Philstay Dongdaemun

We stayed here twice over one long period of stay in South Korea. First time, we got room on the 5th floor, and the 2nd time on the 3rd floor. 5th floor room has better ventilation, but 3rd floor room is a lot more convenient if you have heavy luggage because there's no elevator in the building. There's also water filter in every floor if you're thirsty and the scale to weigh your luggage. The hostel provides towels, toiletries, and so on. You can also use their washing machines to do your laundry. Also, the hostel has a perfect location. If most of the places you want to visit are in North Seoul, they're basically 15-20 min away from DDP. There's also a bus that goes straight to Itaewon. Overall, it's a great place to stay considering the price and the location.

The owners have a cute dog, and there's a distinct smell of dog pee in the 2nd floor where the reception is. I do realize it's problematic in the middle of Seoul, but please walk the dog.