Hotel Dengan Pools di Gangwon State, South Korea

Traveling with a 2-year-old child It was nice that there was a children's playground, an indoor pool, and a large hot spring bath. The child was very satisfied. The dinner buffet had delicious snow crab and sashimi. There were various activities on site, as well as a convenience store, restaurant, and cafe, so we could enjoy ourselves all day at the resort. About 20 cm of snow fell in the middle of the night, but the staff worked hard to shovel it away, which was great. There were mats laid in the pool to prevent slipping, but they were not all over the place, so the tiled parts were slippery, so please be careful if you have small children. I asked for bed guards when I checked in, but they never came to install them.

The hotel room was clean, big and comfortable. I had lake view. The hotel is located near the lake, the beach and restaurants as well as convenience stores and bus stops. Gangneung Coffee Street is a bus drive of 15 minutes away. However, I was shocked when the staff informed me about the admission fee for the swimming pool: 30.000 korean won!!!! It is not mentioned on Trip.com neither ***********. Anyway, the admission fee is far too high. I have chosen the hotel for its swimming pool. Next time in Gangneung, I will choose another hotel: this hotel only offered a clean and comfortable room, for a high price, but Gangneung has many hotels with clean and comfortable rooms, that are also located nearby the beach, lake, restaurants and bus stops, but for a better price.

The location is convenient, with direct elevator access to the beach, and the hotel exterior is beautiful. There are also many photo opportunities. On the first floor, there are kids' play facilities and a CU convenience store, which is handy for snacks and drinks. The breakfast variety was average, a bit disappointing. Overall, it was pretty good, and the scenery is stunning.

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.

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.

The Orchid Hotel was everything and more as described on their website and the reviews. I stayed in the superior room with 1 king bed which was very comfortable. The air conditioner is adjustable to your preference. The hotel was very clean, spacious, very friendly staff (24hr lobby staff)and in the perfect location. They provided robes, slippers, 2 bottled waters, clean towels daily. The bathroom has a bidet which is separate from the shower area. They also have a pot to heat water instantly and they provide coffee and camomile tea bags. There was a large desk area in this room and a large television. The location is right across the street from a large shopping mall that also has restaurants and walking distance to Musil (restaurants, cinema, shopping). They do have a pool and has pizza and beer every evening at rooftop bar. All your needs are very close to this hotel. The bus terminal is ~6 minutes walking distance and train is ~ 10 minute taxi ride. Approximately 2 miles is the outdoor market (food/shopping). Considerations: make sure to bring international chargers, translate app and if get Wow pass can top up with cash at 7/11 or CU. I did make several attempts to top up on Wow pass app with credit card and was having difficulty. The bus terminal and taxi’s accept international visa credit card. The bus terminal does not accept T card. I highly recommend this hotel. Thanks to the staff and cleanliness.

The boss is very good, because the transportation and shopping are inconvenient, they will help pick up and drop off, you can cook and barbecue, very suitable for a family to relax together! I will go back to Seoul if I have the opportunity to come! Thanks again boss!

No tea bags or coffee sachets provided, which is a bit weird.  Water pressure for shower is way too weak.  No room cleaning services, leaving alone having your new towels put outside your room in the morning. Only 4 lifts serving way too many hotel stayers, resulting in long waiting lines and thus, time.  Views are magnificient however.  The room is so massive and the balconies are spacious.

The room is spacious, has 2 bathrooms and toilets make usage convenient for a family. We stayed there because we went skiing in Elysian so it’s 15 min drive. I don’t think it’s very accessible by public transport. Interior design is a bit strange, combining colorful and traditional wooden bulky furniture, the wall is painted black and there is only one small window in the big living room so the feeling is dark, and the led light hanging on the second floor fence don’t work. So I would say facility and hygiene is just ok , but the price kind of explain this, so it’s acceptable.

The overall facilities and environment are decent, but the check-in and check-out times are completely unreasonable. You can't check in until 3 PM, yet someone was knocking on the door by 11 AM the next morning to rush us out, and they were quite rude about it, which really soured the experience. On top of that, the air conditioning in the room couldn't be adjusted, making it very inconvenient. I really hope the hotel can improve its service procedures and room amenities.