James Blue Hostel

James, the manager, was very welcoming and helpful. He immediately showed me on the map what there was to see and do and gave me great recommendations. It was really helpful for planning my stay.

Honestly, there was nothing significant that I didn’t like.

Great location and very welcoming host. Room has everything you need.

The staff were exceptional, kind and very informative. Good location. Room had what you needed and was very clean.

The beds were very hard and not enough pillows so it wasn't entirely comfortable. Also the common area closes at 11pm which made heating up of food, getting utensils or using kitchen area late at night next to impossible. Hostel kitchen area did not allow your own cooking so you have to make sure to eat out and check restaurant times as places close very early. Also usually hostels are usually a great place for meeting fellow travelers and younger people however this hostel did not really have that kind of vibe so meeting new people there did not easily happen on my stay.

The location is very good, only a few minutes from the bus stop that can take you into Seoraksan National park and you’re early enough on the line that the bus tended not to be too busy when we got on. The free breakfast, while limited, was nice and it’s hard to complain when it was free. The room was fairly spacious. The owner, James, was very helpful and contacted me over WhatsApp to organise check-in as well as meeting us in person to tell us about the important sights to see in Sokcho and help us out deciding what trails to do in the national park.

The property had a wet room bathroom, which whilst there was nothing wrong with it, I personally dislike them as it means the floor is always wet and feels like it gets dirty.