Great location to shopping areas”

The hotel location is FANTASTIC, close to City Hall Station Exit 7. Easily reached by Airport Arex Train if you don't mind the hassle of bringing the luggage bag up some stairs, changed to City Hall line at Hongik station instead of Seoul station (more crowded). Or you may take the KAL airport limousine 6701A which stop at the Plaza hotel and is located just opposite Hotel Aropa. Within walking distance to Myeongdong shopping area via an underground shopping mall, Namdaemun shopping area, Gyeongbok Palace, Cheongyeon Stream, etc. Many local restaurants right infront or one street behind the hotel. 7-11 stores is just outside the cafe, another 24hr store & Coffee Bene cafe just after exiting the underground mall. The Deluxe Double room is spacious, enough to place 3 luggage bag. Very comfortable King size bed and a big LCD tv with many TV channels. High speed internet and free wifi within the hotel. The bathroom photo is different from the hotel photo. Thou the toilet is abit small but comfortable and make up for the price paid for the location. Do take note the toilet glass door is only partially frosted and allows one to peep through from outside. No locks and curtains for privacy thus more suitable for family or couples. Thou most of the staff hardly smile, they are very helpful with any queries and communicates well in English. Overall, I would highly recommend this hotel for everyone.

Relaxing and Comfortable”

I visited Seoul during the last week of March, 2014. With the weather being in the early days of Spring, I felt it would be a good time to travel to Korea seeing as how their winters can be very cold. The reason I chose Hotel Aropa was because of its many reviews of comfort and central location as well as the fact that it's a new hotel built in 2013. What other reviewers have said about the hotel rang true. The staff were very friendly and could speak English very well. My room was clean and comfortable. There were a plethora of restaurants nearby to choose from and City Hall Station is only about five minutes away. My stay at Hotel Aropa was amazing. I was comfortable and relaxed, the bathroom was nice, and I could use WiFi in the room. As for the many choices of restaurants, one of the ones I chose was the Traditional Korean Restaurant which is right across from the hotel. But that's not all that Hotel Aropa has to offer. A treat you might enjoy is the "Changing of the Royal Guards Ceremony" held at the Deoksugung Palace nearby (it's very close to City Hall Station). I found it to be quite enjoyable. Also, on the last Wednesday of every month, admission to the palace is free which is another treat. All of this was an added bonus to staying at Hotel Aropa. The only thing I regret is not having tried the cuisine at Cafe Aropa. However, I'm giving it a high rating because from what I saw of the restaurant, I found it to have a relaxing environment. It seemed to offer privacy and solitude, convenience and a tasty menu suitable to the cafe's atmosphere. Although there are bigger hotels nearby, I found the quaintness of Hotel Aropa to be enjoyable and satisfying. I plan to stay there again, hopefully in the same room, upon my next visit to Seoul.

Nice area for shopping and restaurants”

Aropa is nestled in a quiet junction that is just 3 mins walk from Exit 7 of city hall subway station. Surrounded by convenient stores and eateries that operate till late evening. There was a restaurant just 1 min walk away that was voted to 30 restaurants in Seoul for Sam Gye Tang (Ginseng Chicken Soup) and it was really good. Close walking distance to Myeong Dong shopping district (10 mins), Namdaemon shopping area is not far off as well, and also close to the flagship Shinsege shopping centre in Seoul. Walking distance to subway is just a stone's throw away and getting around town was easy as well. Hotel Aropa has one of the most comfortable beds i have come across in a long time and it makes you sleep very soundly. Wifi speeds are okay in rooms and overall a clean and neat hotel. Would recommend.

Excellent value for money and location”

Friendly and very helpful English-speaking staff, especially the Manager. Bedroom was newly furnished and spacious for the price I paid. Clean and modern bathroom. Breakfast has a limited choice, but adequate for a budget traveler. Excellent central location, easy access to inexpensive food day and night. Walking distance to a variety of shopping areas like Namdaemun Street Market, and Sogong Underground Shopping Centre which links all the way to the Myeongdong shopping and eating heaven. Five mins walk to City Hall Station for direct subway train to Dongdaemun Shopping Area, and Seoul Station for KTX trains to other parts of Korea. Two mins walk to Airport Bus Stop. Ten mins walk to Seoul City Tour Bus starting point. Walking distance to Cultural and historical sites (Palaces, museums, etc). Really the best location at an affordable price, thanks to Agoda.

