Holiday Inn Express Seoul Hongdae by IHG

We had a very pleasant stay for two nights at this hotel. The cleanliness was outstanding, and the staff provided excellent service throughout our visit. The breakfast buffet offered a good variety of options and was a great way to start the day. A special advantage of this hotel is its convenient location, with a shopping mall directly connected to the building, making shopping and dining extremely easy. Overall, we had a very enjoyable experience and would happily stay here again.

Holiday Inn Express Seoul Hongdae is a 3-star hotel situated just above Hongdae Metro Exit 5, offering easy access to the metro and the Incheon Airport Express train. It is within walking distance of the vibrant Hongdae area, home to shops like Musinsa, Olive Young, Adidas, and Samsung, as well as numerous dining and cafe options.

The room is very small, with no cabinets or drawers, only a metal hanging rack. The walls are thin enough to hear neighboring rooms throughout our stay, but the bed is comfortable, and blackout curtains helped us sleep well each night.

The dining room is large and spacious, though there are limited food choices, with one dish changing daily. The coffee machine dispenses only a small amount of coffee, which is insufficient, and there are no desserts—only bananas, oranges, and frozen fruit. We ended up having coffee outside after breakfast every day.

Housekeeping was consistently good, and we appreciated the clean room each day. The front desk staff tried to accommodate our small room situation, which we truly appreciated.

The hotel has a laundry room on the 16th floor with washing machines and ironing boards, as well as a gym nearby. AK Plaza, accessible via the 5th floor, caters to a younger crowd with anime characters, Japanese-inspired cafes, fashion for young adults, and youth-oriented shops.

Overall, the hotel seems suited for short stays, especially since we’ve stayed at other hotels in the Hongdae area that, while slightly more expensive, offer better amenities and larger rooms with cabinets.

Title: Disappointing 4-star experience – power outage, uncomfortable room, and unhelpful staff.

Stayed here for 10 nights, and unfortunately, it was a frustrating experience from start to finish. For a property rated 4 stars, the quality and service fell far below expectations.

First, the room’s air conditioning did not cool properly. It ran constantly but never cool the room, making the nights warm and uncomfortable. Especially it happened to be summer in Korea.

The worst incident happened on the second night. The hotel had a complete electricity shutdown that lasted 4 hours—starting at midnight. We were left in complete darkness with no ventilation or air circulation for four long hours. It was hot, stuffy, and impossible to sleep.

The bed itself was a problem. It was far too soft, offering no support, and the mattress edge was slumping to one side. I constantly felt like I was rolling off the bed.

Breakfast was another letdown. For a 10-day stay, the options were very limited and repeated almost every single day with no variety. It became a boring chore rather than something to look forward to.

To make matters worse, the front office was difficult to communicate with. When requested just a one-hour late checkout, they outright refused and immediately demanded a late checkout fee, showing no flexibility or understanding, despite my long stay and the multiple inconveniences I had already endured.

Given the high rating of this hotel, I expected comfort, reliability, basic courtesy, and reasonable flexibility. Instead, I got a warm room, a midnight blackout, a broken bed, a monotonous breakfast, and unhelpful staff. I would not recommend staying here, especially for longer trips.

We stayed at this hotel for two nights and had a great experience. The room was clean, and the staff were always friendly, helpful, and professional. The breakfast buffet offered a wide selection of food, with plenty of choices to suit different tastes.
One of the biggest advantages of this hotel is the shopping mall located directly in the same building, which makes shopping, dining, and getting anything you need so convenient.

Overall it was a very comfortable and enjoyable stay and we would definitely recommend it :)

You can’t beat the location! We only stayed here one night for easy access to the airport railroad, but I can see myself coming back/recommending to a friend. The rooms were spacious, clean, and had everything you need for a nice stay. The breakfast was nice as well. The luggage staff in the lobby were really great, always on top of it and willing to assist.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Seoul Hongdae from April 5–8, 2026, and found it to be a very convenient and comfortable option.

The location is excellent, right in the heart of Hongdae, with Hongik University Station next to the hotel, making travel to and from Incheon International Airport very easy.

There are plenty of shops, restaurants, and nightlife within walking distance. The first floor feels like an indoor plaza with multiple stores, including a 24-hour convenience store (konbini) and an ATM, which was very practical. Breakfast was included and offered in a buffet style with plenty of options, making it a great start to the day.

The room was standard but comfortable, and from the 11th floor we had a nice city view. Staff were friendly and helpful throughout our stay. There is also a laundry room available, though it is cash only.

Overall, the hotel has everything you may need and is a great choice if you value location and accessibility—I would stay here again.

I had a brilliant stay at Holiday Inn Express Seoul Hongdae, and the service was top-notch from start to finish. We arrived quite early, and the staff were lovely enough to sort out our luggage storage so we could head out and explore immediately. Check-in was fast and smooth, which was a massive relief! The room itself was surprisingly spacious and comfortable, with plenty of floor space to spread out and pack our big suitcases without feeling cramped at all.
The location is a total gem and 10/10 for convenience; it’s connected to AK Mall and surrounded by everything you need, with 7-Eleven, CU Mart, Olive Young, and Daiso literally a stone's throw away. It’s right at Subway Exit 4, and since most tour pickups are near Exit 3 or 8, it makes the morning rush so much easier. Being near the bus station as well makes connections a breeze. Breakfast was good too—it’s a smaller buffet spread, but just right for a quick, fuss-free meal before heading out. They also have laundry and ironing facilities on Level 16, which is very handy, though you do have to walk up there if you need to get some ironing done. I’d definitely stay here again!