Hongdae has a fantastic selection of cheap and mid range hotels available for your visit to Seoul, South Korea. The area lacks luxurious 5 star hotel options, but it’s not a glamorous part of the city like Gangnam anyway. We spent 7 nights at a hotel near Hongdae and after exploring the trendy neighborhood, we think it’s a great place to stay if you’re into food, residential areas and a vibrant student vibe.
In this guide we show you the best hotels in Hongdae Seoul for all budgets, based on our experiences.
Our Experience
We took our first trip to Seoul to see the cherry blossoms at the end of March 2023 and spent 2 amazing weeks exploring the city far and wide. We booked a 7 night stay in Myeongdong and a 7 night stay at the Lotte City Hotel in Mapo, near Hongdae. We would have stayed in Hongdae but it was too expensive because we were booking last minute.
It ended up working out great because Lotte City Hotel in Mapo is directly above Gongdeok subway station, which is just a few minutes from Hongdae and it has great links to the rest of Seoul. Hongdae has so many fantastic places to eat and drink, walk around, soak up the culture and enjoy more of an authentic experience away from the tourists in Myeongdong and Gangnam. Read more about us.
Our guides for Seoul:
Where To Stay In Hongdae
The neighborhood of Hongdae covers a small area to the west of downtown Seoul. It’s mostly built up around Hongik University subway station, but it also goes down as far as Hapjeong subway station close to the river. You can easily walk between the two subway stations, through a maze of narrow streets packed full with amazing hole-in-the-wall eateries.
If you desperately want to stay in this area of Seoul but Hongdae’s hotels are either full or too expensive, Mapo is your best alternative. Mapo is less touristy, more business oriented and closer to Seoul station. And there’s a handful of quality hotels above the entrances to Gongdeok station in Mapo, so you can instantly access the subway network. We recommend prioritizing Hongdae hotels, and using Mapo as a backup if they suit your budget better.
Hongdae Hotels Map
Click or touch the map below to activate. Zoom in and out, move around the area to see exactly where each hotel is located.
Map key:
- Green stars – Low budget
- Red stars – Mid range budget
- Blue stars – High budget
Want to save on attractions? We highly recommend saving money with a Discover Seoul Pass if you plan to visit multiple attractions on your visit to Seoul.
How We Order Hotels
We’ve hand picked 8 Hongdae hotels for you to consider booking by taking into account previous guest ratings, location, value for money and our own experiences in the area. Read more about our editorial process.
Hotels in this guide are listed in order of average nightly cost. We analyzed nightly prices on three future dates in different seasons so we could order with a degree of accuracy.
You’ll find 2 x cheap hotels, 5 x mid range budget hotels and 1 x luxury hotel. We periodically update our guides to ensure the previous guest ratings from Booking and Google reviews are accurate.
1. Dream House
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 8.8 / 10
- Google – 4.4 / 5
- Price: Cheap $
- Amenities: Free WiFi, rooftop terrace, free laundry, breakfast available
- Location: West side of Hongdae
Dream House is the top rated cheap hotel in Hongdae Seoul. It’s an affordable 2 star hotel featuring double or twin rooms available with private bathrooms, it has a fantastic rooftop garden terrace and it has a good location within walking distance of the urban-indie shopping streets.
Reviewers rate staff, comfort, cleanliness and facilities the highest at Dream House. Rooms are basic but it looks as though nightly prices are less than $100 USD on weekdays and a little over $100 USD on weekends throughout the year.
BOOK: Dream House Hongdae
2. Amanti Hotel
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 8.4 / 10
- Google – 4.2 / 5
- Price: Cheap $
- Amenities: Free WiFi, seasonal outdoor pool, fitness center, rooftop garden,
- Location: Northwest side of Hongdae
Amanti Hotel offers you a bridge between cheap and mid range budget. You can use a small fitness center and a seasonal outdoor pool (check opening times), so if you can find cheap prices and the pool is open, this hotel could be a steal.
Reviewers rate staff, comfort and cleanliness the highest at Amanti Hotel. Rooms look great and the hotel is located very close to Hongik University station for easy subway access. Reviews aren’t as high as other hotels, but this hotel is more affordable which will suit you if you’re traveling on a lower budget.