Couple on leisure trip”

Stayed for 5 nights at the hotel, in between a night at a ski resort. Check in was smooth, receptionist could understand simple English. I think Aropa is a business hotel, with its good location to the nearby City Hall and Seoul Train station. Walking distance (8mins) to MyeongDong and Lotte Duty Free. Overall, very good location to start the tour around the city. Very near to Namdaemun night market too. Food is readily available everywhere once u step outside the hotel. Not too tough to find on the map, just make sure u come out at the rght exit at City Hall station. Takes u 5mins to walk to the hotel. Its just behind Shinhan Bank. Will stay again.

Best location, clean hotel,reasonable price”

We stayed for 6 nights here in April and we have to say , booking this hotel is the best decision. It's clean, decent size, and clean room everyday without requested with changing towels, refilling water bottles, soaps and ect. Also, it's close to subway line 2, exit number 7 for City Hall. with appx 2 minutes walking. Also, it's close to most attractions in Seoul and we walked to such as Myeongdong, Namsaemun Market, Palaces, N tower and much more. There are many goods restaurants around the hotel area and 7-Eleven is around the corner. I gotta say this hotel is perfect choice If you plan to use subway or walk around Seoul. Save lot of time. Also , limousine bus to Aiport is in front of the Plaza and 2 minutes away from this hotel.

God hotel in good location”

I stayed in the hotel for 2 nights and although it took me a little longer than i thought to find it, once i had found it i realised it was pretty close to everything you wanted in the centre of Seoul. Checkin was quick and easy, our room was a decent size, not too big as with most hotel rooms in Asia, but fairly modern. There was free wifi with good connection and lots of TV channels. Outside the hotel were quite a few restaurants and some bars and the usual coffee shops were within a 5 minute walk. City Hall train station was also within a 5 minute walk and the main shopping area in the city centre was about a 10-15 minute walk (far quicker walking than getting the train from City Hall to it). If there was a downside to mention it was that there was no room service - there is a cafe on the ground floor which is open till around 10pm but if you wanted to just sit in your room and order room service to be delivered you couldn't do that. Overall a good value hotel in a good location. When i next go to Seoul i would stay there again.

Best value near city hall”

Just opened in April 2013, this hotel was spotless and modern. Talking elevator, electronically controlled lights & AC, high-end fixtures, large flat-screen TV, fluffy towels, diligent housekeeping, nice cafe downstairs, and extremely helpful staff were more than what we expected for the price we paid through Agoda. The room (std double) was small but well-laid out and quite comfortable. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, robes and slippers were provided but bring your own shampoo - there's a small charge for it. The best part was its location -- although the taxi driver who took us there first night warned about the neighborhood -- it was centrally located and surrounded by lots of interesting local restaurants. We walked to everywhere: Namdaemun was practically next door, City Hall subway station was 2 minutes walk, and even the airport limousine bus stop was 2-3 minutes away at the nearby Plaza Hotel. The hotel itself was on a small side street but walk out a block or two in 4 directions and so many options of restaurants and points of interest awaited us. We walked through nearby streets with nightclubs and such at night, but noticed no sign of danger or disturbance. We arrived at midnight and the staff was waiting, quickly checked us in, and next morning told us where to go, how to get there, booked a DMZ tour, and gave lots of insider's tips. One young man even walked us out to the big street because we were disoriented on the first day. Thanks to their help we made most of our 4 days on the ground in Seoul. If in Seoul again, we will very likely stay with them again.

Excellent first stay!”

