Hotel 28 Myeongdong: a film-set room on a work trip

This was Seoul for work, so the stay was not the point of the trip. I remember the place I stayed clearly anyway.

It stands in a Myeongdong side street

Hotel 28 Myeongdong is on Myeongdong 7-gil. Not the main road — one street in.

Myeongdong is a district where walking means colliding with people, and by the time you reach this street the density has dropped. As somewhere to come back to between meetings, that distance was exactly right.

A hotel themed on film

The hotel takes cinema as its theme, and the reason is specific: it is owned by the Korean actor Shin Young-kyun, and film projections, stills and memorabilia run through the building. There is equipment for watching classic Korean films, and a rooftop bar and garden. It has 83 rooms, and was the first hotel in Korea to join Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

The rooms are held to slate grey and white, with a checkerboard floor. The lighting is spotlit. It is designed to put you inside a film set.

The same colour discipline continues on the desk.

On a work night, a room like this is worth having

A hotel you stay in for work easily becomes a place only for sleeping. Check tomorrow’s schedule, shower, sleep. Done that way, anywhere is the same.

But if the room has some character to it, you can remember that night. Out of the same three days, there are three days that leave nothing and three days you can recall afterwards.

I made coffee, sat in the chair, and looked at the black and white pattern on the floor. More of that has stayed with me than the work has.

Notes from this stay

• Hotel 28 Myeongdong, Myeongdong 7-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
• Themed on film, and owned by the Korean actor Shin Young-kyun. Projections, stills and memorabilia through the building
• Facilities for watching classic Korean films; a rooftop bar and garden
• 83 rooms. The first hotel in Korea to join Small Luxury Hotels of the World
• Rooms are slate grey and white with a checkerboard floor and spotlighting
• Room types, facilities and rates change. Confirm when you book

Facilities and pricing are as they were at the time of the stay.

The street outside, after dark: Myeongdong at eight at night.

More from this trip to Seoul

• Myeongdong at eight at night, where you cannot walk where you want to
• Breakfast in Myeongdong, Seoul: Ox-Bone Soup That Arrives Unseasoned
• Samgyetang at nine in the morning: a whole chicken, in one piece

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Hotel 28 Myeongdong?

It stands on Myeongdong 7-gil, in Jung-gu — not on the main road, but one street in from it.

Does being off the main street make it inconvenient?

The opposite, in my experience. Myeongdong is a district where walking means colliding with people, and by the time you reach this street the density has dropped. As somewhere to come back to between meetings, that one street of distance was exactly right.

What is the hotel themed on?

Film. The theme is not decorative: the hotel is owned by the Korean actor Shin Young-kyun, and film projections, stills and memorabilia run through the building.

Can you actually watch films there?

There is equipment in the hotel for watching classic Korean films, alongside a rooftop bar and garden.

How large is the hotel?

It has 83 rooms, and it was the first hotel in Korea to join Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

What are the rooms like?

Mine was held to slate grey and white, with a checkerboard floor and spotlighting. It is designed to put you inside a film set, and it reads that way as soon as the door opens — the same colour discipline continues on the desk.

Is this a sensible choice for a business trip?

That is what I used it for. A hotel you stay in for work easily becomes a place only for sleeping — check tomorrow’s schedule, shower, sleep — and done that way, anywhere is the same. A room with some character to it is what makes the night itself memorable. I made coffee, sat in the chair and looked at the black and white pattern on the floor, and more of that has stayed with me than the work has.

What about room types and rates?

Room types, facilities and rates change, so I have not put numbers here. Confirm the current details on the hotel’s official site when you book.

Breakfast, one street away from this hotel, on the same trip.
Breakfast in Myeongdong, Seoul: Ox-Bone Soup That Arrives Unseasoned

A different Seoul stay, with family rather than for work — and a very different kind of room.
[Conrad Seoul] The Ultimate Suite Upgrade to the 34th Floor

And the morning after that one.
[Conrad Seoul] Discovering the Gold Standard at Breakfast