Hotel The Designers Dongdaemun

it was on 28 dec 2025 - my family and i did not stay at the hotel, but we were waiting for our bus tour to arrive right outside the hotel. while waiting we were looking for the washroom and went to look for it in the hotel, only to be screamed at. it was a shocking experience. maybe the hotel has to look back at its security system and only allow lift access for hotel guests… or perhaps the hotel security can manage the entrance/ exit better… no doubt, there is a process gap, hope the management can review so that the poor employee need not get so worked up when public enters the hotel for the washroom, especially knowing that it is a popular designated pick up point for tours.

This hotel claims to be a designer hotel, but the reality is shocking and unacceptable.
• The room is dirty and seriously worn out. The upholstered headboard is stained, scratched, and peeling, which looks unhygienic and poorly maintained. Bed linens also show visible marks.
• The layout is badly designed: the toilet is directly facing the bed, so every time it is used, odors spread throughout the entire room. There is no privacy and no proper ventilation control.
• The sink is placed right in the walking path, making the room cramped and inconvenient. This feels like design for appearance only, with zero consideration for functionality.
• The shower glass is not sealed properly, allowing water and humidity to leak outside.
• The bathtub is oversized and poorly positioned, taking up unnecessary space without adding comfort or value.
• The air conditioner is old, weak, and noisy, barely cooling the room.
• Overall, the interior is clearly outdated, with poor workmanship, damaged surfaces, and a lack of basic cleanliness.

This is a perfect example of style over substance — using the “designer” label to charge higher prices without delivering any real design quality or guest experience.

Would not return and absolutely do not recommend.

I had a terrible 3-night experience at this hotel. I originally booked a Deluxe Room for 3 nights through Agoda, with a special request for a high floor and a large window. However, upon check-in, we were given a small, stuffy room. When I checked the hotel’s official website, I discovered that it was not a Deluxe Room, but a Photo Studio Room instead.

I went to the front desk to request a room change, and they eventually agreed. The issue is that they intentionally switched the room type without informing us at check-in. The staff at the front desk — a girl wearing glasses and a lip piercing — had an unacceptable attitude during the situation.

To make things worse, the hotel turned off all the lights and air conditioning twice every night — once around 2 a.m. and again between 4–5 a.m., which woke us up because it was extremely hot.

We expect a clear explanation and proper compensation for the inconvenience and emotional distress we experienced. We will definitely never come back and will warn our friends to stay away from this hotel.

Room size was good but very old amenities. Bathroom amenities were better, affordable room price for its prime location, close to subway, airport buses. But a front desk woman, she was cold, did not speak a word, very bad. You should walk deep into backstreets for local eateries

We stayed there around November 2024. My sister realized that she forgot something in the room and we asked the reception about the lost items. The reception just answered that housekeeping did not see it. We tried to interrogate them but the reception lady was not approachable enough with questions. Upon arriving in the airport, we realized that we lost not only one item but two items. We only checked out and left our luggage bags in their reception so we were sure that those items were just in the rooms.

We also advised them not to clean the room as we left valuable stuff in our room. We even put on the sign as instructed. But still, they clean the room. They need to know how to listen to the request of the people.

Nevertheless, I cannot recommend this hotel to others due to dishonest people and poor communication comprehension of their employees amidst using broken and simple English language.