Hotel Gonggan embodies convenience, with its proximity to the Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal and other city attractions, as well as helpful amenities like free lockers and a laundry room.
- Getting There:
- Arrival & Checking In:
- The Standard Double Room:
- The Bedroom:
- The Bathroom:
- Amenities:
- Final Thoughts:
Getting There:
One of Hotel Gonggan’s selling points is its proximity to the Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal (literally a five to six minute walk), but if you’re taking a KTX to Gyeongju, the train station is slightly away from where all the action happens so you’ll have to get a bus or a taxi (from either the taxi stand or Kakao T). The distance isn’t that bad, so you should get to the hotel within 20-30 minutes.
Arrival & Checking In:
I arrived at the hotel a couple of hours earlier than the check-in time (3PM), but since they offered free lockers to store my baggage and I wanted to get exploring Gyeongju ASAP, I opted to check in later. I verified my booking (I had made a reservation via Agoda) and my personal information, and then made the payment before leaving. So, when I got back in the evening, I just had to grab my room keycard and head upstairs.
Although a hotel, the lobby has a very hostel-like communal vibe, with an open space for lounging and also for preparing your own food if need be. They also had a laundry room, which was pretty convenient.
P.S.: I also liked how the lobby’s aesthetic and decor incorporated the orange from their logo!
The Standard Double Room:
The Bedroom:
The Standard Double Room had all that one would expect from a modern-day standard budget to mid-range hotel room: a mini-fridge with still water (having to pray not to get sparkling water instead of still is one thing i don’t miss about Germany…), a TV, remote-controlled AC (FYI the remote is also the same one for controlling the TV), and Wi-Fi. The room also had a work desk and a bench-like seating area with a wide bedside table, which made up for the lack of a closet (in their defense, they do have wall hooks to hang clothes).
As for the bed, for a solo traveler with a penchant for moving around in their sleep, it was sizable enough. However, if another person were to be added to the mix, I’d probably opt for a bigger room. Both the mattress and the pillow were firm, which was quite nice for me personally!
The Bathroom:
The bathroom was simple in regards to both the decor and what was offered, which by no means is a complaint as it had everything one would need in a bathroom: a sink with a cute pebble-shaped mirror above to wash up, a shower with decent water pressure with a hair and body wash dispenser next to it, and a toilet to, y’know, do your business (for those curious, this is the exact order that I follow!).
My only gripe was that there wasn’t anything to separate the shower area from the rest of the bathroom, because the water almost went all the way to the door. However, in the grand scheme of things, it’s really a non-issue, if I’m being honest.
Amenities:
As mentioned previously, Hotel Gonggan offers a shared common area and kitchen (they also sell instant noodles and other foodstuffs from what I can recall), and said common area and kitchen are also where they have their (free!) breakfast buffet for all guests from 8AM-10AM. Also mentioned before was their laundry room, which I will gladly mention again and again until my carpal tunnel acts up, because it really came in clutch on day two, as for someone who overpacks, I had forgotten to bring enough clothing!
Another amenity I had talked about before which I will again would be their lockers; not only was I allowed to store my (ridiculously heavy) baggage before I checked in, they also were kind enough to let me store it even after checking out, which was so helpful as I had more than a couple of hours to spare before my bus back home. Thank you, Hotel Gonggan!
Final Thoughts:
All in all, I enjoyed my stay at Hotel Gonggan for many reasons: the affordable price, the proximity to the bus terminal, the vibrant Hwangnidan Street, and a wealth of convenient services, such as their free lockers and laundry room. I definitely see myself coming back here when I (eventually) revisit the Golden City of Gyeongju!
[Thanks to Agoda, I got a pretty great deal for a two-night stay for just $156.50!]
Let me know if you stayed at Hotel Gonggan, and let me hear your thoughts!
(This article was originally written on the 9th of August 2025)
- 📍 178-26 Noseo-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
- 🕘 Check-in / Check-out: 3PM / 12PM every day
- ☎️ +8201062226453
- ✉️ hotelgonggan@gmail.com
LLAMASODA 
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