow the email that they send you (they will send you a Cozybox guide book - a very nice touch for visitors), it will be a 10 minutes walk from Ewha University station or Sinchon station on Line 2.
One thing to note is that all the guesthouses we stayed at used thin, hard mattresses (I consider them to be mats more than mattresses) but they're not that uncomfortable to sleep on. Also, the towels here are tiny so bring your own to avoid using the towels which are about the size of 2 face towels put together. Finally, they will provide you with only shampoo and body wash and the only other amenity was a pair of room slippers at Cozybox. 24 Guesthouse and Egg House did not have this. So, be prepared and bring your own amenities if you'd like to live in absolute comfort.
Here are short reviews on the places we stayed at and some photos.
24 Guesthouse Namsan Garden, Myeong-dong
Pros:
The room managed to fit 3 big luggage bags so it was just right for us. It was bright with one window and their bed linen and towels fresh and soft. Hot water and air-conditioning was consistent.
Breakfast was decent - they had toast with butter and jam, orange juices, 2 types of cereal with milk, coffee and tea.
Click the card to view full size.
Location was great, it was a 5 minute walk from Myeong-dong station.
On top of all that, their staff were very friendly and helpful. I managed to borrow a hammer from them to fix my luggage and we could get coffee at almost any time of the day except for when the office was close from 11pm till 8am.
Cons:
Our attached bathroom was very small and the frosted glass will show silhouettes. Also, there is a steep slope up to the guesthouse, you may face some difficulties with large luggage to lug.
Egg House Sokcho Guest House, Sokcho
Pros:
The room and bathroom was bright and clean. The bathroom had a separate bathing area and toilet. Air-conditioning worked fine.
Location was awesome, it was only a 2 minute walk from the Sokcho Bus Terminal.
Breakfast was decent - they had toast with butter and jam, 2 types of juices, 2 types of cereal with milk, coffee and tea and eggs cooked to your liking.
Cons:
The room would be quite small if you're travelling with big luggage but we were travelling light so it was just right (visit their website for photos - we stayed in the triple room with an en suite bath). The hot water needs more than 3 minutes to heat up even though instructions on the wall says 3 minutes.
Cozybox Guesthouse, Ewha Women's University
Pros:
Clean room and bathroom. The bathroom is located away from the sleeping area so the frosted glass didn't affect us as much. Also, one of our bunk beds had a day bed below facing the tv, we used it as a seating area and absolutely loved the fact that we didn't need to sit on the floor.
They leave your breakfast outside your room every morning attached with your room number.
They have a good breakfast spread. 3 choices - the breakfast box (photo above), the traditional kimbap or instant noodles (photo below).
We had pal saek in the area and their friendly and helpful staff printed out a map to help us get to the restaurant. The Ewha University area has lots of food and a lot of shops are open till about 11 pm every night. Mcdonalds and Burger King is open 24 hours here.
On the last day we stayed at Cozybox, we ordered some food through the staff (there's an entire menu to order from at the office) and the food arrived within 15 minutes, warm and fresh.
Cons:
The room is a little small for 3 large luggage bags. We could all pack at the same time but we would have no walking space while doing this.
The location is not too great and not too bad for those travelling with big luggage bags. It is actually closest to Sinchon station on Line G but it's difficult to get on/transfer to Line G. If you follow the email that they send you (they will send you a Cozybox guide book - a very nice touch for visitors), it will be a 10 minutes walk from Ewha University station or Sinchon station on Line 2.