What to Check Before Booking Accommodation in Korea

Booking your first place to stay in Korea often means tapping "reserve" after a quick glance at photos and star ratings, but several practical details never show up on the listing page and can cost you time or money once you arrive.

At a glance: what to check - room size unit, whether toiletries are provided, elevator availability, review photos vs. the real room, cancellation/refund rules. Rule took effect March 29, 2024 (Ministry of Environment), applying to lodging with 50+ rooms. What you lose if you miss it: about 10,000 won to rebuy toiletries, 20-30 extra minutes if your guesthouse has no elevator.

First, check the room-size unit. Korean listings sometimes measure floor area in "pyeong" (평), a traditional Korean unit, rather than square meters. One pyeong is roughly 3.3 square meters, so a "5-pyeong" studio is about 16.5 square meters - a bed and a narrow walkway. Listings also differ on whether that figure includes shared space like the bathroom, so compare furniture size in photos against the stated number.

Second, don't expect free toothbrushes and razors. A Ministry of Environment rule has banned lodging with 50+ rooms from giving out disposable toiletries (toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, razors) for free since March 29, 2024; violators face fines up to 3 million won. So larger, more established-looking hotels are actually more likely to have none at all. Travelers who don't know this buy a toothbrush-toothpaste-razor set at a convenience store their first night, for roughly 10,000 won.

Third, budget guesthouses and motels frequently have no elevator, especially small buildings converted from old walk-ups on 3 to 5 floors. Carrying two suitcases up a narrow staircase to the fourth floor can eat up 20 to 30 minutes on its own. Confirm elevator availability before booking, and if you're carrying heavy luggage, ask for a lower-floor room.

Fourth, review photos and the actual room can differ. A property's own photos are sometimes shot at wide angles or under flattering light that make the space look larger than it is, so cross-checking recent guest reviews - sorted by newest - gives a more honest sense of real size and condition.

Fifth, always check the cancellation and refund policy first. If your itinerary could change, screenshot the free-cancellation deadline while it's visible. Skip this and later need to cancel, and you can lose the entire room cost - typically 50,000 to 150,000 won a night - with no refund.