Where to Stay in Seoul: 126 Mansion

I know that Seoul is still 6 months from now but I'm already preparing for our trip. 

Part 1 is choosing the airline. Even if I don't like to travel via Cebu Pacific, I have to consider our limitations when it comes to our household travel budget. Hubby and I are going to put up a business, we still have some payables, Christmas shopping is looming in sight, we have a Hongkong trip in December, we have plans of going through a fertility work-up next year, we also have plans to go on a Caribbean cruise next year, plus my sister and nephew are comin' over in late 2012 so I'm assuming that we're goin' to cook up some Asian travel as well. All these considerations got me into settling with Cebu Pacific and I'm just hoping that the frequent delays in flights won't be too much of a distortion in the itinerary I'm going to make.

Part 2 is choosing the place to stay in Seoul. I am a hotel lover. Even in the United States where we got relatives who offered their couches to us, I still opted to book hotels. We stayed in hotels in New York, Washington DC, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. Asian trips are no exception. Choosing a good hotel is crucial for me because at the end of a tiring day, I need a cozy hotel to help me take the stress away.

I don't know why I have a different feeling when it comes to Seoul. For our trip this time, I'm not looking for hotels. I don't want to stay in the same old corporate chains. I want to experience the culture. I want to stay in a real Korean home.

And I'm glad I found 126 Mansion in AirBnB.

<click here to read more>

I heard that the hotel is run by a mom who prepares the food and three sisters who make everyone feel at home. In fact, I was already able to talk to Hyunchung via email about our reservation and she has been very nice to take the time to give immediate responses to my questions. Whereas my hotel bookings before were only done online in Expedia or Agoda or Booking.com, this time around, I'm talking to the real person who runs the guesthouse. I appreciate this personal touch.

Anyhow, I haven't been to the place so I'm just relying on the pictures and reviews by some people who have stayed there. There's not much reviews yet because the place has just opened last Spring. But I have this feeling that the reviews were sincere and I'm hoping that I'll have a first-hand experience of Hyunchung's hospitality when we get there in March.

 

I noticed from the photos I saw online that the rooms are Korean-inspired. The mattresses are on the floor which may seem unpopular for some tourists. But as for people like me who don't mind, I totally embrace the culture of sleeping on the floor as part of the real Korean culture.

 

The rate that I got for a double room already includes breakfast. I read from their website that they have a cafe at the ground floor that serves breakfast. They have American breakfast with bacon, eggs, toast and fruit spread. Of course, they also offer Korean breakfast.

I'm really excited to go to Seoul and part of it is the thrill of staying in a Korean house which I hopefully don't regret by staying in 126 Mansion. I'll be posting our real experience when the time comes but for now, I'll be fixing my Seoul-binge mode by reading more about Seoul.

Annyeonghi gaseyo!