Irwon-dong Holidays

Stayed for 6 nights. Loved that there was a 24hr convenience store in the basement. The only thing we didn’t like is on the 5th day we requested a room cleaning and they half cleaned leaving the bed undone. Other than that it was an enjoyable stay. The staff were nice and helpful. Restaurant food was good.

Sejong Hotel is very conveniently located in Myeongdong, which was probably the best part of our stay. It is easy to get around Seoul from here, and there are plenty of restaurants, shops and other things nearby. The hotel itself, however, feels quite old and dated. The rooms and common areas could use a significant refresh, and at least one of the elevators was not working during our stay. Breakfast was also not included with our booking. Check-in is largely self-service using a computer, although the staff we interacted with were helpful and pleasant when we needed them. There were also ongoing labor protests outside the hotel during our stay relating to former hotel workers. I don’t know enough about the dispute to comment on the underlying issues, but as a guest the protests were noticeable and a little uncomfortable. Overall, the location is excellent, but the hotel is showing its age. It probably was a very nice hotel in its day, but today I think there are likely better and more modern options around Myeongdong. I would choose it primarily for the location rather than the hotel experience itself.

While the hotel is in a good location, everything else about it was terrible. This is not a 4 star hotel as listed. It’s barely 2 stars. There is no security system for the rooms…anyone can access the hotel. Walls are super thin so you can hear every door slamming shut at all hours. There are no amenities and no real housecleaning. They only change towels and empty trash. It’s like living in a dorm room. It’s the worst hotel I’ve ever stayed at and would avoid it at all costs.

The room is small but the location is very convenient.