BOOK: Amanti Hotel Hongdae
3. GLAD Mapo
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 8.7 / 10
- Google – 4.4 / 5
- Price: Mid Range $$
- Amenities: Free WiFi, fitness center, on site restaurant and bar, breakfast available
- Location: Gongdeok Station in Mapo
GLAD Mapo is a superb hotel near Hongdae. It’s an affordable luxury 4 star hotel located above Gongdeok subway station (which connects directly to Incheon Airport) in Mapo, which means it’s just 2 stops from Hongdae. It has thousands of excellent ratings and it’s also closer to Myeongdong.
Reviewers rate staff, comfort, cleanliness and location the highest at GLAD Mapo. We stayed at Lotte City Hotel in Mapo next to GLAD and the instant subway access was incredibly convenient. But eating out is more difficult in Mapo and the language barrier is even more apparent.
BOOK: GLAD Mapo Hongdae
4. Mercure Ambassador
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 9.0 / 10
- Google – 4.6 / 5
- Price: Mid range $$
- Amenities: Free WiFi, fitness center, garden, terrace, on site restaurant and bar, breakfast available, coin laundry
- Location: Center of Hongdae
Mercure Ambassador is the best hotel in Hongdae Seoul. It’s a luxury 4 star hotel with thousands of exceptional guest ratings and comments across every online booking platform, an unbeatable location within the Hongdae neighborhood and surprisingly affordable rates.
Reviewers rate staff, comfort, cleanliness, facilities and location the highest at Mercure Ambassador. The next time we stay in Hongdae, we’ll be booking a room at this hotel in advance to get the best rates. And we’d recommend this hotel to our friends or family if they visited Seoul.
BOOK: Mercure Ambassador Hongdae
5. 9 Brick Boutique Hotel
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 8.5 / 10
- Google – 4.3 / 5
- Price: Mid range $$
- Amenities: Free WiFi, on site restaurant and bar, free parking, breakfast available, laundry
- Location: Center of Hongdae
9 Brick is a popular boutique hotel in Hongdae with excellent ratings, competitive prices and a superb location in the heart of the neighborhood. The lobby, rooms and restaurant with outdoor seating look upscale and free parking is a perk if you plan to hire a car in South Korea.
Reviewers rate comfort, cleanliness and location the highest at 9 Brick Boutique Hotel. It’s just steps from the famous Hongdae shopping street and Hongik University subway station is only a few minutes walk. Overall, it’s a great mid-range budget option if you can find competitive rates.
BOOK: 9 Brick Boutique Hotel Hongdae
6. Holiday Inn Express
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 8.6 / 10
- Google – 4.4 / 5
- Price: Mid Range $$
- Amenities: Free WiFi, fitness center, on site restaurant, city views, coin laundry, breakfast included
- Location: Above Hongik University Station
Holiday Inn Express is one of the most popular hotels in Hongdae for first time visitors to Seoul. It’s located directly above the main subway station, it provides a quality free buffet breakfast (which can be hard to get in Seoul!), it’s a well known hotel chain and it’s reasonably priced.
Reviewers rate staff, comfort, cleanliness and location the highest at Holiday Inn Express. This is the hotel we almost stayed in but it was quite a lot more expensive than Lotte City Hotel in Mapo because we were too late. It’s a fantastic hotel with a top location, so we recommend checking prices for your dates.
BOOK: Holiday Inn Express Hongdae
7. L7 Hongdae
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 8.3 / 10
- Google – 4.2 / 5
- Price: Mid Range $$
- Amenities: Free WiFi, on site restaurant and bar, breakfast available, fitness center, seasonal outdoor rooftop swimming pool (extra cost)
- Location: Center of Hongdae
L7 is another popular and high quality Hondae hotel with thousands of positive reviews. It has a super location in the heart of Hongdae, great rooms and attentive staff. The rooftop pool area looks awesome but it does come at an extra cost (even for guests staying at the hotel) which we think should be void.
Reviewers rate staff, comfort, cleanliness and location the highest at L7 Hongdae. The L7 hotel chain is extremely popular around Seoul and you won’t find many complaints at any location. It’s a great choice for your visit to Hongdae, as long as you don’t mind covering that extra amenity fee for the pool.
BOOK: L7 Hongdae
8. RYSE, Autograph Collection
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 8.9 / 10
- Google – 4.6 / 5
- Price: Luxury $$$
- Amenities: Free WiFi, fitness center, on site restaurant and bar, breakfast available
- Location: Center of Hongdae
RYSE is the best luxury hotel in Hongdae Seoul. It’s an upscale movie themed Marriott Autograph Collection hotel with a perfect location, but it’s also much more expensive than any other hotel in this list. So we’d say as long as you can stretch the budget for your stay, this hotel should be on your shortlist.
