Good location and tasty breakfast. Unfortunately, my room looked like it was not cleaned after the previous guests. The bed linen was dirty, there were dried-up drink stains on the table and the bathtube was full of black sand. It didn't make me feel safe during COVID times.
My wife and I live in Korea and wanted to stay in Seoul for a one-night staycation this past Fall. We found this hotel for a Sunday night for around 72k KRW (~$63), including all taxes, on Agoda. One reason we picked this hotel was for the free parking, as we drove into Seoul. The underground parking is good. There are dozens of spots and many were available when we checked in. Check-in was efficient and kind. We cannot fault the front desk staff; everybody behind the front desk was great. The hallways of the hotel are characterized by wallpaper that is fraying off in various places. Walking down the hallway on the 8th floor, you can see half a dozen spots where the wallpaper is significantly fraying or peeling off. The bedroom is quite large, for Seoul standards. The king bed was very big and comfortable indeed. One moderate surprise was that our room (#823) was fitted with a washing/drying machine. It's possible that most of the rooms are fitted with that appliance. However, all the furniture and carpet are fairly dated, and smell a bit musty. The furniture seems to be only maybe a decade old, given the USB ports built in, but it's all made of a light particleboard and the design is at least 25 years old. When first walking into the room upon checking in, my wife and I found that the room was heavily sprayed with a scent... kind of the scent that you'd expect from Las Vegas hotels. But when the scent wears off, and you smell the faint mustiness of the furniture, then it makes sense why they spray that. (For Americans: Surprisingly, in spite of holding the Novotel name, the bedroom has a bit of a "Red Roof Inn" feel.) If there's any saving grace -- especially if you are 2-3 people staying in one room -- then it's the pool/hot tubs/sauna all free of charge. A similar standalone facility in Korea costs about 12k KRW per entry. At other hotels, this kind of facility would run over 20k KRW per use. If you use it at this Novotel in both the evening and next morning, that's a 18k-30k KRW value per person. And to be able to stay in your own bed to boot whenever you want, the 72k KRW rate is very reasonable. (Note that the jacuzzis/sauna area is divided by gender and does not allow any clothes or swimwear beyond the locker room.) I didn't try the pool but my wife did. She said the pool and its water were very clean. Like any other hotel in Seoul, you'll find a variety of restaurants and convenience stores just within a block or two. There's a Burger King next door to the hotel, for those who are a bit less adventurous... While the neighboring area is not the liveliest, there are some side streets that have dozens of restaurants that are very lively in the evening and mostly closed during the lunch hour. The hotel is 3/5 stars, and the sauna adds .5 stars. My wife and I asked for a late/free 3pm checkout instead of the standard 11am checkout. Of course, we didn't expect to get that. The front desk told us that a late 3pm checkout came with a 30k KRW fee, and we were happy when they told us we could stay until 12noon as a courtesy. Less than a minute after hanging up, the front desk called us back to tell us that they changed their mind and we were welcome to stay until 3pm, free of charge. For this reason, I add an extra .5 stars. Without that extra .5 stars, I probably would have rounded back down to 3/5. But with the late checkout, we are up to 4/5. The staff named "Lena" was very helpful for the late checkout. (We ended up checking out at 1pm anyways!) I've spent nights at two other similarly priced hotels in Seoul that have nicer standard rooms and more interesting nightlife surroundings. If you don't need a pool/sauna, check the price at Hotel PJ Myeongdong. If you want a pool (but don't need hot tubs or sauna), take a look at Lotte City Hotel Mapo. Overall summary: If you're on a staycation in Seoul, looking for a clean place with a free pool, FREE SAUNA (no jjimjilbang, of course) and free parking, this is a good solution and one of the cheapest places in Seoul. I can recommend it mostly for a 1-2 night stay.…
The room is spacious, the bed is comfortable but the carpet on the floor was very dirty. The bathroom is very small, old, not renovated and not clean. You have to pay for the toothbrush, which is ridicoulus. The price is on the mini bar list! The breakfast is poor, they offer Continental and American breakfast. If you wish to get "something" you better choose the American option! If you leave the hotel earlier than the breakfast starts, they provide a bottle of water, coffe and sandwiches. These sandwiches are the best! Absolutely delicious!
Front office Mason was very helpful and went out of his way to help me get a taxi and restaurant options speaks English very well and was very nice I recommend if you need anything while staying in Seoul to find Mason for help with any of your needs
I love her service. it was 100%perfect. When I come to the hotel, I gladly again stay here with anyone. I think no one can unsatisfiy with her service. She was gentle and nice. Thanks to her appreciation, I have VERY greatful time.
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Listing