After an early morning flight from Haneda Airport in Tokyo to Gimpo Airport in Seoul, I checked into L7 Myeongdong.  This is actually my second stay at the L7 Myeongdong located in the Myeongdong area of Seoul (probably obvious from the hotel name).  On previous trips I have stayed in Gangnam but found myself spending the majority of my time on the other side of the Han River and found it more convenient to stay in Myeongdong.  Also, one of my favorite things to do in Seoul is skincare shopping which makes Myeongdong the perfect location since it’s like a mecca of beauty shops.  The major beauty brands even have multiple stores in the area which can make getting around the area a little confusing at first since the stores repeat so often.

THE BOOKING

The L7 Myeongdong is a Lotte Hotel which is a South Korean brand.  It opened in early 2016 and the first time I stayed was only about a month and a half after it opened but even now it’s only been a little over 2 years so it’s a fairly new hotel decorated in a contemporary style with art on exhibit.

You can book directly on the hotel website but I chose to book through Orbitz since they were having a promotion code that took 15% off and I also had some Orbucks (Orbitz cash) that I could apply to my booking.  In the end, my booking for 5 nights averaged $122.45 per night without breakfast and though I prepaid, the reservation was cancellable.

THE LOCATION

As I mentioned earlier, the hotel is located in Myeongdong but I prefer this hotel because it’s right by the Airport Limousine Bus Stop, the Myeongdong Station and it faces a major street and not all the shops in Myeongdong so it is a little quieter and less crowded right when entering the hotel.  Also, there’s a 7-Eleven convenience store and Paris Baguette bakery next door.  But most convenient is the fact that I can make multiple drop-offs while shopping because I tend to get a little carried away with my skincare shopping.

But Myeongdong is also fairly close to Insadong, Incheon, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village, Seoul Station and other places you may want to visit.

THE HOTEL

When you first enter the hotel, you’ll find a set of elevators that you can take to the lobby or up to your room.  You will need to have to room key to go up to the floors with the guest rooms.  Check-in and check-out are fairly easy and the workers have a good grasp of English.  In the hotel they have rooms with a double bed or rooms with twin beds.  The first time I stayed, I was in a double bed and the second a room with two twin beds.  There are also a few suites but I believe they book up quickly because I’ve never seen one open for when I’m going.

They do offer breakfast for an additional charge but I’ve never partaken.  So there is one restaurant, a cafe and a rooftop bar.  There’s is also a foot spa.  I’ve actually never used any of the additional services so I can’t really provide much more information.

THE ROOM

The hotel room is decently sized with enough space for me to lay out my bag and not end up tripping over it.  Some of the rooms have a veiw of Namsan Tower but mine was of the buildings behind us.  The bathroom isn’t too cramped and there is enough counter space for all of mine and my friend’s skincare and makeup.  They provide Malin Goetz products in the bathroom.  There is also a small open closet and a small mini fridge (smaller than normal).

This time around I forgot to take pictures of the room before we began spreading all our stuff around but I still have photos from my previous trip in a double room.  They’re a little dark though because I arrived at night and didn’t go around turning all the lights on.

OVERALL IMPRESSION

I like the aesthetic of the L7 Myeongdong and I really love the location.  I’ve stayed here twice already and would definitely be willing to come back and would recommend it to others.  Next time though, I might try another hotel in the area because I’ve also read great reviews of Hotel 28 Myeongdong.

L7 Myeongdong

Address: 137 Toegye-ro, Chungmuro 2(i)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Website: http://www.lottehotel.com/L7/myeongdong/en/Default.asp

Nearest Station: Myeongdong Station