Reviewers rate staff, comfort, facilities, cleanliness and location the highest at RYSE. Everything looks classy from start to finish, comments are very positive and it comes in close to the top of every online platform’s rankings. RYSE is where to stay in Hongdae in style!
BOOK: RYSE, Autograph Collection Hongdae
Is Hongdae A Good Place To Stay?
If you’re looking for a lively, social and fun area overflowing with a nice blend of touristy, local and quirky places to eat out, then yes Hongdae is a great place for you to stay in Seoul.
Here’s what we like about Hongdae:
- Safe to walk around by day and night
- Plenty of off the beaten path places to discover
- Wide range of animal themed cafes like cats and meerkats
- An abundance of restaurants, bars and cafes
- Young, cosmopolitan, student-centric and easy going crowd
Here’s what we didn’t like about Hongdae:
- Isolated on the west side of Seoul
- Long subway rides to get to attractions
- Hotels are high quality but limited options
You need to book in advance to secure a hotel room at a reasonable rate if you decide to stay in Hongdae. Don’t leave it until the last minute like we did!
Myeongdong, Hongdae Or Gangnam?
This is the big question most people (including ourselves) consider before booking a hotel in Seoul. And after spending 2 weeks in the city, we think you could include Insadong and Itaewon into the equation.
Here’s how we see it:
- Myeongdong – The overall best place to stay
- Hongdae – Best for the younger trendy crowd
- Gangnam – Most glamorous area to stay
- Insadong – Best for families with young kids
- Itaewon – Best for partying but not authentic
If you’ll be spending more than a week in Seoul, we recommend splitting your hotels between Gangnam and one of Myeongdong, Hongdae or Insadong. This way you’ll have the perfect base to explore attractions in both the south and the north of the city.
Best Hotels In Hongdae By Reviews
We always look at guest reviews when booking our hotels in new travel destinations. Previous guest reviews are a fantastic resource to use because you can see genuine unbiased pros and cons from a wide range of real people.
But it’s important to use reviews as a guide only because you might not necessarily agree with others. Let’s take a look at the best hotels in Hongdae as per genuine user generated reviews from popular online resources.
1. Booking.com
According to previous guest reviews on Booking.com, your top three hotel options are:
2. Hotels.com
According to previous guest reviews on Hotels.com, your top three hotel options are:
3. Google
According to previous guest reviews on Google, your top three hotel options are:
4. Tripadvisor
According to previous guest reviews on Tripadvisor, your top three hotel options are:
Affordability
We found that hotels in Hongdae and Seoul were more affordable than other popular cities in Asia like Tokyo or Singapore. With that said, we think Hongdae’s hotels are slightly above average in price for Seoul because there are so few options available and the neighborhood is growing in popularity.
On a positive note, prices tend to stay fairly consistent throughout the year. So you won’t have to contend with seasonality driving prices through the roof at any point. On a negative note, we know from first hand experience that hotels book up quickly in Hongdae, so you should book as far in advance as possible to avoid inflated prices.
Added Tax
Bear in mind when booking your hotel in Hongdae that you’ll pay 10% hotel tax on top of your base rate.
So, let’s say the basic nightly room cost at a cheap hotel is $120.00 USD for one night, your actual total cost is going to be $132.00 USD.
- When booking your hotel using Booking.com look under the price for includes taxes and fees. This means the price you see is final and will not be subject to further add ons.
- Conversely, if you see text reading something like +$30 for taxes and fees, that means you’ll pay the hotel room cost + the additional 10% tax.
Our Verdict
Hongdae is rapidly growing in popularity because it’s still authentic, residential and has a low key student vibe. Hotels are limited but they’re high quality, so as long as you book in advance you’ll get a great hotel at a good price point.
We’d definitely stay in Hongdae again the next time we’re in Seoul because we think it’s only going to keep growing. And we’d book either the Mercure Ambassador or RYSE because they have the highest previous guest ratings.
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We hope this guide to the best hotels in Hongdae helps with planning your visit to Seoul, South Korea!
Please let us know if you have any questions by commenting below.
Happy Booking,
Mark and Kristen
Best Hotels Anywhere
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Mark and Kristen Morgan are experts at finding and booking hotels. They’ve been traveling the world for over 6 years, staying at more than 500 hotels across 4 continents.
They only write about places they have personally visited themselves, which means every article you read on Best Hotels Anywhere is created directly from first hand experience. Read more about us.