South Korea Travel
There’s a lot to consider when choosing a hotel for your next trip to South Korea. Some important things to think about are: the hotel itself, the neighborhood, the location, the distance to and from public transportation, the proximity to the places you definitely want to visit, the level of comfort you want to experience, the room size, the amenities, the price, just to name a few.
When travelling for the first time to South Korea, my suggestion is to set the top priorities that are important to you when it comes to a hotel. What are some non-negotiables? Location? Price? Amenities? Restaurants nearby? Nightlife? A quiet and comfortable room?
Recommendations from friends and family are always valid. But what if you personally don’t know anyone who’s been to your dream vacation destination? Or you might in fact know a couple of people who have visited South Korea before, but your hotel preferences, styles, and budgets are complete opposite.
Some people value location, while others are more worried about their budget. Some people prefer enjoying the restaurants and amenities the hotels have to offer, others prefer exploring the city all day long and just want a comfortable place to sleep.
When it comes to hotels, you will find many great options in Seoul, South Korea, no matter where you stay. So, how to pick the best hotel for your own needs?
Itaewon
One of the main things to consider is the neighborhood where you will be staying. When I visited South Korea for the first time, I decided to stay in Itaewon. After doing a lot of research, it made sense to me to stay in the neighborhood that is often described as Korea’s most “international” one. Itaewon is the place where more people speak English. I was honestly terrified about not speaking the local language and not being able to properly communicate with everyone. That was not the case. Pro tip: download a translation app, it really does help!
I had also made a list of restaurants and cafes that I really wanted to visit, and most of them were located either in Itaewon or very close by. And finally, I would also be celebrating my birthday. Since the price was not an issue this time around, I gave myself a gift. I decided to splurge and stay at a hotel where I would have a wonderful and memorable experience.
There were certainly pros and cons of staying in Itaewon. However, the were more pros than there were cons. Some of the pros included: it was easier to communicate with people at restaurants, stores, and cafes; the hotel was close enough to the subway station and very close to a bus stop; there were many restaurants I wanted to try in the neighborhood; I could see the Nansam Tower from my hotel window; my hotel was very comfortable and had a lot of amenities available.
Some of the cons included: while the subway station was close enough, it was approximately a 15 min walk to and from my hotel; the proximity to and from some of the places I wanted to visit; Itaewon is a neighborhood with a lot of hills; and (not in my case this time around) the price of the hotel.
Gangnam
On my second visit to South Korea, I stayed in Gangnam, and I had a completely different experience. To start, I stayed at a budget friendly hotel that was located near many office buildings. That meant, no views from my hotel window. In fact, my hotel window faced either an office building or another hotel window, so I always kept the curtains closed. Unfortunately, that meant having no natural light. The were not a lot of amenities available at this hotel, but at least the hotel offered a small gym.
On a more positive note, my hotel was only a 3 min walk to and from the subway station. And the subway station had some great places to eat and a couple of convenience stores. The hotel had a very central location, and it was extremely easy to go anywhere in the city, both by subway and by bus.
There were many stores nearby, including Olive Young’s Flagship store and Musinsa, which I might have visited too many times! Since I stayed at a budget friendly hotel, I paid less than half for my hotel room compared to what I paid on my first visit to South Korea. However, it was a lot harder to communicate with people at cafes and restaurants in general.
Hannan-dong
On my third visit to Seoul, I stayed in Hannan-dong, which is very close to Itaewon. The hotel had a great location, the amenities I wanted (basically a gym), the price was reasonable, it was conveniently located near two bus stops, and it took approximately 10 min to walk to and from the subway station.
Since I was a lot more familiar with Seoul this time around, and had a better understanding of the distance between my location and the places I wanted to visit, it was a lot easier for me to choose this hotel. All I had to do this time was to set my budget, pick the location, and review my non-negotiables.
Picking a hotel, in my opinion, is a very personal decision. Here are the top 5 most important things to consider when choosing where you will be staying on your next visit to Seoul, South Korea.
- Setting your budget.
- Choosing the neighborhood.
- Hotel amenities – if that’s something important to you.
- Proximity to and from public transportation.
- Proximity to restaurants and cafes – especially if you have dietary restrictions.
No matter where you will be staying, you will have a wonderful time when visiting Seoul, South Korea. But it certainly doesn’t hurt to make sure you are happy and well rested while doing so!
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