Accommodation in South Korea
From ondol floors to hanok courtyards — the types, the customs, and how to book
For the specifics of where to base yourself in a given city — the best neighbourhoods and our pick of areas — see Where to stay in Seoul. This page is about the kinds of stay generally, and how they work.
The main types
Broadly you'll choose between Western-style comfort (a bed, a private bathroom, the familiar) and Korean-style stays (a heated floor, a mattress, rather more ritual). Most trips mix the two — hotels or guesthouses in the cities, and a night or two of hanok for the real thing.
Business & tourist hotels
The dependable backbone. Compact, spotless, efficient Western-style hotels, thick on the ground in every city and near the stations. Rooms are on the small side but well designed, with a private bathroom, fast Wi-Fi and a smart bidet-toilet as standard.
What's distinctive: excellent value at current exchange rates, reliable English at check-in, and a tier of home-grown mid-range brands alongside the internationals. The top end — five-stars in Seoul, resorts on Jeju — is superb and still often cheaper than the European equivalent.
Hanok stay
The cultural one. A hanok is a traditional Korean house: a tiled roof, a wooden frame, paper-screened sliding doors and rooms set around a small courtyard. Staying in one — in Seoul's Bukchon, or best of all in Jeonju or Gyeongju — is the single most memorable bed in the country.
What's distinctive: you sleep Korean-style, on a padded yo mattress laid directly on the floor, warmed from beneath by ondol underfloor heating — cosy in winter, and a genuinely different way to spend a night. Rooms are simple and often share bathrooms; some include a light breakfast. It is an experience more than a hotel, and priced accordingly.
Guesthouses & hostels
The sociable budget choice. Clean, friendly, well-run dorms and simple private rooms, thick around Hongdae in Seoul and every traveller hub. Communal kitchens and lounges make them easy places to meet people.
What's distinctive: outstanding value and a young, international crowd; the private rooms are a cheap step up from a dorm without losing the sociable feel. Ideal for solo travellers and anyone counting the won.
Motels (yeogwan)
The value workhorse — and Korea's best-kept secret. Ubiquitous, cheap and, in their modern form, genuinely good: a private bathroom (often a bathtub), fast Wi-Fi, a big TV and a comfortable bed for a fraction of a hotel's price.
What's distinctive: many began as, and a few remain, “love motels,” so expect the odd flamboyant room — but there is no stigma in using one, and for a clean, well-equipped bed they are hard to beat. You'll often pay at a small window, and English can be limited; a translation app smooths it. Some offer daytime “rest” rates — don't be thrown; overnight stays are entirely normal.
Pensions
The out-of-town option. Family-run, often self-catering guesthouses in the countryside, on the coast and across Jeju — frequently with a barbecue terrace and rooms sized for groups.
What's distinctive: they're built for families and friends travelling together and for a slower, scenic stay; less useful as a city base, lovely for a rural night. Book through a Korean host or platform, as few appear on the big international sites.
The only-in-Korea nights
Two experiences that double as a bed. A jjimjilbang (Korean bathhouse) lets you sleep, cheaply, in its communal rest room for around ₩10,000–15,000 — an only-in-Korea budget adventure. A temple stay offers a night in a working Buddhist temple with meals and a programme of practice.
Both have their own guides: see Jjimjilbang: the Korean bathhouse and A Temple Stay in Korea (guides coming).
What each costs
Rough per-night guide prices, mid-2026. Hotels, motels and guesthouse rooms are priced per room; hanok and temple stays are often per person, sometimes with a meal.
| Type | Per night | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Jjimjilbang (bathhouse) overnight | ₩10,000–15,000 | Per person, communal room |
| Hostel dorm bed | ₩22,000–35,000 | Per bed |
| Guesthouse private room | ₩40,000–70,000 | Per room, often shared bath |
| Motel | ₩50,000–90,000 | Per room, private bath |
| Business / mid-range hotel | ₩90,000–160,000 | Per room, room-only |
| Hanok stay | ₩80,000–200,000 | Per room/person; a highlight in itself |
| Temple stay (one night) | ₩50,000–90,000 | Per person, with meals & programme |
| Four/five-star & luxury | ₩250,000+ | Per room; the sky's the limit |
How to book — and the Airbnb catch
Korea's own booking apps — Yanolja and Yeogi Eottae (GoodChoice) — dominate motels and pensions, but they run largely in Korean and often want a Korean card or phone number. Most visitors book hotels and guesthouses on the international platforms (Agoda, Booking.com, Hotels.com), which work smoothly and carry plenty of Korean stock. For hanok and temple stays, book direct or through specialist and tourism-board sites.