Our first stay at this newly built hotel (2013) was very comfortable and convenient (walking distance to namdaemun and myeongdong and 15min train to other attractions via city hall subway) to many of the areas we intended to visit. Rooms were clean and made everyday, staff were friendly and spoke some English (better English than most other places). Airport shuttle stops at seoul plaza hotel which is 5min walk to hotel aropa across the street. Thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will be back again, and hope to get a room on a higher storey, for we stayed at room 201(level2) so there wasn't much view to boast about. Just to note, only body wash and towels are provided, but not shampoo.

Excellent Location, Clean Rooms”

We stayed 6 nights at Aropa and enjoyed our stay. Check in / out was quick and staff were efficient and professional. Room was big and clean, and sound proofing was quite good. Best feature of the hotel is its accessibility and location: Take Limousine Bus 6701 from Incheon Airport, drop off at Plaza Hotel (costs KRW 16,000 per person, takes about an hour). Lots of restaurants around the hotel too (for good fried chicken try Chicken Mania which is a 1 min walk from Aropa. Ask the Front Desk for directions.) Walking distance to City Hall MRT (5 mins) and Myeongdong Shopping District (10 mins). We will stay here again if we return to Seoul.

Great Location and Easily Accessible”

The hotel's location was awesome. It's a 3-minute walk away from the nearest airport bus stop (bus 6701, get off at the plaza hotel and it is just behind the Shinhan bank). It is also approximately 10 minutes away from the famous Myeongdong shopping street, Lotte Duty Free Shopping Centre. The City Hall station is less than 5 minutes walk away which made sightseeing around Seoul a breeze. It also helped that the hotel staff could converse in both Chinese and English. The only downside was that the breakfast spread was limited though tasty. Overall I would recommend this hotel for anyone looking for a centralized hotel which is definitely value for money.

Superb location, right in the city central.”

Very recommended hotel in Seoul. Moderate price with good value, located in city central, near subway (City Hall Station) and shopping area (Numdaemun) within walking distance. There are lot of restaurants around serving western, Japanese, Thai and Korean food. Though the personals can't speak good English, most of restaurants have menu in English upon request. Rooms and other facilities are clean. Only little hold backs are some rooms have views of adjacent nearby building and located on small road which is unknown by many taxi drivers. For the later points, print out hotel map with street names in Korean will ease the searching. Overall, great hotel for business and leisure travellers. Sure to have repeated stay here if come to Seoul.

Gem in Central Seoul”

The Hotel Aropa is located at the corner of two alleys toward the northern end of what has long been a neighborhood known for after work dinner and drinking. A long street of restaurants offers grilled meat, seafood and samgaetang, a traditional chicken and ginseng soup. In the evening, some suspicious looking guys wired for sound mill about hoping to catch a group of office workers and lead them to a basement "business club," where they will be plied with drinks and run up an amazing bill. But the guys give foreigners a wide berth and the area is as safe as any city neighborhood in the world. The hotel is clean and unpretentious. The rooms are spotless and modern and the wireless is free. There is a clean, relaxing spa on floor B2 but it is men only. The staffing is minimal and a bit brusque even for Seoul, but that's in keeping with the hotel's emphasis on no-nonsense efficiency. Breakfast can be purchased with the room or separately for 12,000 won. The latter is usually cheaper. The offerings are basic and the price about right. Skip most of the hot dishes , which seem to sit for too long; go with the nuts, raisins, yogurt and croissants. The location is superb. The adventuresome can walk from Seoul Station (bullet train, subway)in about 25 minutes, half of that underground. The city hall subway stop is about 10 minutes away, as is Deoksu Palace. The taxis have a little trouble finding the hotel, even with Korean speakers. But they all know the Chosun Hotel, which is about a half block away. The hotel is a great value.

Clean, perfect location and friendly”

The hotel is 1mins to main road where you can take a taxi, 3mins to City Hall station, 5mins to Hoehyeon Station, 10mins walk to Myeong-dong shopping area, 8mins walk to Lotte Young Department Store. The room and big and clean. They can speak good English and Chinese. There is a very nice bar and cafe in 1F, and 7-11 right next to hotel. Many good restaurants nearby.

