I had a disappointing experience with the front desk staff, even though the hotel itself was quite nice.
Before my arrival, I emailed the hotel to ask if early check-in would be possible since my flight landed in the morning. I also asked Trip.com to contact the hotel on my behalf. Neither the hotel nor Trip.com informed me that there would be an additional charge for early check-in. They only asked what time I expected to arrive.
When I arrived at around 10:30 AM, the receptionist showed no expression and immediately told me that if I wanted to check in then, I would have to pay KRW 11,000 per hour. Since I wasn't informed of this policy beforehand, I decided to leave the hotel, have breakfast, and spend some time sightseeing instead.
I returned at around 1:00 PM, and the same receptionist was at the front desk. She was even eating at the reception counter in the hotel lobby. Without any greeting or smile, she told me that if I wanted to check in at that time, I would need to pay KRW 22,000. I paid the additional charge because I had no other choice.
I have stayed in hotels all over the world, and this was honestly the worst front desk service I have ever experienced. What made it even more disappointing was that the hotel was far from busy—there appeared to be many vacant rooms.
The hotel itself is good, but the poor attitude and lack of professionalism from the front desk staff left a very negative impression. I hope the management will provide better customer service training in the future.