Airbnb is legal but tightly regulated — check the licence. A lawful listing must be a registered Foreign Tourist Urban Homestay, and since the end of 2025 Airbnb has removed tens of thousands of unlicensed lets (studio officetels, in particular, cannot be licensed as lodging at all). Book only listings that show a registration or licence number, and don't be surprised that many urban homestays are, by law, for foreign guests only.
The things visitors don't expect
None of this is hard — but knowing it in advance turns confusion into a smooth, confident stay.
Shoes come off at the door. In any Korean-style room (and many guesthouses and hanok), you leave outdoor shoes in the entrance hall (hyeon-gwan) and step up onto the raised floor in socks or slippers. Never walk the heated floor in shoes.
You may sleep on the floor. In a hanok or traditional room, a padded yo mattress on the warm ondol floor replaces a bed. It sounds spartan; it's surprisingly comfortable, and toasty in winter. Western beds are standard everywhere else.
Bathing has its own etiquette. If you try a jjimjilbang or a hanok's shared bath, you wash thoroughly first, seated at the taps, and only then soak; baths are nude and single-sex. The full ritual is in our jjimjilbang guide.
The toilet is probably smart. Heated seats and built-in bidets are near-universal; the controls are increasingly labelled in English. Older or rural spots may still have a squat toilet alongside.
No tipping, anywhere. It isn't part of Korean culture and can cause polite confusion; the price is the price.
English varies, and check-in can be cash. City hotels are fine; motels, pensions and rural inns less so — a translation app covers the gaps. Some budget places prefer cash and may ask for ID or a deposit.
How to mix it for a first trip
You don't have to choose one style. The happiest first-timer's pattern is usually business hotels or guesthouses in the cities (convenient, flexible, near the metro), with at least one night in a hanok — Jeonju and Gyeongju do them best — for the ondol-and-paper-screens experience. A jjimjilbang night is a cheap, only-in-Korea adventure if it appeals, and a temple stay adds a night of real quiet. That mix gives you comfort where you want it and character where it counts.
Book ahead for the busy seasons. Cherry blossom (late March–April), the autumn foliage weeks (October), and the Chuseok and Seollal holidays fill rooms fast — popular hanok in Jeonju and Gyeongju can go weeks ahead. Off-peak, a few days' notice is usually fine.
External links
Korea Tourism Organization — official accommodation listings and booking guidance.
Templestay (official) — the national temple-stay programme and bookings.
Visit Seoul — the capital's official accommodation resource.
You may also like
Where to stay in Seoul
Which neighbourhood to base yourself in, area by area.
Cost of visiting South Korea
Daily budgets and real 2026 prices, accommodation included.
Best time to visit South Korea
The seasons that fill rooms — and the quieter windows.
Accommodation in Korea: FAQs
What types of accommodation are there in South Korea?
The main options are Western-style business and tourist hotels, traditional hanok houses, sociable guesthouses and hostels, the ubiquitous and good-value motels (yeogwan), family-run pensions in the countryside, and two only-in-Korea nights: a bathhouse (jjimjilbang) stay and a temple stay. Most trips mix comfortable city hotels with a night or two of hanok for the experience.
Is a hanok stay worth it?
For a night or two, yes. A hanok is a traditional Korean house with paper-screen doors and a heated ondol floor, and you sleep on a padded mattress on that warm floor rather than a bed. It is the most memorable stay in the country, best in Jeonju or Gyeongju. Rooms are simple and sometimes share bathrooms, and prices run about 80,000 to 200,000 won.
How much does accommodation cost in South Korea?
Per night in 2026, a hostel dorm bed is about 22,000 to 35,000 won, a motel 50,000 to 90,000 won, a mid-range hotel 90,000 to 160,000 won, and a hanok stay 80,000 to 200,000 won. A bathhouse overnight is around 10,000 to 15,000 won. Rooms are usually priced per room, so couples and families pay less per head.
What is the best way to book, and is Airbnb legal?
Most visitors book hotels and guesthouses on international platforms such as Agoda, Booking.com and Hotels.com, which work smoothly; Korea's own apps, Yanolja and Yeogi Eottae, cover motels and pensions but run mostly in Korean. Airbnb is legal but tightly regulated: a lawful listing must be a registered Foreign Tourist Urban Homestay, and unlicensed lets have been removed, so book only listings that show a licence number.
Do you have to sleep on the floor in Korea?
Only in traditional rooms. In a hanok or a Korean-style room you sleep on a padded yo mattress laid on the heated ondol floor, which is warm and comfortable. Hotels, motels and most guesthouses have ordinary Western beds, so floor-sleeping is a choice, not the norm.
Do you tip at hotels in South Korea?
No. Tipping is not part of Korean culture and is not expected at hotels, guesthouses or restaurants. Service is included in the price, so there is nothing to add.
Last updated 26 July 2026