Thomas Hotel Myeongdong — Hotel in Seoul

Travelled with a dozen friends and this hotel had the perfect location for the first half of our trip (pre-Jeju). Very close to the shopping heart of Myeondong without getting stuck in the busier inner streets. This is just off the big road going to City Hall so it was also easy to cab out of. Best of all, the restos in the area itself are varied and wonderful. We had the most unforgettable Korean Chicken and Beer just around the corner. It wasn't even planned so I can't even remember the name of it. It was at the end of a kind of soft T intersection (soft because the street curved more like a V). Anyway, with our friend group's obsession over kdrama, kbeauty and kfood, it was just so unexpectedly the best meal we had in Seoul, second only to Majang Market Hanwoo (another post)! But we definitely ate our way around this hotel, including going to Nandaemun Market for the famed Kalguksu.|Hotel itself is clean and compact. Can't say much but don't have complaints either, considering we were travelling with a bunch of Ajumahh complainers haha. Maybe only that we never chanced upon their lobby cafe actually open! But there are tons of places around so it didn't quite matter. In fact, there's a coffee place right across the hotel that seemed to know their coffee. Tried it once and it was pretty good in fact.|Only downside is that the hotel is so compact, they don't have much space to keep your luggage more than a few hours. In fact, it's all just cordoned off right in front of the front desk. There were a dozen of us with twice as many bags but they relented and did what they could.|Basic English is spoken. For the rest, use a translation app. And as in everywhere, ask to write the hotel name in Korean for the cabs. Some older cabbies won't find the hotel on the app unless they know...

Started planning and awaiting to my Seoul trip since 4 months ago, trip planned for mar 2022. Booked Thomas Hotel, via Booking.com, with option to pay at property. One day I noticed further discount on the price - with condition to pay upfront - I did the rebooking and paid upfront. a day later, the hotel wrote to me to invalidate the new price and request me to cancel the booking and make new booking at the original price and full price upfront (no option to pay at property). Claimed system error.

Money is paid out, pay at property option is no more, booking is in limbo but Booking.com insist reservation is still valid. Do I want to risk the joy of 1st trip to Seoul if the hotel refused to honor the booking and price paid when I'm at the door step either forced to pay more or kicked out without a stay.

By the way, those paid upfront discounts for other hotels are still available for booking. is this some kind of cartel scheme among Booking.com and hotel partners to induce upfront money - I kept questioning to myself. Prior to Hotel Thomas, I had another booking reserved but was canceled by the hotel without any explanation. I've made solo trips to 8 cities, I've never had such experience and disappointed that this happened for Korea when travelers only rave about.

In the end, I chose to book with a different platform and with option to pay...

The hotel is just 5-7 minutes walk from the Plaza Hotel after getting off the KAL bus number 6701. The staff at Plaza Hotel gave us an airport bus time table card in one of the photos attached here. Next to it is the Aropa Hotel. It is short walking distance to Myeondong, the Royal Palace and the Cheonggyecheon Stream. ||We had a superior double room and a deluxe triple room. Both rooms are of good size and clean. But we feel that the rooms can do with additional lighting. The light outside the bathroom is movement-controlled and comes on and off every now and then, which can be a little annoying in the middle of the night. The toilet has an auto-flush feature,and in case you need it, the flush button is the one with a water droplet sign on the furthest right. ||If you feel like supper you can just pop downstairs. There are plenty of eateries and convenience stores around. You can also get the hotel to order fried chicken for delivery to you. ||I would recommend this hotel for its location and the comfort...