5-Star Hotels in Gangwon State, South Korea

It’s a great hotel that provides a lot of services. You don’t need to go outside but there are no toothbrushes in the room which I thought was going to be part of the package

Gyeongpo Lake and Gyeongpo Beach offer stunning scenery. The hotel staff are warm and friendly, the building is well-maintained, and the bedding is clean and comfortable. On the first and second floors of the hotel lobby, there's a BHC fried chicken restaurant and a convenience store, making it very convenient for dining and shopping. For sports enthusiasts, you can jog, walk, or cycle around Gyeongpo Lake, or easily walk to famous soft tofu soup restaurants nearby. Please note that the hotel does not provide toothbrushes, so you'll need to bring your own. For sunrise views, we recommend an Executive Ocean View room, while a Lake View room is best for sunsets. To check-in, you'll need to take a number and wait for your turn to be called on the screen at the front desk. There's a red coastal mini-bus right outside the hotel that goes directly to several popular attractions. You can check bus arrival times on Naver Map, or scan the QR code at the bus stop for real-time information. Taxis are readily available at Gangneung Station's exit, making it very convenient to get to the hotel if you have large luggage.

I stayed for three nights, and the hotel's overall environment was excellent. There's a shuttle bus from Jeongdongjin Station to the hotel, but you need to book it in advance. A taxi ride would be around 30 RMB, which is the starting fare. There are two buildings, an old one and a new one, called Sun and Beach. The Sun building is on the hilltop, a bit older, and I guess some rooms might not have sea views, only garden views. The Beach building is new and all rooms face the sea directly. Hotel breakfast costs extra, and it's just average. There aren't many breakfast options nearby, so if you don't eat there, you can grab something at a coffee shop outside. Lunch and dinner are available for an additional cost; they're not too expensive, and the quality and taste are decent. There aren't many restaurants in the town, but the ones we tried with high ratings on Naver were all pretty good. I highly recommend visiting the Haslla Art World Museum nearby; it's definitely worth it.

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.

I had a wonderful stay at this hotel. The staff were incredibly kind, professional, and helpful. I accidentally left my phone in a taxi, and the hotel team responded very quickly and did everything they could to help me get it back. I truly appreciate their excellent service and support. The hotel environment was pleasant, the room was clean and comfortable, and everything was well maintained. I felt very relaxed throughout my stay. Thank you for the great hospitality. I would definitely stay here again and highly recommend this hotel to others. I will definitely come back on my next trip and highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting the area.

Excellent stay. Better than expected. I was worried that it would be crowded at the lobby/ common areas due to proximity to ****** 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! ❄️💙