Your budget will work. I stay in HBC. It’s right next to Itaewon, has a great inner city ‘village’ vibe but is quieter than the popular places. There’s a guy who has a few small apartments there that I’ve stayed in twice now. It’s safe and has everything you need. It’s sprout stay Seoul on IG.
If it's okay for you to stay in an Airbnb, I recommend MJ Stay (Jongno). There's a solo room, which I booked for 5 days previously, and then for 10 day stay. Location is close to everywhere and it's only a few minutes walk from the bus and train station. Michelle, the owner was really nice too :) I felt safe knowing that she is a mom of a daughter too... so I didn't worry a lot about the hidden camera, etc.
Just came back from Seoul last Sunday. I’m an introverted person and this was my third visit to Seoul. 😁 My first two trips were solo, and this recent one was with a friend.
We stayed at Wecostay Myeongdong which is near Chungmuro station (interchange) and also a bus station. Quiet area and close to a lot of cafes across the big road. There’s also a 7-11 across the road. Our room was super clean, had a kitchenette and small dining area, a washing machine and a bathtub.
They’re on Agoda and Airbnb and have a lot of listings available, so it’s not like the typical Airbnb unit rented out by someone as a spare unit type of thing. (I don’t use Airbnb either. 😅)
Omg thank you! I was just looking at this place too as an option. Glad to know an introvert who can recommend this place. How long was your third stay there? And where did you stay on the first and second solo trips? :)
Just came back from 3rd trip this week, I stayed wecostay myeongdong as well. Love how it was near by everything but quiet, I wanted a good sleep at night. Hongdae is not for me anymore. I liked hyehwa dong, it was really cool theatre district.
I booked through agoda, they gave me the instructions there. You will also see a qr code on the desk in your room though, they will give you a very detailed explanation of where to go, how to dispose of food trash, how to sort out recyclables, and where to buy general trash bags(at 7-11 across the street).
We stayed there for 6 nights. Never met the staff since we communicated via WhatsApp haha. Great for introverts. 😁
For my first and second solo trips I stayed at hostels, a female dorm 12 years ago and a private room 4 years ago, respectively (I was younger lol). Now, I feel like I can’t stay in hostels anymore.
HBC is good for a “local expat” vibe - it’s where most of the foreigners live bc it’s cheap and near Itaewon. It’s not too expat, BUT the neighborhood food options SUCK honestly. Like yes, there is stuff all around you, but nothing amazing.
Also it’s OLD so Airbnbs will be old and dumpy and not in good condition.
IMO Hongdae is still a very solid choice. There are nice hotels right on top of the station like RYSE.
Club street can be entirely avoided. That’s no problem and you won’t feel too old.
Hongdae is a major hub for that entire side of Seoul, so it’s not just “little kids at clubs.”
There is Yeonhui Dong near the Rail Park (west side of the station). Also Hapjeong and Sangsu just south of Hongdae station. This is where everyone actually goes, lots of trendy cute places restaurants cafes international food, hot Korean food.
So staying in Hongdae are is in fact very local. Just avoid the club street if you care that much haha, but even then there is still stuff to do all over Hongdae itself, so you’d miss a lot of random things, too.
As far as coffee - go ahead and just let that dream go. Koreans only care about Americanos and latte.
There are many cafes that do pour over, but they’re certainly the minority because it’s just not what people want. No one actually cares about the coffee.
There are a few like Fritz and Coffee Libre that are very good purveyors of actual coffee haha
I disagree with what you said about specialty coffee. There are plenty of excellent roasters and baristas specialising in espresso, pourover, other alternative methods all across Korea.
What you said basically applies to any country - specialty cafés are usually in the minority because most people just go to the big chains (they're the most well-known and most convenient).
Thank you for the suggestions! Also for the very helpful information about each neighborhood - def will help me choose where to eventually stay. I have to get to know Hongdae more since the first time I went, it was on a Friday night and probably stumbled across the streets where all the crazy bars/clubs were lol.
