Working as a travel photographer frequently entails travelling for work. As a result, when it comes to selecting a place to stay for a business trip, the location and condition of the accommodations are the first things I consider. The First Stay Hotel was an excellent choice in this regard.

I had an out-of-town business trip the following day, so I was looking for a hotel near the airport. The First Stay Hotel has excellent access to both Gimpo International Airport and Incheon International Airport, which can be reached within 10 and 30 minutes, respectively. The hotel is also very convenient for those taking public transportation, as it is directly accessible from Exits 9 or 1 of Balsan Station on Seoul Subway Line 5. It's also great that one parking space is available per room.

Check-in/check-out times are an additional advantage of The First Stay Hotel. The hotel allows you to check in from 14:00 and check out up until 12:00, making it more flexible than other hotels and allowing you to arrive early for a day out in Seoul or to explore nearby tourist attractions. This hotel is not only certified as Korea Quality by the Korea Tourism Organization, but it also has a high rating on accommodation reservation apps, making it even more reliable.

I was able to check in easily due to the helpful staff. No disposables are provided for environmental reasons, but toothbrushes and toothpaste can be purchased from the vending machine next to the lift. All rooms are smoke-free.

The room I reserved is on the 13th floor, and after walking through a quiet corridor and opening the door to the room, the first thing you notice is the clean bedding and panoramic window. There is a table in front of the window where you can relax or drink tea while admiring the scenery outside. The room has a washing machine, refrigerator, and induction cooker for self-catering, as well as a personal safe to store valuables. There are also hangers, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and bottled water available, as well as water purifiers and microwaves in the corridor. This makes it an excellent place to stay for an extended period of time.

I worked on my laptop after checking into the hotel, and the quiet atmosphere of the room allowed me to work efficiently. Even when I went out during the day and returned to the hotel to work in the evening, I was able to fully immerse myself in my work because there was little noise around me, making it a great business hotel that makes me want to come back here to work.
I photographed the daytime view from my room window after checking in, and the night view from my window after returning from a night out – the view from high up is always nice.

There is a business centre in the ground floor lobby with computers and printers, as well as a convenience store, café, and bunsikjip (snack restaurant) on the ground floor, so you can take care of many things without leaving the building. In addition, there is a park in front of the hotel that is ideal for a quick stroll.

I will definitely stay at the First Stay Hotel again because of its excellent accommodation status, well-equipped conveniences such as washing machines and induction cookers, and excellent access to the airport and city centre.

Located a 7-minute drive from The First Stay Hotel, Yangcheonhyanggyo Local Confucian School is the only hyanggyo remaining in Seoul. Tucked away in a quiet residential neighbourhood in the heart of Seoul, you'll wonder if such a place existed in Seoul before.

Hyanggyo, cultural heritage sites that dominated the Joseon dynasty's educational culture, were public secondary schools that served as shrines to Confucius and other sages while also teaching the children of local officials. Yangcheonhyanggyo was fully restored in 1981 and designated as a Seoul Metropolitan Government Monument, and Myeongnyundang Lecture Hall now offers lessons in etiquette, Chinese poetry, the Thousand Character Classic, Seoye (Korean calligraphy), and other subjects. (If you register in advance, the lessons are free.)

Yuyedang Hall is a pavilion built in 2007 by Gangseo-gu and located in the small courtyard in front of Yangcheonhyanggyo. It is where cultural events are held and traditional games are performed, and I highly recommend visiting at least once because it is a place where you can stroll around and fully experience Korea's traditional beauty.

Seoul Botanic Park, located a five-minute drive from the hotel, is a "botanic park" that combines a botanic garden and a park. It is Seoul's first public arboretum, built in the Magok Urban Development Area, a former agricultural area, to introduce plants and plant cultures from 12 cities around the world and to increase the city's ecological sensitivity.

Seoul Botanic Park has 1,567 plant species and is divided into four sections: Open Forest, Themed Garden, Lake Garden, and Wetland. The Themed Garden's greenhouses, in particular, feature oddly shaped cacti and various foliage plants that are always green, and there are various photo zones set up in every corner to take photos as if you were on vacation. The sculpture of a bear looking in from outside the greenhouse is one of the most popular photo zones.

There are also many other things to see, such as beautiful hydrangeas and various wildflowers in the outdoor botanical garden and colourful roses from all over the world in the rose garden, as well as many experience spaces, so it's best to take it all in slowly.