The last time we were in Seoul we stayed at a cute little loft we found on AirbNb. This time around, because MERS scared away all the tourists, we scored a really good deal at Hotel La Casa, a boutique hotel in Sinsa-dong. neighborhood of Gagnam. Our room was simple, yet modern, with high ceilings and a floor to ceiling window.

As much as we enjoyed snooping around the hotel, the best part was the hotel’s location. If Apgujeong was Seoul’s 5th Avenue, then Sinsa-dong felt more like a Soho. Within walking distance of our hotel were trendy restaurants, boutiques, artsy shops, adorably quaint cafes, tree-lined streets, and endless places to grab a drink. It’s a trendy, up-and-coming part of town with gently sloping streets and a cozy neighborhood vibe. As much as we love roughing it when we travel, this neighborhood really suited us.

DETAILS

HOTEL LA CASA // LOCATION: 527-2 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea // COST: Approx $100-$200 a night + extra $15 or so if you want breakfast. We booked a Deluxe Double through expedia (rate was cheaper than on website) without breakfast for about $110 a night // DESCRIPTION: Owned, operated, and of course, furnished by a popular modern home furnishings store here in Korea — Casa Mia. Casa Mia is sort of like a West Elm or maybe Crate and Barrel? In addition to the hotel, there is a little cafe (where you’ll eat breakfast if you paid the extra $15 or so) and a huge, multi-level Casa Mia store — the perfect place to pick up a souvenir…or couch… // VERDICT: The graphic designer in me always judges a boutique hotel based on its stationery — after all, it’s all about the details when it comes to a boutique hotel, right? Hotel La Casa is a small hotel but has a lot going for it — location being one of them. The rooms were small but felt larger because of the tall ceilings and windows. There were a few details that bothered two OCD poeple like us but overall I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again.