Guesthouse Woody – My Recommended Airbnb To Escape The Noise Of Hongdae
I consider Guesthouse Woody a lucky find when I booked this accommodation 2 days shy of my flight to Seoul. I found it on the fifth-page results of Airbnb, most lodgings in the listing were either too expensive or no longer available on my desired dates. It had good reviews and for 5 days of stay, I only paid ₱3,554.00. Hotels in South Korea are bloody expensive, this was already a steal. I loved everything about it even when I got lost trying to find my way there.
Get ₱1,600 off on your first Airbnb booking here
Guesthouse Woody is owned by a guy in his 20s whose Korean name means “wood” in English, thus the name of his accommodation. Woody speaks excellent English making communication a breeze. He is quite responsive when you send him an inquiry or a message. In Airbnb, he is ranked as a “Superhost,” which in Airbnb world means an experienced host, highly rated by his previous guests.
The guesthouse sits in a posh and quiet neighborhood in Mapo-Gu, Seoul, about 10 minutes away from Hongik Univ Station. It’s located in a 3-story building with a rooftop; it has dorm rooms with shared bathrooms and toilets. The place has a clean, nice
I stayed in a room with 3 double-deck beds. There is no locker, guests just put their belongings either beside or below the beds. Towels and toiletries are provided for and there’s also free breakfast (instant coffee, toast, jam, and cereals).
The kitchen is so cute and probably my favorite place in this guesthouse. It has a red vintage looking fridge, washing machine and dryer, bread toaster, and a microwave oven.
When I checked in, there is another guest, a Chinese girl who seemed to have made herself quite comfortable in the room, and by that I mean her stuff is all over the room. She occupied the bed across from mine yet her bag is under my bed. Her notebooks, toiletries, clothes are strewn about that I thought, she should have gotten a private room.
A day after, a bespectacled French guy was billeted in the same room with us. Unlike the girl, I was able to talk with this guy and I even attempted to converse with him in French so I can practice. Unfortunately, he wasn’t too keen on the idea and still replied in English (bummer).
Here’s a little tour inside Guesthouse Woody.
Woody invited me as well as the other guests to his friend’s pub at Baekbeomno, Hyochange-dong. I was the only one who said yes as the others have already made plans on the same day. It was the night before I left Seoul, I thought, why not, might as well talk with a local.
It proved to be a good decision. Woody is fun to talk to, he has a sense of humor, and he is very smart. From this conversation, I learned so much about the Korean culture like the fact that when they are born, they are automatically 1 year old. He said that he is close with his mom who does the famous 10-step Korean skincare routine everyday. All South Korean men are mandated to do a military service for 2 years. I asked him if he has already gone to the military, he said yes.
I shared with him the popularity of South Korean dramas in the Philippines and that they were part of the reasons I wanted so much to visit their country. I mentioned a few titles but he doesn’t know any of them. He said that he is not that fond of TV shows and prefer movies. The movie industry and the TV industry are two different things in South Korea he said. They usually cast what they call “idols” (K-pop music artists) for the dramas.
I told him that Kdramas are so big in the Philippines many girls were excited when they found about a service wherein you can rent an
By the way, the food in this pub is good! Also, it’s the place where I found the best beer I have ever had in my life, a Belgian strawberry flavored beer called, Früli.
So if you ever decide to book your stay at his guesthouse and Woody invites you to his friend’s pub, don’t hesitate to go. The food there is great and Woody is such a good company.
During our walk back to his guesthouse, Woody was on the phone talking with someone. He later shared that a friend of his just broke up with her boyfriend and he was trying to console her. What a nice guy.
The only disadvantage that I could think of when it comes to staying at Guesthouse Woody is the fact that it’s a bit of a walk to the Hongik Univ Station. Personally, I didn’t mind the walk, the neighborhood is safe and I could use some exercise. I imagine though that it might become a challenge to people who hate walking.
Overall, Guesthouse Woody offers a decent and comfortable place to stay in Seoul. I give it
