Pet Friendly Hotels in Gangwon State, South Korea

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.

Hotel is very conveniently situated close to the Sokcho Express bus terminal (not to be confused with the Sokcho Inter-city bus terminal which is about 25 minutes busride away. Very well kept hotel. Microwave available close to reception. Fresh towels daily. Water bottles daily. If you're lucky and get a higher room facing north you will be impressed by the view of the lake which the town surrounds and also the impressive red bridge (Blue bridge wasn't visible from the 7th floor) and lovely sunrises and sunsets to the right in the morning and to the left in the evening. (Blue and Red bridges are called Seorak and Geumgang Bridges).

I was able to get a feel for the hotel's atmosphere thanks to the explanation from the staff member who welcomed me in the lobby. It hasn't been long since it opened, and having seen the thread, I was really satisfied with the space. This is my first time staying at a hotel for about ten days, but overall, I am satisfied. The breakfast was delicious, and I had a restful sleep in a quiet space. I was told there might be wind noise, but it was quiet as long as I kept the windows closed. I look forward to your next stay.

The view was so wonderful, the sea view welcomes you immediately when you enter the room. Love that it’s located with the red city bus stop right in front of it (to Songjeong beach). It’s located at Anmok beach and all the wonderful coffee cafes (& Faro Restaurant and Potato Soup Restaurant - serve solo travellers) & convenience stores were within walking distance. The cafes can be crowded during the weekends but you can just take out your coffee and enjoy the view in your room. The pension is about 10-15mins away from Gangneung KTX station by taxi. Checking in and out was a breeze, just drop the keys at the counter.

Fantastic hotel! Unbeatable sea views and beautiful sunrises. The hotel is right next to the beach, perfect for camping, picnics, and there's even a Muscle Beach nearby. So convenient and definitely worth staying here!

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.

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.

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.

The check-in experience was disappointing. The front desk receptionist was rude, unfriendly, and impatient. As tourists who are not familiar with public transport online ticketing, we needed assistance, but the staff was not helpful. Better customer service and support for international guests are needed.

Pros: Very close to Gangneung KTX station, easy to find using Baidu Maps. The new hotel is very clean, the bedding is comfortable, and the water pressure is great, making for a pleasant shower. Cons: Semi-self-service? However, you need to swipe a card to enter, which can be frustrating for newly arrived guests. Front desk staff aren't always available, and there's no way to get help with luggage storage; we ended up having to call Ctrip. The twin room's bathroom has no window, so the new renovation smell was quite strong. There's a window above the bed; guests who are sensitive to light should bring eye masks. Two 1.5-meter beds are fine for sleeping, but my friend and I had two 28-inch suitcases that were already a bit cramped.