Good Hotel for shopping and food”

The room is clean and new. Toothbrush, towels and shower gel were provided. The hotel is located in the city centre. So we had no problem with food and transport. Its walking distant to myeong-dong, Gyeongbokgung palace, namdaemun market and city hall mrt station. Would stay again should we visit seoul.

Can't wait to stay there again”

Very close to subway station (City Hall, exit 7), a lot of dining options around, local market. Affordable. Good WiFi. And the main thing about it is 24-hour sauna which gives you a chance to relax literary at any time. Perfect to get over jet lag! Still the hotel is pretty affordable comparing to the others in this expensive area. There is an airport bus going to/from hotel nearby, but I advise to take Airport express train to Seoul station which is just one stop from City Hall station. Train is better and even cheaper. Cons: the AC was a bit noisy and not convenient to use when sitting at the desk (blowing directly to your head). But that's pretty minor problem. This is one of my #1 choice in this area of Seoul.

Comfort and Location”

The location of Hotel Aropa is perfect for people wanting to get to many of the major attractions in Seoul (Gwanghwamun, City Hall, Myeongdong, Cheonggyecheon, etc.) as it is within walking distance to all those places. The hotel is also very near the subway lines 1 and 2 making it a very convenient place to stay. And, after a full day of shopping and sightseeing, the bed is comfortable and fluffy enough to give you a great night's sleep.

Good location”

would rate the hotel as a business travel hotel, as there's not much facilities + no room service on food. Very comfortable bed+pillows. Great location, near cityhall station. 6min walk to myeong dong. Walk out of hotel, turn right from Shinhan Bank, walk straight till reach Shinsegei shopping mall, cross traffic light to reach myeongdong. Plenty of good food near hotel.

Comfortable stay at Hotel Aropa”

Hotel Aropa is about 7mins walk away from Exit#7 of City Hall subway station - look out for Dunkin Donuts in the 10 o'clock direction from Exit#7, cross the small road, locate Shinhan bank on the left of Dunkin Donuts, turn into the small alley after passing Shinhan bank, hotel is located about 20m into the alley on a small slope behind the bank & has a sign that reads 24hr Sauna. One thing to point out, there isn't any escalator/elevator at Exit#7 so be prepared to lug your luggage up stairs if U are arriving at the hotel via subway. Otherwise, KAL airport limousine bus services to-fro Incheon airport are readily available at The Plaza Hotel (5mins walk away from Hotel Aropa) at 16,000KRW cash per person. Bus schedule is available at Hotel Aropa's lobby. Buffer 1 hour for commute to Incheon airport from The Plaza Hotel. There are plenty of restaurants, local eateries, fast-food like Burger King & KFC, cafes, pharmacies, convenience stores like 7-11 & Mini-Stop all within walking distance from Hotel Aropa. The hotel is also near main shopping areas like Myeong Dong, Lotte Mart, Dongdaemum, Hongik so it's cheap to cab back if U are carrying lotsa shopping bags. Better to have the hotel's name & address in Korean with U as most cabbies speak/understand minimal English. U can also walk to Namdaemun market from the hotel. We got a standard double room for 3 nights and although we are happy with most parts of the room (excellent cleanliness, free & reliable wifi, big comfy bed etc), we would recommend room-sharing for couples mainly because the bathroom door is only half-frosted. Like some others mentioned, there's only 1 complimentary bottled-water even though there are 2 guests in the room. There's a small Tefal flask for u to boil water though. Hotel provided 2 free toothbrushes, toothpaste, towels, body shower foam. Hotel staff are generally friendly and could speak adequate English to help in recommendations and directions.

Close to Airport Bus-stop and shopping area”

It is a great experience for me, I was worried about the difficulties of travelling in South Korea as I am not good at English and Korean. The hotel we stayed is easyily to be found, and surrounding the hotel is full of selection of local restaurants. I could walk to Myeong Dong shopping area even though it was the first time for me to travel. The room is comfortable in design, size and cleanliness. I would recomment people to stay this hotel if they go for shopping in Seoul.