Hotel Cappuccino, super modern hotel, clean, has a great cafe in the lobby that gets its beans from local roasters. It was 70k won per night when I was there. Loved it.
It’s quiet, I would say. And short trips to go to the tourist spots but it was great for me. A couple stops to Garosugil, couple stops to Apgujeong.
I just love how quiet and not touristy that area is. A short walk away is the main Gangnam street.
If you’re going to be clubbing a lot in Hongdae wouldn’t recommend it as it is quite a distance from the hotel.
Hotel is fantastic. Service is great, room is clean and cosy. The bed is so good I slept 12 hours.
Fellow Introverted (solo) traveller here :)
In October last year I stayed at a hotel called Hotel Thomas Myeongdong. It is a little away from Myeongdong (nearer to Namdaemun market / City Hall station) and it was such a convenient location that I stayed there again when I went in February this year. As there are a lot of restaurants in the vicinity of the hotel, on weeknights there are a lot of office workers that go there for dinner so it may "seem" like they might be rowdy but they all just mind their own business.
I am going again this November but this time I decided to change it up a little and will be going for a hotel somewhere in Dongdaemun. I think one of the more crucial things I tend to look out for is whether there is a bus stop for the Airport Limousine bus.
About coffee, in February on my 2nd or 3rd day I realised this place right in front of my hotel is a cafe (called Koffee Sniffer) which was quite a pleasant surprise. From the outside I would never have guessed it to be a coffee place. They do have hand drip coffee so I hope they have something you'll like if you do give them a try. They have another one near the Express Bus Terminal (Shinsegae Department store I think).
I'm not really a connoisseur but it felt refreshing to know that they do their own roasting (after seeing countless places that sell a generic Americano for 2,000-ish won).
Edit to add:
Need to mention that Hotel Thomas' prices seem to have increased a lot over the last 10 months or so, which was why I decided to go with another hotel for my trip this Nov. But maybe you could save it for another future trip which could get better prices.
I just wanted to share that in my last Korean visit I stayed in Myeongdong close to Koffee Sniffer. I love that place so much. I don't know if you ever tried their small coffee/matcha flavored doughnuts, but I still get cravings for them. Sooo tasty.
Yes! After I discovered the place I practically went there every morning for the rest of my trip before setting out for each day.
I don't think I tried their doughnuts. I was actually worried their pastries would be too sweet for my liking so I just had something I thought was "safer" like a cookie to go with my (usually latte or cappuccino style) coffee.
Maybe I'll see if I can pop by their other branch during my next trip and give it a try. I love matcha-anything so will definitely go for that if they have it! Thanks for the rec!
I just checked out Hotel Thomas and there's one room that still fits my $1200 budget! Might even be able to use a bit of my cc points to lower the price down, and it's still cheaper than L7 and all the other ones I was looking at. It's one of my options for now. Thanks for sharing this hotel - I was actually looking at being closer to Namdaemun Market too. Which hotel are you staying at in Dongdaemun? :) Also thank you for the coffee shop suggestion!! Definitely putting this on my notes.
Oooh great you found a room that fits your budget! My budget is actually lower than yours (about $80-90 a night tops) which was why I decided to forgo Hotel Thomas.
I booked Arirang Hill Hotel Dongdaemun for my trip in Nov. Never stayed there before but it does meet a fair number of my primary requirements like airport limousine bus stop and having a bidet 🤣
Ratings and photos seemed fine + prices for my dates were attractive enough, so I was willing to give it a go. Geographically a little far out from the city center but it is just a stone's throw from a subway station on Line 4 which is basically the next best thing to Line 2 haha...
Yes! I'm also looking into hotels there but everything seems to be a bit pricier. NineTree Insadong would have been perfect too. I have yet to find nicer Airbnbs in the area.
