➹ wanted: perfect accommodations part III

It's been 2 years since my last obsessive post on finding the perfect accommodations in Seoul. And though I did visit Seoul last year, and i did stay at a really nice and affordable place, I have to say that my quest is still not over. Let me  elaborate for a second.

So after a less-than-ideal choice for a home away from home on my vacation last May '09, I pledged not to select from hostels anymore. No hard feelings, I just wanted to try something else on my next stay. And gracious goodness, did I find a real gem in Yeouido. Hotel Kobos is quite a treasure find with the following perks:
[+] large spacious rooms with
[+] large spacious baths
[+] affordable rates at KRW80,00 -  KRW99,000 (breakfast included)
[+] 5-minute walk from the sparkly new National Assembly subway station
[+] 5-minute walk from the Limousine Bus Stop to and fro Incheon Airport
[+] and of course, FREE COMPUTER WITH HI-SPEED INTERNET IN ALL ROOMS

I would HIGHLY recommend this hotel for those with a preference to reside in the Yeouido area. Sadly, we were there during summer so we didn't experience the spring festival which the area is quite famous for. How awesome would it be to be lightly showered by cherry blossoms while strolling leisurely on your way back to the hotel, huh? Well, next time ...

We stayed at Kobos for about 10 days, and of course staying that long in a place would give anyone some minor pet peeves. It's not 5-☆ and we're not snobs haha but just you know, we might have stayed a bit too long (maybe):
[-] the corridors are extremely humid! no real reason why anyone would hang out on the corridors, right? except if your roommate is in the bathroom when you happen to knock on your door ~ and that's only because
[-] they only give 2 keys (or just 1, i really forgot). but for sure, we had less keys than we had beds in the room.
[-] the breakfast area (though so nice and cozy and all that) was a tad bit small and there were more guests than seats. so sometimes we weren't done eating yet but we had to hurry up because there are people waiting for us to leave the tables. and lastly
[-] (super minor) small elevators. if you're a bit claustrophobic, better just take the stairs (though we didn't try that).

So yeah, those were just silly pet peeves. I would definitely return to this hotel but only if I had some specific business on the Yeouido area. Next time, I'd like to stay closer to downtown Seoul where the shopping districts are. And it's because last summer, after we spent the entire day walking around Myeongdong and Hongdae and Gwanghwamun it was such a challenge to travel back to Yeouido and creep into our nice hotel beds. 'Twas a bit too far for us shopaholics.

So indeed, back to square 1 for the 2011 choice. I don't think I've researched on this many hotels/hostels on a single country before. Everytime I find a prospective place, I either (a) unearth a less-than-ideal review on it or (b) find a possible better prospect. And so I tab from window to window on a severely disorganized hunt to find *the* accommodation for my next trip.