Gyeongju Friend Guesthouse

The owner is indeed very kind, she even remembered my name even though we only crossed paths twice briefly. I arrived late past 11pm but she welcomed me with a smile. Basically the place is good for the low price, especially during the silk road festival when everything else was sold out. The breakfast which guests have praised include eggs that you can cook yourself however you like, bread, drinks and a huge pot of corn soup that you can drink any time while it lasts. Simple but very good value.

I didn't sleep well but that's mostly because of the people I shared the dorm with. The door opens and locks with the usual Korean lock jingle so anyone going in or out during the night woke me. If you're a light or even medium sleeper, be prepared with your heavy duty ear plugs. The bathrooms are basic, usually if there aren't many people at the same time (which was the case when I went in the evenings) you can have some privacy with the curtains but it's mostly a big communal shower space with a few shower curtains separating some sections but no racks to place towels or anything on. Also there was unfortunately some arguments between two guests in my dorm because one tried to claim a bed that was already taken accidentally. So basically make it obvious when you claim a bed to avoid the same issue as beds are self assigned.

1. spacious common area; 2. able to cook in the kitchen; 3. close to city center 4. reasonable price 5. felt welcomed by the host

1. shower room has no privacy (first time seeing shared showers in a hostel, the curtains are to no avail) so usually only one person uses it and it’s not efficient; 2. small window in the room so ventilation is bad, air conditioner stinks when on(needs cleaning) 3. room door locker makes noticeable noise especially at night (awakes every time someone opens the door) 4. lacks detailed intro and English notice (since there’s a lot foreigner), so rules are not always obeyed by guests

Korean mama was the best! Made me feel like home.

The owners were kind and helpful, and it was great value for the price - especially given that it was Chuseok.

The hallways constantly smelled like food because of the kitchen downstairs, and facilities were old. It was also located near what I realized was a slightly seedy (by Korean standards, to be fair) neighborhood.