Lonely Planet Review

The best feature of this slightly downtrodden tourist hotel is location: smack-dab in the middle of downtown Nampodong. Popular destinations like the Jagalchi fish market, Gukje market and the city's two ferry terminals are within easy walking distance. The biggest drawback? It's in Nampodong.

The hotel's website calls the Phoenix a 'home away from home'. I couldn't agree more - some of the room furnishings and hallway carpeting remind me of my house, 30 years ago. It's one of the city's oldest properties and in its heyday might have been a majestic place but today it's a tired looking property in such desperate need of a makeover that it would test the design prowess of Queer Eye. Location and value, however - not decor - make this a popular hotel with Japanese tourists who seem happy to check in, drop their bags and start exploring. Nampodong is one of the city's oldest areas and while some parts are literally crumbling there's a roughish charm about the place.