Ask Travel | Hotel in Seoul

Q: I am going to Seoul for a weekend from Tokyo and am wondering if you have any inexpensive and centrally located recommendations for hotels. Also, any must-see sights or restaurants?

— India Fitting, Tokyo

A: I like the Myongdong neighborhood. It's not quiet, but then quiet isn't the reason you come to Seoul. Lighted up like a party lantern at night, Myongdong is a chaotic blend of traditional culture and modernization with some of the best shopping in the city. You can dine well at the street stalls vendors set up nightly or at any number of traditional or Western-style restaurants. Be sure to explore the nearby Namdaemun Market.

Tripadvisor.com lists traveler recommendations for several hotels in this area, including the Hotel Ibis Myeong-Dong, where rates are under $100 a night. For a look at a quieter side of Seoul, take a taxi to Insadong, a traditional neighborhood in the heart of the modern city. Filled with alleys housing art galleries, calligraphy shops and tea houses, Insadong is to Seoul what the Left Bank is to Paris.

— Carol Pucci, The Seattle Times

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