For the next part of my trip to Japan via Mongolia, I spent roughly 24 hours in Incheon Airport Terminal 1, as I was arriving from Ulaanbaatar in MIAT Mongolian Airlines’ 737 business class, and continuing to Tokyo Narita in ZIPAIR’s 787 “full flat” product.
The good news is that the Walkherhill Transit Hotel in Terminal 1 is a convenient and comfortable facility, ideal for maximizing rest between flights. The bad news is that spending a full day in the terminal at Incheon Airport isn’t glamorous, no matter how you slice it. 😉
Now, logically you’re probably asking yourself why I’d spend 24 hours in the terminal. Well, I was arriving midday and departing midday the following day. However, I wanted to be airside in the terminal very early in the morning, so that I could review lounges (I always like to review them when they first open, so that I can get pictures of lounges without people in them).
In light of that, just staying in the terminal seemed like the best option. After all, my goal while on the ground was mainly to get as much sleep as possible and to catch up on work, and a terminal stay would allow me to do that, boring as it may sound. It wasn’t practical to go all the way to Seoul (the train doesn’t start till later than I needed in the morning), and I didn’t see a huge advantage to staying at an airport hotel outside the terminal.
Booking the Incheon Airport Transit Hotel
The Walkerhill Transit Hotel Incheon Airport Terminal 1 can be booked in a variety of blocks — you can book stays starting in six hour blocks, then there’s a day use rate (8AM until 8PM), a night use rate (8PM until 8AM), and there’s a 24-hour use rate (with the timing being flexible). I booked the 24-hour rate, which cost ~$140.
I thought that was reasonable for an in-airport transit hotel, given how these hotels typically charge a premium for the convenience they offer.
When you book a 24-hour rate, you need to email the hotel and let them know the desired timings of your stay. My confirmation simply stated the day I’d be checking in and checking out, with no hours listed. But once I emailed the hotel with my confirmation, they were able to block the correct hours.
Incheon Airport Transit Hotel location
The Walkerhill Transit Hotel Incheon Airport Terminal 1 is located near gate 11. Keep in mind that you’ll need to be in transit and will need a valid boarding pass in order to be able to stay here, since it’s in the sterile portion of the airport.
Near gate 11, you’ll see an escalator leading up to the Transit Hotel and Matina Lounge.
Once at the top of the escalator, just make a sharp left turn, and you’ll see the entrance to the Matina Lounge straight ahead, and the entrance to the Walkerhill Transit Hotel to the right.
Incheon Airport Transit Hotel lobby & check-in
The Walkerhill Transit Hotel has a very basic lobby area, consisting of a room with four chairs, a reception desk, and a small business center to the side, with a computer and printer. The check-in process was efficient, and within a minute I was given a key to my room.
Incheon Airport Transit Hotel guest room
From reception, there are automatic double doors leading to the hallway where you’ll find the guest rooms. I was assigned room 114, located down the hall and to the left.
I had booked a standard single room, marketed as being 18 square meters (~195 square feet). Obviously these are smaller than your typical hotel rooms, but that’s to be expected in an airport transit hotel facility.
On the plus side, the room had a queen bed, which I found to be extremely comfortable, thanks to the soft mattress. There was also a table with one chair, as well as a wall-mounted TV.
There were two bottles of water next to the bed.
As you’ll notice, the room didn’t have any windows. Okay, to some people this may feel a bit like a prison cell in that sense, but it worked out for me, given my strange sleep schedule. I slept shortly upon arriving in my room, from 2PM until 9PM, and then I stayed up all night working (I often maintain US hours when traveling). The lack of windows almost made me feel better about my weird schedule.
Back near the entrance was the compact bathroom, which had a sink, a toilet, and a walk-in shower.
The shower was just separated from the rest of the bathroom by a half shield, so the water from the shower easily sprayed into the rest of the bathroom.
Toiletries were in wall-mounted containers, and were from Geneva Green (which seems to be a brand specifically for hotels).
For a transit hotel, I thought this was quite a nice room. Now, as a selective germaphobe, I kind of wish the room didn’t have carpet, since I can’t imagine how dirty that is, with the number of people and bags that are dragged through the room. Fortunately the hotel provided slippers, so I used those when walking around the room.
Incheon Airport Transit Hotel gym
The Walkerhill Transit Hotel has a small gym, which can be used daily between 7AM and 9PM (I think that restriction is to limit noise at night). This is a super basic facility, with a bike, some free weights, and a bench. It’s better than nothing, but that’s about it.
Incheon Airport Transit Hotel dining
While the Walkerhill Transit Hotel doesn’t have a restaurant, the Matina Lounge is located right next door, and it’s open daily from 7AM until 9:3OPM. While this is technically a lounge, it’s a unique concept, as it feels a whole lot more like a restaurant than a lounge. The lounge just consists of dining seating, plus a large buffet with international food.
You can buy access to the lounge for $39, or alternatively you can access the lounge with Priority Pass, so that’s also a good option.
Since you’re in the terminal, you of course have access to lots of other dining options, so there’s no shortage of opportunities to buy food. Most stuff does close overnight, though there’s a 24/7 Starbucks, which kept me caffeinated at night.
Bottom line
The Walkerhill Transit Hotel is a convenient option for getting some rest at Incheon Airport Terminal 1. The hotel has comfortable rooms and a small gym, though there’s not much else to the property. If you have a long layover at Incheon and want to sleep, this is the place to be. Of course ideally I would’ve done something more fun on such a long layover, but I had my reasons.
What do you make of the Walkerhill Transit Hotel Incheon Airport?
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