after the airport shuttle bus drops you off at the stop where you need to get off to get to the hotel you wonder if you made the right decision. you walk thru an alley for about 5 min and then the hotel is right in front of you. as you enter you see it is quite modern, the staff are very nice and the rooms--we had a triple--are extremely spacious with generous amenities. the hotel has free shuttle buses that go on the hour to various shopping areas which are only about 5-20 min away. if you take a cab its only about 3 usd. there are however small local restaurants around the area which serve you good korean food. for what we paid, it was certainly value for money.

When I arrived at the hotel in midnight, I was thinking the location is really bad as it really looks like a dark alley and the shops around the hotel are all closed.However, it turned out otherwise. During daytime, it is a busy area. And you get to find alot of decent local food around the area. The hotel is also walking distance to Chungmuro train station where the airport limouisine bus will drop you off too.

The room is of comfortable size with also a small sofa area where you can have tea or watch TV. It is just that the room doesn't have aircon turn on when I was there, so it is pretty warm before you get into bed. So being green, we usually open the balcony door to cool down the room before we sleep.

The only downside of the hotel is that you have to walk up a flight of stairs to get to the hotel lobby. And since we have arrived in the hotel late at night, we have to lug our luggages up the flight of stairs.

However, overall, the stay in the hotel has been a great experience and I will definately come back to stay when I'm back in Seoul.

Seoul has recently become one of my favourite cities to spend short weekends - for the past 15 months I have been there 3 times, twice with my family and the most recent time was in early October with my friends. Our family usually stays at the Grand Intercontinental but it was a little over-budget for us, plus being in Gangnam it wasn't the best location for exploring places like Myeongdong and Dongdaemun, which are north of the river. My colleague suggested us to try Hotel PJ after her very nice stay 6 months ago, and I have to say, I agree with all her comments about the hotel and I would definitely recommend it to anybody who is considering a trip to Seoul.
The Japanese run extremely decent hotel groups - this was no exception. Being one metro stop away from Myeongdong the location is impeccable. However, it is a 3-5 minute walk from the metro station/ airport shuttle bus station to the hotel, along a slightly dodgy (yet safe) alleyway. This is probably the only thing I would have to criticise about the hotel. If you are in a group of 3-4, take the taxi instead - it costs more or less the same or even cheaper if you travel to and from Myeongdong and its surroundings.
Another bonus is the free shuttles. Downside though - the shuttles run every hour after morning rush hour and the buses get full very easily. Tip would be getting to the hotel entrance 15-20 minutes before departure times.
The rooms are of good sizes with plenty of room for luggage and belongings. The highlight would be the calf and foot massage machine that comes with every room - they even give you foot-gloves (if that is a word) so it would be hygienic to use the machine in turns with your roommate. Relaxing in that massaging machine was one of the moments we look forward to after a long day walking in the city.

When I had to make last-minute arrangements for a hotel in Seoul, and all the usual places were taken, I read some reviews and tried the PJ Hotel. Got a very good rate online which made the value-to-rate ratio high. Many of the rooms were recently renovated, and mine (apparently an upgrade--I recommend it) was very comfortable, contemporary and clean. The bathroom has a separate shower and tub, along with a toilet with heated seat and other features. The beds are new and luxurious. Free wireless and a traditional set-up for tea in the room. Excellent staff--every friendly, good knowledge of English for tourists. The neighborhood is far more interesting than some of the tourist mainstays, a little gritty because there is some light manufacturing in the area and lots of little shops. But you will get a more authentic view of Seoul here than in the expat regions. Now, some tips. You can take the #6015 bus from the airport for very low cost. It runs through some local neighborhoods of Seoul that you might not otherwise see. Where it lets you off for the PJ Hotel, the hotel is nowhere to be seen. I had to look for a few minutes to find a sign for the hotel, and then roll my luggage 200 meters (according to the sign at least) through an alley to the hotel. It was fine in the morning, but at night I would take a taxi. The hotel won't give a cash advance on a credit card, which some other hotels in Seoul will do, but there is an ATM below the hotel. You have to take steps up to the hotel from street level, though there is a conveyor belt for luggage. All in all, a beautiful room, welcoming staff, interesting neighborhood....a great stay.