5-Star Hotels in Gangwon State, South Korea

Finally got to check out the Shilla Monogram with my sister, a hotel that opened last July and I'd been wanting to visit! The bedding and bed were absolutely the best part. Since it's new, it felt even cleaner and more luxurious. It really seems perfect for a 'hocance' (hotel vacation) when you're traveling. I wished we could have stayed longer, but due to my sister's schedule, we had to leave with some regret, promising to return. It's definitely a place I want to visit again, Shilla~~

On the first night of our two-night stay, after dinner, we returned to our room to find the doorknob broken. I sustained a minor injury (a bruise on my knee) while trying to open the door. The next day, I explained the situation to the front desk. Their response was, 'Can't you go out for a bit? We'll fix it while you're gone.' Given my frequent overseas business trips, I'm quite surprised that a hotel of this caliber didn't even bother to ask if I was okay after I got injured. Since it wasn't a major injury anyway, and Seamarq isn't exactly known for its service, I decided to just go along with it. I told them I'd go out for a tea and dinner and left. Upon my return, I found that nothing had been repaired. So I called them again. The person on the phone from housekeeping said, 'We haven't received any such request. Let me check. Is there anything else you need?' When I said no, they let out an incredibly exasperated sigh, saying 'Yes... [sigh]'. It was truly absurd. I wasn't being difficult or demanding special service because of my injury, especially at a hotel charging these prices. So, to have the customer service team sigh at me was incredibly frustrating. About 10 minutes later, the maintenance team came up. They then asked if I could leave again so they could repair it. I wondered why they made me leave earlier if this was going to happen. Anyway, I left and came back again, only to find it was just a makeshift repair. I was too fed up to argue further, so I didn't say anything. I suppose I'll end up staying at Seamarq again when I visit Gangneung, as there's no real alternative until Shilla Monogram opens. I'll just think of this place not as a hotel, but as a ridiculously expensive luxury infinity pool. This was my fourth stay, and it seems that every time I come, the beautiful hardware is completely ruined by the service. However, the service for other facilities like the pool and spa wasn't bad. (While not professional, there was a sense of thoughtfulness in many aspects.)

SkyBay Hotel was great! It's changed it a lot over the past couple years. They have automated check-in now and the selection of cafes and shops in the lobby are very convenient and and open till late. The arcade is tons of fun! Visitors have the option of using the Infiniti pool and sauna for an additional fee. The staff is helpful, and the room is clean and comfortable. However, in winter you are unable to adjust the temperature of your room. The views are incredible from skyBay Hotel. No wonder they pick this location for the drama business proposal! We had a great time!

I had a very comfortable stay for three nights in Gangneung, thanks to how clean and well-maintained the accommodation was. The breakfast was fairly simple, but more than enough to start the day, and I especially appreciated the sense of space, which made the whole experience feel relaxed and comfortable. Getting around was easy whether by bus or taxi, and the location made it convenient to visit nearby attractions like Ojukheon and Jungang Market. For those travelling by car, the spacious parking area is definitely a big plus. There’s also a lovely pine forest path just behind the property, perfect for a quiet stroll. The ocean view from the room really added to the holiday atmosphere, and being able to enjoy both the sunrise and sunset was one of the highlights of staying at Shilla Monogram.

The Sun Cruise Hotel is my top choice. This is my second time visiting and staying here. The hotel has a great beach view, and you can watch both sunset and sunrise. Location-wise, it's excellent – just 10 minutes from Jeongdongjin Station. It's a great place to relax and escape the hustle of Seoul city life 👍. However, the service at the front desk was a bit disappointing. I understand there may be language barriers, and I used Papago translation to communicate in Korean, but they still seemed unw welcoming to us as foreigners. They simply answered ”no” to my question without offering alternative suggestions. As front desk staff, they should provide other options or suggestions to hotel guests instead of just saying ”no” and ending the conversation.

The view was incredible. You can see a beautiful Sokcho sea in the room. Highly recommend this place.

