REVIEW: Studio41st Hostel

Studio41st Hostel, Seoul, South Korea

LONG BLOG ENTRY AHEAD!

My classmates and I went to Seoul, South Korea last month (June 2011). We stayed there for 8 days and 7 nights. I enjoyed our trip so much because it was a dream come true for me. I loved every minute I was there and I will definitely go back! ♥
One major factor that influenced the success and happiness of our trip was the hostel where we stayed at: STUDIO41ST HOSTEL. It was the perfect hostel in a perfect location for all of us!
The place: Studio41st HostelLocation: 561-41 Yeonnam-Dong Mapo-Gu, 121-869 Seoul, South KoreaPrice: Rates range from 90,000KRW/night to 130,000KRW/night depending on the type of room (3,600PhP-5,200PhP or US$85-US$123)Rating: 10/10Hostel links: their Facebook page and their website(+):

• great location--located in a residential area which has lots of restaurants, coffee shops and grocery marts but at the same time is very near the party scene in Hongdae! 
• CLEAN rooms and bathrooms;
• friendly, nice, helpful and accommodating managers who can speak really good English; 
• each room is like a studio-type condominium unit--has its own kitchen, toilet&bath, computer with free internet access, sofa, refrigerator, washing machine and a small area where you can hang your clothes;
• free breakfast;
• free hot and cold drinking water;
• safe and quiet at night which makes for good sleep;
• costs less than hotels but the service and quality are even better--feels like home in Korea :)
• offers assistance to tours and theater shows;
• has a common room which is a good place to meet and interact with fellow visitors and staff;
• has a rooftop with tables and chairs (and plants!) where you can drink and bond with friends;
• the hostel and its staff are very environment-friendly;
• the hostel and its rooms look exactly as in the pictures on the website;
• they ask for feedback from the guests for them to improve on their services and amenities--really good most especially because they're still rather new! The owner owns other guesthouses too but this hostel is the first of its kind that he owns. ^_~

PC with internet! LOVE!

Coffee~ drank this everyday in Seoul!

The air-conditioning unit and the video/intercom/I don't know what it's called. Haha. You can communicate with the managers downstairs using it and you can also see who's knocking on your door!

Comfy beds! I love this shot. ;)

Kitchen, washing machine, refrigerator, coffee maker, etc. That's our mess right there haha!

(-): The hostel is a 10-12minute walk from Exit 2 of subway line 2 so having lots of luggage upon arrival will make the walk a bit tiring. There are also no towels provided in the rooms. If I remember correctly it's because they choose to save on water and detergents used in washing towels. (They're environment-friendly, see above!^^) Also there are no bidets in the toilets but they do provide toilet paper. Other than those though, all the good things about the hostel have outweighed any possible negatives, in my opinion! That's why I gave them a perfect score! ^.^

That's Mr. Lee's car, I think. He's the awesome owner!

Let me share with you how my friends and I discovered this wonderful hostel. :)

We bought our plane tickets back in January 2011 to avail of the promo of Cebu Pacific Air. It was a risky decision because my two friends and I (the ones who have been planning to go to Korea since last year) didn't have Korean visas yet. We haven't traveled abroad in a long time and we didn't have US visas too so there was this probability that our trip wouldn't push through. BUT WE JUST HAD TO BUY THOSE TICKETS. It was too good an opportunity to let go of! We just trusted and believed that we will be able to go to Korea.^^

Aside from not having visas yet, my passport was also expired! I had it renewed in March and luckily there were no problems with the system yet so I was able to get my passport as scheduled. It was only then that my friends and I started to organize the requirements for our visas.

I didn't want to start planning for the trip until I had my visa--until I was sure I would be joining my friends in the trip. It would've totally broken my heart if I had everything planned already only to find out later that I wouldn't be granted a visa. 5 days after we submitted our application forms, we returned to the Korean embassy. I was emceeing an event in school on that day so I had to sneak out of the event to get my passport. It was a nerve-wracking drive to the embassy but once I got hold of my passport I was smiling from ear to ear--I HAD A VISA! :)

A neat-looking building!

Heehee, I am so not a photographer.

Then the search for hotels began! Since our trip was in 3 weeks, it was a grueling task to look for AFFORDABLE and DECENT hotels with VACANCIES! I was definitely okay with staying at guesthouses or hostels because I'd rather spend more money on food and shopping than on the accommodations. I just wanted the place to be clean and comfortable. But I was travelling with my other classmates and well, they were afraid of staying in guesthouses/hostels. They're quite picky, heehee. So I was really staying up late for several days trying to search for inexpensive hotels and sending emails to ask about vacancies. 

After several searches, my friends finally agreed on staying at a certain guesthouse. We were already communicating with the manager and were about to make our reservations. On that same day I ran across the website of Studio41st Hostel. The facilities/amenities, photos of the rooms, and the price all drew me in. I immediately contacted my friends and showed them the website. THEY LIKED IT TOO! Good thing we haven't made any formal reservations with the other guesthouse yet. To cut this long story short, I paid the reservation fee for 2 rooms thru PayPal!^^

I wasn't even sure about the location of the hostel~ My friends wanted to stay at Myeongdeong because it's famous for being a shopping destination. But you know, I loved where this hostel's located. All the other areas were very accessible (thanks to the efficient subway system of Seoul!), there were many places to go to, marts/groceries were very near and it was in a peaceful neighborhood. What I loved most was that just a few minutes of walking would lead you to the most happening places in Hongdae! And yes, HONGDAE is my FAVORITE PLACE in Seoul right now! ;)

Like I said above, discovering and staying at this hostel helped in making our trip a success! It was everything I was looking for in a hostel and so much more. :) It was a place to rest, to think about the amazing things happening to us in Seoul, to eat, to interact and to share memories with friends. 

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS HOSTEL TO EVERYONE PLANNING A TRIP TO KOREA! I'm sure this hostel won't disappoint! Honestly if and when I return to Korea I will stay at this hostel again, whether I'm on a budget or not! :)

I ♥ STUDIO41ST HOSTEL!

Photo taken by Manager Moon and sent to me by Manager Barbara ♥

Thank you very much for the warm accommodation, Studio41st Hostel! You are part of my dream that came true--my dream of going to Korea. Until next time! :)

**For questions about Studio41st Hostel, again you can contact them through their website and their Facebook page. Click the links! :) You can also post a comment here and I will try to answer based on my personal experience.

***2nd year of medical school = ZOMBIE YEAR but I will still try my best to update my blog! Fighting!^^