5-Starhotels in 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.

We arrived late at night, so we didn’t have much time to explore the hotel. One thing we appreciated was that the hotel has a gym, as well as a bakery and a convenience store on site. Since room service is quite expensive, being able to grab some ramyeon as a late night snack was a great alternative because who doesn’t love ramyeon? The next morning, we finally had time to look around. The swimming pools were drained, which meant the terrace area was closed. That was a bit disappointing, but since I wasn’t planning to swim anyway, it wasn’t a major issue. The outdoor garden is beautiful, with plenty of photo spots where you can take lovely pictures. The beach is relatively small, but definitely worth visiting. The water is incredibly clear and the scenery is stunning. Getting to the beach was an adventure in itself. You have to walk across a bridge, head all the way down, and pass through a few access checkpoints. However, the journey is worth it, as it allows you to see another side of the hotel and enjoy the surrounding views. Overall, we had a great one day stay and enjoyed our experience. One tip: if you’re checking out and planning to take a taxi, it’s easier to leave from the beach side entrance, where taxis are much more readily available.

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 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.

I didn't have high expectations when we arrived, but we ended up having a fantastic 2-night, 3-day stay. We had booked a room in the hotel wing, and it was conveniently close to Ocean Play. The facilities were excellent, so we had plenty to keep us entertained without even leaving the hotel. Our room was also clean, and the baby crib and bathtub we requested were provided and very useful.

The stay was absolutely fantastic! From the sea-view room, I could watch the sunrise right from my balcony in the morning. It's a pet-friendly hotel, and I loved seeing so many adorable pets around. It's super convenient for dining and coffee shops nearby, and just walking along the beach was incredibly relaxing. Definitely worth another visit!

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.

My friends and I came to Intercontinental Alpensia because we got a really good deal and expected to experience snow right at the resort. The snow arrived a bit later than we hoped but honestly, we still had such a good time! The room was lovely, the weather was perfectly chilly (sometimes too cold.. so come prepared!) and we were lucky to catch real snow at Mount Balsangwan by taking the cable car at nearby resort (Mona Yongpyeong) We have to give a huge shout out to the in-room dining service; the Beef Risotto and Frutti di Mare Pasta were soooo good. Truly delicious! The whole area is so pretty and calm, especially with the Christmas vibe when we visited. Everything felt cozy and magical. We definitely plan to return! ❄️💙