Essentials
Money in Korea
Best exchange rates, ATMs & how to pay
Read guide →Jongno-gu is the historic heart of Seoul, containing Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village, and Insadong's antique street. The area balances ancient and modern — traditional Korean restaurants, teahouses, and street food vendors operate alongside contemporary galleries and specialty coffee shops. Eating here feels like a connection to centuries of Seoul food culture.
I chose to book Hostel Original Korea again because it was the very first accommodation I stayed in during my first-ever trip to Seoul back in 2017. It felt nostalgic to return, so here’s my honest experience this time around. 📍 Location The location is definitely one of its strong points. There are coffee shops, restaurants, convenience stores, subway stations, and bus stops nearby. Very accessible and easy to get around. 🛏 Room I stayed in a single room with enough space to open my medium-sized luggage. The room had a single bed (quite hard, and you can hear the springs when moving), a working table, a small TV, and hangers. The door uses an electronic lock, but guests are given a key card instead of a code, and you can’t leave the card inside when going out. I forgot mine a few times and had to ask the staff to open my room, which they can do using a master code. 👥 Staff The only staff member I found genuinely friendly was a foreign female staff. The male staff weren’t very welcoming. One incident stood out: when I asked for help opening my room late at night, the staff accidentally opened the wrong room and simply closed it without apologizing. That moment felt a bit concerning, knowing how easily rooms can be accessed. 🚿 Facilities The shower and toilet are shared among all guests. While the space itself is manageable, the facilities are clearly old and could really use renovation and better cleaning. There’s also a laundry area with a washer and dryer available for guests. ⭐ Overall I can’t highly recommend this place, but it’s still a decent option if you’re on a budget and prioritize location over comfort and newer facilities.
I read the reviews which were mostly negative. I still gave the hostel a chance because of the cost and I thought, how bad would it be? When I entered the hostel, no one was there and when I contacted them using Kakaotalk, they seem to have no idea that I will be checking in. So no, the person who sends you messages in Agoda do not have any coordination with the staff at all. The room was dirty. The sheets didn't look washed. It looks like they arranged it enough for the next guest. But upon examination, the room was not clean! There were molds in the CR. The tables, closet, chairs were not wiped clean. I had to use my personal isoprophyl alcohol and bought wet towels to clean it myself and make it look livable. It was so disgusting. I am not too meticulous but you can tell NO ONE CLEANS! When I asked for a cleaner and to change the sheets, I was told that someone will come and I waited until the last minute. They told me someone will come and a few minutes later, I was told the cleaner will be late. So I took some unused sheets from their closet and change the sheet too. When I came back after a day out, the sheets I took from my room were still there where I left them. They will only say sorry and they will not do anything at all to help. Zero effort. On my last day, I asked for help to get an uber or taxi, they said they can't because they don't have an uber app. It was infuriating dealing with these people! Believe the reviews, this hostel is disgusting!
“Good for one night” We somehow get a nice small room. And the water pressure in the shower is strong which I really like. Some concerns are the weird smell around the toilet area, wi-fi is unstable and the area is not really clean and tidy.
