7D/6N South Korea Travel Series - Seoul + Jeju Island
Before we finalize our accommodation in Seoul, I had a few sleepless nights reading hotel reviews and researching for a family friendly place to stay. There are 5 different types of accommodation which I've considered before we finally found the best one suitable for us. Rate and location is very important. I wanted a place where we can visit an attraction by foot or within 1 hour travel by subway and at the same time affordable.
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| Photo credit: Airbnb, Choi's Insadong |
1. Private Apartments. Initially we are already decided to book a whole apartment through Airbnb. We've used this site before and it is actually cheaper than hotels. The price ranges from as low as S$50 per night. The good thing about having the whole apartment to yourself is you feel right at home with all the privacy you need. The ones we saw has a fully equipped kitchen, just what we need to wash our baby's bottles and do some light cooking if necessary. Washing machine and iron is also available. We can pack light and wash the laundry as needed. These private apartments are all over the city. You just need to choose the perfect location.
The downside is, we will be reaching Seoul at around 11am, the check-in time is only at 3PM and there is NO place for you to leave your luggage if you want to grab some lunch or start your sight seeing. One owner told me that I can check-in early if the previous day was not booked. Unfortunately, May is a peak month so almost all dates are blocked. The image below is one of the apartments that we've listed as one of our choices. Another owner told us that we can leave the luggage at 11AM while they clean the flat from a previous occupancy and then come back at 3PM(for the key maybe). I am not really keen on coming back that early because I wanted to utilize the rest of the day visiting the attractions already. The rate of the flats vary depending on the day, date and time when you are booking. There is one flat that costs S$57/night and when I checked back 2 days after, the price became S$74 per night. So book immediately before the price goes up.
The downside is, we will be reaching Seoul at around 11am, the check-in time is only at 3PM and there is NO place for you to leave your luggage if you want to grab some lunch or start your sight seeing. One owner told me that I can check-in early if the previous day was not booked. Unfortunately, May is a peak month so almost all dates are blocked. The image below is one of the apartments that we've listed as one of our choices. Another owner told us that we can leave the luggage at 11AM while they clean the flat from a previous occupancy and then come back at 3PM(for the key maybe). I am not really keen on coming back that early because I wanted to utilize the rest of the day visiting the attractions already. The rate of the flats vary depending on the day, date and time when you are booking. There is one flat that costs S$57/night and when I checked back 2 days after, the price became S$74 per night. So book immediately before the price goes up.
Here's a few flats in our wishlist:
2. Hanok Houses. I thought that staying in a hanok will be quite an experience for us. Truly immersing yourself in the Korean culture, sleeping on heated floors (ondol) and waking up into a Korean breakfast. Reminds me of the Korea Dramas I've watched before. I also considered staying for atleast one night here just to experience it and the other nights in a regular hotel. But when I checked the price, it was way out of my budget which is around S$240/night. The point is, with our 4 nights in Seoul, mostly we will be outside the whole day exploring the city. Why would we spend too much for the hotel which we will only use for sleeping and shower early the next day. By the way, this traditional houses has modern amenities.
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| Photo credit : Kundaemunjip Hanok Guesthouse |
3. Guesthouses. If you are a backpacker type, this one is for you. As I've said before, our itinerary is jam packed with tours. We only need a place to crash at night and shower in the morning. I've considered this one and found some decent places to stay. If you don't mind sharing common areas with other guests, you can book this one. Who knows you might meet new friends from the other side of the world. Some rooms are really small and the price range from $40 onwards. Although the room for two has its own toilet and bath, this one didn't appeal to me much. Some need a bit of walking before you reach the subway (we are not bringing the baby stroller), others have crowded spaces, some are fully booked or maybe I just love my privacy. hahaha..
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| Photo credit: Banana Backpackers |
Try: Namsan Guesthouse 3, Banana Backpackers and 24 Guesthouse. Don't limit your choices here, go to Tripadvisor and search the best one for you.
4. Serviced Residences. Just the same with the private apartments but they have a front desk where you can leave your luggage anytime. Convenient right? I found one which is very nice but location wise it is not that near from the area where I want to stay. Although you can reach the attractions easily by train I still want the one nearer by foot to Myeongdong and Insadong area. The rate is also not within my budget but I am ready to spend if this is located just around the Insadong area. The room in Ever8 is fully equipped with a small kitchen and washing machine.
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| Photo credit: Ever8 Serviced Residences |
5. Hotels. And finally, we resorted back to a hotel. From a luxury one to so- so, there are so many options, but I need to stick to my budget of $100/night. We usually book 4-5 star hotel during our travels but this time a 3* is fine.
We came across a luxe-looking room in Booking.com and offering for only S$357 for 4 nights. Good deal right!? We immediately book a Standard Room at Amare Hotel. Cancellation is free in case we change our minds. The location was perfect. It is near Jongno 3-ga station and you can walk to a few attractions. Breakfast is not included but that is ok since I want to try Korean street food and coffee shops which you can easily find around this area. I love the interior and room design of Amare. You can actually watch tv while in the bath tub. There are no closet to hang your clothes. I found satisfied customers while reading their good reviews of the hotel but I felt awkward when I learnt that it is actually a love hotel. What?!!! I really like this hotel for its location, interior and good price. But I really felt awkward since I am bringing along my baby. If only me and hubby will be staying, maybe I won't mind. I also know that this hotel will be smelling like smoke and a non-smoking room /floor cannot be guaranteed. I've read that the area was surrounded by bars and can be a bit noisy at night. Not good for my 2-year old and also for us who needs a good sleep after a whole day of walking.
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| Photo credit: Hotel Amare |
I am too stressed to look for another place to stay and besides almost all are fully-booked. So I let it be, who cares? We will be there just for sleeping. 5 days before the flight, I was looking for directions on how to get to the hotel, darn! I can't understand their website. English version please. I Googled on how to get to the nearest subway station and came across another hotel site. Still feeling awkward about Amare, I checked out this hotel, Doulos Hotel. I remember this while browsing and I remember it was fully booked last time. It is in the same area. To my surprise, they are offering a room for a cheaper value plus daily breakfast. My hubby immediately book a room in Doulos and cancelled the one in Amare. Yey! No awkward feeling anymore. What a twist of events. I will definitely book Amare next time when only me and hubby goes back to Seoul.
The below image shows the nearby attractions from Doulos hotel within a walking distance to 30 minute travelling time. Isn't the location perfect?. ;)
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| Photo credit: From the Doulos Hotel web site |
Related Posts :
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5 Types of Accommodation In Seoul, South Korea
7Days South Korea ITINERARY - Seoul + Jeju Island
Transportation - How to Get Around Seoul and Jeju
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5 Reasons Why We Didn't Avail A SKorea Tour Package
5 Types of Accommodation In Seoul, South Korea
7Days South Korea ITINERARY - Seoul + Jeju Island
Transportation - How to Get Around Seoul and Jeju
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