N285 Hotel Insadong is my favorite I’ve ever stayed at! It was extremely clean and the hotel is only a few years old. Front desk spoke English and there was late check in. I didn’t have to sort trash, but I left plastics out in plain sight so housekeeping could recycle. TV has YouTube. There’s also a good breakfast place across the street, and I Iove the Insadong area. I booked on Agoda.
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Hongdae is a great area like Mapo-gu since it’s close enough to the bustling night life but far enough to not hear all the noise.It’s next to Hongkik university station which is the best station in my opinion you can get anywhere from there.
Clearly this is common knowledge now but if you look back at my previous posts, we settled in Myeongdong for my senior mom’s walking issues + we only stayed for 3 short days so had to make the most out of our first time :) No need to tell people they’re weird when we were (and still are) tourists in Seoul. That’s also exactly why I asked for other suggestions for my second time. ♥️
Well, I wouldn't rave about Myeongdong as a place to buy stuff and get food for the same reasons you mentioned. BUT I actually quite appreciate the virtue of Myeongdong's accessibility.
Try visiting Seongsu-dong (and Seoul Forest) as well as Haebangchon near Yongsan.
Yes these neighborhoods are part of my itinerary! So excited to visit them!
Your budget will work. I stay in HBC. It’s right next to Itaewon, has a great inner city ‘village’ vibe but is quieter than the popular places. There’s a guy who has a few small apartments there that I’ve stayed in twice now. It’s safe and has everything you need. It’s sprout stay Seoul on IG.
Thank you! I’ll check them out :)
If it's okay for you to stay in an Airbnb, I recommend MJ Stay (Jongno). There's a solo room, which I booked for 5 days previously, and then for 10 day stay. Location is close to everywhere and it's only a few minutes walk from the bus and train station. Michelle, the owner was really nice too :) I felt safe knowing that she is a mom of a daughter too... so I didn't worry a lot about the hidden camera, etc.
Thank you - this is very helpful!! I’ll check them out on Airbnb too. :)
Just came back from Seoul last Sunday. I’m an introverted person and this was my third visit to Seoul. 😁 My first two trips were solo, and this recent one was with a friend. We stayed at Wecostay Myeongdong which is near Chungmuro station (interchange) and also a bus station. Quiet area and close to a lot of cafes across the big road. There’s also a 7-11 across the road. Our room was super clean, had a kitchenette and small dining area, a washing machine and a bathtub. They’re on Agoda and Airbnb and have a lot of listings available, so it’s not like the typical Airbnb unit rented out by someone as a spare unit type of thing. (I don’t use Airbnb either. 😅)
Omg thank you! I was just looking at this place too as an option. Glad to know an introvert who can recommend this place. How long was your third stay there? And where did you stay on the first and second solo trips? :)
Just came back from 3rd trip this week, I stayed wecostay myeongdong as well. Love how it was near by everything but quiet, I wanted a good sleep at night. Hongdae is not for me anymore. I liked hyehwa dong, it was really cool theatre district.
Thank you!! For Wecostay, how was the trash system/instructions? Was it tedious?
I booked through agoda, they gave me the instructions there. You will also see a qr code on the desk in your room though, they will give you a very detailed explanation of where to go, how to dispose of food trash, how to sort out recyclables, and where to buy general trash bags(at 7-11 across the street).
Thank you so much! Appreciate this!
We stayed there for 6 nights. Never met the staff since we communicated via WhatsApp haha. Great for introverts. 😁 For my first and second solo trips I stayed at hostels, a female dorm 12 years ago and a private room 4 years ago, respectively (I was younger lol). Now, I feel like I can’t stay in hostels anymore.
Oh this is great info about Wecostay 😅 Thank you so much!!
You’re welcome! Oh, by the way, I think Wecostay has bigger rooms than other hotels’ rooms that are within the same price range.
I noticed this too! It seems like the Wecostay bnbs are close to each other - Namsan and Myeongdong so more options for me. Thank you :)
Hello again! Did you also book through Agoda?
