During my recent trip to South Korea, I stayed one week at Stavia Hotel, located in Gimpo, just south of Seoul. I was looking for a hotel that was not too far from Incheon International Airport, in a quiet area, and after checking reviews on Booking.com, Agoda and Trip.com, I decided to give this hotel a try. It turned out to be a very good choice.
The hotel is officially rated 3 stars, and honestly, it deserves every one of them, maybe even a bit more for its comfort and cleanliness.
Location:
The hotel is about 40 minutes by car from Incheon Airport. The surrounding area is calm, there isn’t much to visit right around the hotel, but within a 5-minute walk you’ll find plenty of local restaurants and convenience stores. I liked that it was quiet but not isolated.
The Building and Check-in:
The hotel is a modern 8-floor building with a small underground parking. The receptionists were friendly and helpful, and the check-in/check-out process was fast and smooth.
One important thing to know: early check-in is not possible. The official check-in time is 6:00 PM, and although sometimes you can get your room around 3:00 PM, arriving earlier than that means you’ll probably have to wait in the lobby or book an extra night in advance.
In the lobby, there’s a small business corner with a computer and printer, and a vending machine selling essentials like dental kits and other toiletries. The restaurant is on the same floor and is also where breakfast is served, I didn’t see it open for lunch or dinner.
The Room:
The hotel offers several types of rooms some even with a balcony, a private spa, or a “party room ». I chose one of the basic options, the Deluxe Double Room, and it was much better than I expected.
When I entered, I noticed a small hallway with a second door, a nice touch to block corridor noise. Inside, the room was spacious, very clean, and well-designed. There was a large comfortable bed, a small sofa, a smart TV, a mini-fridge, and to my surprise, a desktop computer with a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers!
There was a WiFi router inside the room with free access and a fast connection.
Next to the bed, there was a multi-adapter phone/tablet charger and a touch panel to control the lights and air-conditioning. The mini-fridge was stocked daily with two free small bottles of water.
The room also had a safe, a hairdryer, bathrobes, and a set of towels replaced every day.
The bathroom was large and clean, with a big rain shower and a Korean-style toilet full of electronic features (though everything was written in Korean, so it was a bit of guesswork to figure out which button did what!).
And of course, a very “Korean hotel” touch: two emergency escape ropes near the windows in case you ever need to rappel down the building like in an action movie. Hopefully you’ll never need them, but it’s pretty funny to see!
Overall, the room was quiet, comfortable, and spotless, one of the best I’ve had in this price range.
Breakfast:
If there’s one thing I would improve, it’s the breakfast. It’s a small Korean-style buffet with limited options and no real Western choices. It’s okay for a light meal before starting your day, but if you’re expecting a large international breakfast with bread, pastries, ham, cheese, you’ll probably be a bit disappointed.
Overall Impression:
Despite the simple breakfast, I had a very pleasant stay at Stavia Hotel. Everything worked smoothly, the staff were polite, the room was spotless, the bed super comfortable, and the area quiet at night.
It’s a great choice if you’re looking for a clean, modern, and peaceful hotel near Incheon Airport or if you’re staying around the Gimpo area for business or transit.
Would I stay there again? Yes, definitely. It’s one of the best value-for-money hotels I’ve found in Korea so far.
