I booked this hotel through a website which gave me a discount of approximately 20% off the rack rate for a 2-night stay.
While I agree with most of the negative comments in previous reviews, I have to say I actually ended up quite liking this place, and would probably stay there again.
Firstly, to put some of the previous negative comments in context for the benefit of people unfamiliar with the situation here: nearly all hotels in Korea (aside from international chains and "super deluxe" hotels) have some things in common, which people from other countries might find strange or even offensive - a general feeling of austerity, paying for shampoo and the presence of "nightclubs" which don't admit foreigners being three of them. I wish these things would change as much as anyone, but since they apply to almost every hotel, I have learned to put up with them and they have not greatly influenced my overall rating here.
The Centro Hotel could be categorised as a rather basic business hotel, and anyone looking for real luxury should definitely not stay here. Having said that, the Centro does provide a kind of mid-range accommodation at a mid-range price that is relatively hard to find in Seoul, and which was what I was looking for on this occasion. Many things about the hotel left me with quite a positive impression. All the staff I met spoke reasonable English and there were no communication difficulties. I was checked-in quickly and efficiently, and provided with a bigger room than I had actually booked and paid for. The room was spacious, comfortable enough, and adequate for my needs. There was an Internet connection , but I did not try to use it so cannot say if it worked or not (but there is a Business Center in the lobby which provides Internet access). The room and corridors were fully carpeted (which I feel helps with sound insulation). The windows were not very well soundproofed, but as the hotel was located a little distance off the main street, noise from outside was not a big problem and I was able to get a fairly good night's sleep - probably the most important consideration to me when choosing where to stay. There was an enormous, flat-screen television in the room which I used once to watch CNN, although it took me a while to work out how to get the channel. The air conditioning could be adjusted and worked satisfactorily. Room service was also available throughout the day, apparently at the same price as actually going to the restaurant (room service being a rare thing for a hotel in this price category). The location suited me, being at most 30 minutes by subway from the Gangnam business district.
I should also mention what was negative about my stay. The beds were slightly on the hard side, and the pillows were a bit thick - I just about managed, but they might leave some people with a slightly stiff neck. The room was a little on the dark side, even with every light turned on. There was no kettle and no tea/coffee-making facilities, although there was a hot and cold water dispenser in the corridor (a branch of "HOLLYS COFFEE" is 1 minute's walk from the hotel). The bathroom was fine, but only soap, towels and hand cream were provided free - you had to pay for shampoo, as mentioned before. Another thing which might be strange to some people, but is quite common in Korea: you cannot flush any toilet paper whatsoever down the toilet - not even one sheet - or it will block and overflow; you have to put ALL toilet paper into a waste bin next to the toilet. The shower was fine, although the water was not very hot the first morning of my stay (the second day it was absolutely boiling).
I used the restaurant once for breakfast (not included in the room rate). I went there at 7am, when I was the only customer. The "American Breakfast" was good enough, but nothing out of the ordinary. The cup of tea was nice and hot, but it would have been even better if they had given me a whole pot and supplied milk with it rather than artificial creamer. Salt and pepper shakers were provided, but the holes were blocked - an elementary problem to fix, I would have thought. I was also surprised that one of the waitresses spent some considerable time taking photos of herself using her mobile phone and checking her emails while I was eating. OK, so there were no other customers to keep her busy, but I would expect this sort of thing to be done out of sight of the one customer that was there.
So, all things considered, this is not the most perfect place in all the world to stay. However, considering the price range, it does way better than most of its peers. Most importantly, you are likely to get a pretty good night's sleep here, and though facilities are somewhat basic, they are adequate. The hotel tries to be a business hotel, but it would suffice just as well for tourists - indeed its close proximity to Nambu Bus Terminal and Express Bus Terminal may be something of an advantage to people hoping to see something of the country beyond the Seoul metropolis.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