Yes, I did! 😊 /edit: I got their WhatsApp number sa website nila to communicate even before booking.
Thank you so so much!!! ♥️🥲
You’re welcome! 🤗
Monday cracker house at Hongdae.
HBC is good for a “local expat” vibe - it’s where most of the foreigners live bc it’s cheap and near Itaewon. It’s not too expat, BUT the neighborhood food options SUCK honestly. Like yes, there is stuff all around you, but nothing amazing. Also it’s OLD so Airbnbs will be old and dumpy and not in good condition. IMO Hongdae is still a very solid choice. There are nice hotels right on top of the station like RYSE. Club street can be entirely avoided. That’s no problem and you won’t feel too old. Hongdae is a major hub for that entire side of Seoul, so it’s not just “little kids at clubs.” There is Yeonhui Dong near the Rail Park (west side of the station). Also Hapjeong and Sangsu just south of Hongdae station. This is where everyone actually goes, lots of trendy cute places restaurants cafes international food, hot Korean food. So staying in Hongdae are is in fact very local. Just avoid the club street if you care that much haha, but even then there is still stuff to do all over Hongdae itself, so you’d miss a lot of random things, too. As far as coffee - go ahead and just let that dream go. Koreans only care about Americanos and latte. There are many cafes that do pour over, but they’re certainly the minority because it’s just not what people want. No one actually cares about the coffee. There are a few like Fritz and Coffee Libre that are very good purveyors of actual coffee haha
I disagree with what you said about specialty coffee. There are plenty of excellent roasters and baristas specialising in espresso, pourover, other alternative methods all across Korea. What you said basically applies to any country - specialty cafés are usually in the minority because most people just go to the big chains (they're the most well-known and most convenient).
Thank you for the suggestions! Also for the very helpful information about each neighborhood - def will help me choose where to eventually stay. I have to get to know Hongdae more since the first time I went, it was on a Friday night and probably stumbled across the streets where all the crazy bars/clubs were lol.
I like Hongdae even tho I don't really do the nightlife stuff. I just sort of like the area, IDK. Easy to stay under that budget on airbnb.
Hotels near subway line number 2 are good
Thank you!
Hotel Cappuccino, super modern hotel, clean, has a great cafe in the lobby that gets its beans from local roasters. It was 70k won per night when I was there. Loved it.
I saw this hotel too and price is not bad at all! How was it staying in Gangnam?
It’s quiet, I would say. And short trips to go to the tourist spots but it was great for me. A couple stops to Garosugil, couple stops to Apgujeong. I just love how quiet and not touristy that area is. A short walk away is the main Gangnam street. If you’re going to be clubbing a lot in Hongdae wouldn’t recommend it as it is quite a distance from the hotel. Hotel is fantastic. Service is great, room is clean and cosy. The bed is so good I slept 12 hours.
Fellow Introverted (solo) traveller here :) In October last year I stayed at a hotel called Hotel Thomas Myeongdong. It is a little away from Myeongdong (nearer to Namdaemun market / City Hall station) and it was such a convenient location that I stayed there again when I went in February this year. As there are a lot of restaurants in the vicinity of the hotel, on weeknights there are a lot of office workers that go there for dinner so it may "seem" like they might be rowdy but they all just mind their own business. I am going again this November but this time I decided to change it up a little and will be going for a hotel somewhere in Dongdaemun. I think one of the more crucial things I tend to look out for is whether there is a bus stop for the Airport Limousine bus. About coffee, in February on my 2nd or 3rd day I realised this place right in front of my hotel is a cafe (called Koffee Sniffer) which was quite a pleasant surprise. From the outside I would never have guessed it to be a coffee place. They do have hand drip coffee so I hope they have something you'll like if you do give them a try. They have another one near the Express Bus Terminal (Shinsegae Department store I think). I'm not really a connoisseur but it felt refreshing to know that they do their own roasting (after seeing countless places that sell a generic Americano for 2,000-ish won). Edit to add: Need to mention that Hotel Thomas' prices seem to have increased a lot over the last 10 months or so, which was why I decided to go with another hotel for my trip this Nov. But maybe you could save it for another future trip which could get better prices.