Pros: The room was spacious and comfortable. As it's a newly built place, I was very satisfied with the clean bedding, towels, and all the facilities. There were a total of three large TVs – one in each of the two bedrooms and one in the living room – and the air conditioning worked perfectly, keeping the rooms cool. Most importantly, the refrigerator was large and kept things very cold. The beach was close by, the parking lot was spacious, and having convenience stores and restaurants nearby was a big plus. Cons: Although there's an electric vehicle charging station, it wasn't operational, so I had to use a fast charger elsewhere. It wasn't too far, but it might be difficult to use during peak season. We had a king-size bed room, but the bed was smaller than expected. While there might be a standard, it felt a bit cramped for a family of three with a child. Both key cards frequently malfunctioned. Swapping between the cards usually solved the issue, but it's not quite up to 5-star service. While towel and water replenishment, and room tidying were good, coffee and tea were not refilled. Due to what seemed like a staff shortage, it was difficult to reach the front desk. If you needed service, you had to either go down to the first floor or call multiple times. However, the friendliness and service of all the staff were definitely 5-star worthy (and satisfying).

While clean, the room was much smaller than I anticipated. Check-in took an incredibly long time; I waited for three hours! They claimed to be following check-in numbers sent via KakaoTalk, but this wasn't actually the case. Someone making a lot of complaints was prioritized, and the whole situation was just chaotic. The room was surprisingly small and looked nothing like the photos. I was assigned to Building A, but the pictures on Trip.com were completely different from the room I received (I suspect they were of Buildings B and C). I initially wondered if the hotel had given me the wrong room, but upon re-examining the photos, the very last one did seem to be of Building A. Honestly, I feel deceived, having chosen the room based solely on those initial, misleading pictures. The swimming pool also incurs an additional charge of 80,000 KRW per person (I didn't use the pool). There's a bakery area, and its lobby is so close to the pool that everything is visible from there. While waiting for check-in, I had coffee in the lobby, and it felt rather awkward seeing people in their swimsuits so close by. Breakfast is divided into two time slots, so you must arrive at your allocated time. The coffee service, where staff pour it for you, was also quite inconvenient. Normally, one would get coffee from a self-service machine, but here there's a dedicated 'coffee zone' where you have to place an order with staff. When there's a queue, you end up waiting with your food in hand, which is truly inconvenient. And the coffee wasn't even exceptionally delicious. Despite having three staff members at the coffee zone, the whole process felt incredibly inefficient. The breakfast food itself, however, was tasty. Oh, and a quick note: Netflix isn't available in the rooms, haha. I honestly think the Lotte Resort, where I previously stayed, is far superior. Their rooms are much more spacious, the pool is complimentary, and it definitely has a more luxurious vibe. Breakfast at Lotte is also tastier, in my personal opinion (and you *can* watch Netflix there!). To sum up, Cassia offers breathtaking scenery. The breakfast was varied and delicious! However, I feel they haven't made effective use of the hotel's interior space. It's genuinely vast, and as you wander, you encounter tables, uncomfortable chairs, and very large art books on display, but it all feels a bit forced and out of place. I never felt like sitting down and relaxing on the chairs, which were also uncomfortable. The overall interior design felt somewhat unkempt and disjointed. It's a shame such a large space wasn't utilized more thoughtfully. Next time, I'll probably opt for Lotte Resort over Cassia.

Excellent stay. Better than expected. I was worried that it would be crowded at the lobby/ common areas due to proximity to casino which was not a preference. The lobby of convention hotel is grand, peaceful and modern. I was also worried that it would be inconvenient to reach the ski slopes however the shuttle buses were frequent and you can get to the slopes quickly. The bus stop drop off point is right outside the ticket office for ski passes Hotel service was welcoming and superb from check in/out to housekeeping. As foreigners we received discount coupons for ski rental and pass. View from room was nice and loved the cream and shower gel etc. Room service was quick and portions are huge. Also how it was delivered was really good too with the robot. Overall very good and comfortable stay.

Facilities: The room only had one pair of slippers in the toilet. There was no clothes rack in the toilet, only a hook behind the door, which was clearly insufficient. There should be at least three racks, one for dirty clothes, one for clean clothes, and one for towels, hung separately. Cleanliness: We stayed for two days, and no one came to clean. We even had to take our own trash out to throw it away. The mosquito screens were very dirty, probably hadn't been cleaned in a long time; our hands were black after touching them. Two rooms didn't have air conditioning, which could be very hot in the summer. Environment: Located at the foot of Seoraksan Mountain, the air is fresh and the environment is beautiful. Service: The room wasn't cleaned. The breakfast was quite good; you could bake your own waffles.