When I started looking for accommodation options for our South Korea winter trip, I knew it had to be in Hongdae. We stayed in the same area during our first visit last October 2014, and we fell in love with the youthful vibe and tireless energy of the place.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Minimum stay at Jay’s Airbnb listing varies from time to time. When we booked her flat late last year (2015), the minimum stay was only 6 nights.
We had a hard time looking for the “perfect place” though, as we had three major requirements: 1. Reasonable price; 2. Great location; 3. Well-maintained/Clean space. Most times, you only get two out of these three. But if you search well enough, you just might stumble upon a place like Jay’s which has all three.
We paid only around P14,000 for a 6-night stay at a cute loft that had everything we needed: a clean bathroom (can’t compromise this), comfy beds, TV, wifi, enough number of outlets (important too), washing machine, refrigerator, microwave oven and a mini kitchen. Plus, it was only a few meters away from Exit 5 of the Hongik University Station AREX line, which is directly connected to Incheon International Airport. Items 1, 2 and 3: CHECK!
The place is compact but has enough room for 3 persons. For a group of 4, the place might be a bit cramped / Photo from Airbnb
The comfy sofa/day bed that will welcome you as you enter the room / Photo from Airbnb
The flat also came with a full-length mirror perfect for #ootd checks / Photo from Airbnb
The loft’s mini kitchen right beside the front door / Photo by Ivan Angelo
This wall-mounted garment rack is perfectly located near the mirror / Photo by Ivan Angelo
Jay’s place also came with an indoor drying rack / Photo by Ivan Angelo
The mattress on the loft wasn’t that thick but we found it comfortable enough to sleep in / Photo by Ivan Angelo
Our non-negotiable: a clean bathroom with the essentials (towels, tissue, toothpaste, shampoo & body wash)
We found the location especially practical on chilly nights, as we didn’t have to walk far and bear the cold to get home. I’m also quite sure that if our feet had the ability to talk, they would’ve thanked us for getting a place near the subway.
Jay, the host, was not able to meet us in person, but this didn’t matter because all house rules are posted on her front door. She even prepared a clear book containing step-by-step guides on how to use the washing machine and heater.
Those green and yellow papers posted on the front door contain Jay’s house rules / Photo by Ivan Angelo
All things considered, we were very satisfied with Jay’s Airbnb. We recommend this to travelers who, like us, want a balance of price, location and quality of accommodation.
Download our full, mobile-friendly South Korea artinerary HERE. (You have to be subscribed to this site to get access to our freebies. Click here if you haven’t.)