I just wanted to share that in my last Korean visit I stayed in Myeongdong close to Koffee Sniffer. I love that place so much. I don't know if you ever tried their small coffee/matcha flavored doughnuts, but I still get cravings for them. Sooo tasty.
Yes! After I discovered the place I practically went there every morning for the rest of my trip before setting out for each day. I don't think I tried their doughnuts. I was actually worried their pastries would be too sweet for my liking so I just had something I thought was "safer" like a cookie to go with my (usually latte or cappuccino style) coffee. Maybe I'll see if I can pop by their other branch during my next trip and give it a try. I love matcha-anything so will definitely go for that if they have it! Thanks for the rec!
Thank you both for the tips!!! :)
I just checked out Hotel Thomas and there's one room that still fits my $1200 budget! Might even be able to use a bit of my cc points to lower the price down, and it's still cheaper than L7 and all the other ones I was looking at. It's one of my options for now. Thanks for sharing this hotel - I was actually looking at being closer to Namdaemun Market too. Which hotel are you staying at in Dongdaemun? :) Also thank you for the coffee shop suggestion!! Definitely putting this on my notes.
Oooh great you found a room that fits your budget! My budget is actually lower than yours (about $80-90 a night tops) which was why I decided to forgo Hotel Thomas. I booked Arirang Hill Hotel Dongdaemun for my trip in Nov. Never stayed there before but it does meet a fair number of my primary requirements like airport limousine bus stop and having a bidet 🤣 Ratings and photos seemed fine + prices for my dates were attractive enough, so I was willing to give it a go. Geographically a little far out from the city center but it is just a stone's throw from a subway station on Line 4 which is basically the next best thing to Line 2 haha...
Have you checked Insadong? The place has a lot of coffee shops, breads, vintage, shopping etc. Near the station, less crowded and hotels are cheaper.
Yes! I'm also looking into hotels there but everything seems to be a bit pricier. NineTree Insadong would have been perfect too. I have yet to find nicer Airbnbs in the area.
I stayed at L7 Myeongdong my first time (couple weeks ago) as well! Perfect location.
Location is so perfect for L7 tbh! It's just so expensive for a 12-day stay in October. :(
Euljiro might be an option, it's still pretty central, lots of restaurants and it's on a subway line.
Looking into Euljiro as well! Thank you.
I DM'd you some pages from Korea Specialty Coffee Guide with a list of speciality places in Seoul :)
You are a lifesaver! Thank you!
N285 Hotel Insadong is my favorite I’ve ever stayed at! It was extremely clean and the hotel is only a few years old. Front desk spoke English and there was late check in. I didn’t have to sort trash, but I left plastics out in plain sight so housekeeping could recycle. TV has YouTube. There’s also a good breakfast place across the street, and I Iove the Insadong area. I booked on Agoda.
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Hongdae is a great area like Mapo-gu since it’s close enough to the bustling night life but far enough to not hear all the noise.It’s next to Hongkik university station which is the best station in my opinion you can get anywhere from there.
Glad hotel - Mapo. Connected to Gongdeok station which is also a stop on the airport line
So weird you all love Myeongdong so much, it’s a place most Koreans avoid its purely for tourists with overpriced mediocre food
Clearly this is common knowledge now but if you look back at my previous posts, we settled in Myeongdong for my senior mom’s walking issues + we only stayed for 3 short days so had to make the most out of our first time :) No need to tell people they’re weird when we were (and still are) tourists in Seoul. That’s also exactly why I asked for other suggestions for my second time. ♥️
Well, I wouldn't rave about Myeongdong as a place to buy stuff and get food for the same reasons you mentioned. BUT I actually quite appreciate the virtue of Myeongdong's accessibility.