Hotel Kuretakeso Insadong

Hotel Kuretakeso Insadong Overview

I’ll be honest – when I first walked into Hotel Kuretakeso Insadong, I wasn’t expecting much from a 3-star place. But you know what? Sometimes the best surprises come in modest packages, and this little gem in Seoul‘s artsy heart totally won me over.

The location is actually what makes this place special. You’re literally in the thick of Insadong’s winding alleys, which means you can stumble out in the morning and grab some hotteok from a street vendor, then spend your day poking around traditional tea houses and galleries without dealing with subway transfers. I mean, the narrow streets can get pretty crowded during weekends – especially when tour groups descend – but honestly, that’s part of Insadong’s charm. The hotel itself sits quietly enough that you’re not getting blasted with street noise all night, though you’ll definitely hear the occasional late-night reveler wandering back from Myeongdong (it’s just a short walk away, which is super convenient).

What I really appreciated was how the staff actually seemed to know the neighborhood. The guy at the front desk – spoke decent English, by the way – gave me this hand-drawn map with little notes about which galleries were worth visiting and where to find the best bibimbap nearby. That’s the kind of insider knowledge you don’t get at those big chain hotels. The rooms are pretty standard for Seoul standards (read: compact but efficient), but they’re clean and the beds are surprisingly comfortable. The bathrooms are those tiny Korean-style setups, but the water pressure is solid and everything works. I stayed on the fourth floor and could peek out at the traditional rooflines mixed with modern buildings – sort of sums up this whole area, really. Check-in was smooth, though I noticed they get pretty busy around 3 PM when everyone’s arriving at once.

Here’s the thing about staying in Insadong – you’re trading space for atmosphere, and Hotel Kuretakeso gets that balance right. You’re not paying luxury prices, but you’re getting that authentic Seoul neighborhood experience. Plus, the traditional markets are right there, Jongno-gu’s cultural sites are walkable, and you can easily hop over to Bukchon Hanok Village when the mood strikes. The hotel doesn’t try to be something it’s not, which I actually found refreshing after staying at some overly flashy places that promise the world and deliver mediocrity. It’s just a solid, no-nonsense base camp for exploring one of Seoul’s most character-filled districts.

Hotel Kuretakeso Insadong Accommodations

Reviews of Hotel Kuretakeso Insadong

• Ayana from Israel (8/10)

  It was our second time in the hotel and we stayed almost for a week. The first time was for two days a week before that. Stuff was helpfull, the room clean. Ones we put a "not disturb" sign on our door and a cleaning lady left a bag with fresh towels and additional hygenic products on the door handle. It was very nice.
  We used a hotel laundry this time. It was like 3000 won for the washing mashine and 3000 won for the drying one and you can even buy a detergent at the registration counter which is also very cheap.
  And again the hotel is situated in a very comfortable area from where you can reach differend destinations by foot or to take a bus, there is plenty of public transportation to any directions

• Ivey from United Arab Emirates (9/10)

  It was close to all the places that I wanted to visit and explore.

• Jasmin from Philippines (8/10)

  The location

• Dean from Canada (8/10)

  Being on a high floor with a great view of the city. Location was 3 short blocks from one metro station but need to transfer to another line if you want to get to other sights. Walking distance to Bukchon cultural village. Free luggage storage and water bottles daily. Nice modern high rise hotel.

• Romain from France (7/10)

  Located in Insadong, very close to everything to see in Seoul. Room was cleaned everyday and the bed was done everyday as well. The size of the room was spacious enough. The bathroom was also very good.

• Ayvan from Australia (9/10)

  Everything was always clean & breakfast was great

• Francesca from Italy (7/10)

  Perfect location.

• Personel from Turkey (9/10)

  Location

• Waltteri from Finland (9/10)

  Nice and an affordable room in the center of Seoul. Very walkable location. Breakfast was decent, there could be more options to choose from but the price was correct.

• Tan from Singapore (7/10)

  Cozy n clean room

Facilities