Donghae East Side Sea hotels & places to stay

We had seen this hotel and initially planned just to visit it during our stay but thankfully we decided to splash out and book a room here and we were so glad we did. You only need one night here to fully appreciate it and it is so much fun. There are lovely gardens to walk around, a revolving coffee car at the top and the ship plays a chime every morning 20 minutes before sunrise so you can get up and watch the magnificent sunrise in the sculpture park. the hotel is up quite a big hill from the town so you are best to take everything you need and just stay here for you stay. There is a small supermarket in the hotel and bakery and there is stove in your room so we had a very enjoyable home cooked spagetti dinner to save on our budget. Some reviews mention that it is hard to get to the Suncruise without your own transport, we managed fine. We arrived from Samcheok via the seaside train (booked by tourist info booth in Samcheok), took a taxi to the Suncruise from the train station (W4,000) and then took the bus which goes from the car park in front of the Suncruise to Gangneung Express and Intercity bus stations (40 mins W2,000) for our onward bus to Daegu. This hotel is just fantastic, we loved every second of the novelty of being in a ship on land, we booked a garden view room which had no balcony, but it was at the very front of the ship with a magnificent sea, garden and sunrise view. It is expensive but well worth the price if you enjoy novelty hotels like we do.

Pros: - The location is very nice. Not too far of a taxi ride from the station and close to the beach. - The room is still new and very clean. - The bed is nice and big. Cons: - The fridge wasn't that cold. - Asked the front desk for ice at 11pm and they said it was not available after 10pm and suggested buying it at a convenience store. (They did call the store for us to see if they still had ice. But I expected full service from a 5-star hotel.) - The view was okay. It was not a full ocean view but could still see it if from one angle in the room or when you went out to the balcony. - Accidentally left a couple of T-shirts in the room and called the evening that we checked out. A representative called the next day but said nothing was found. Overall: The hotel itself is big, new, and clean. The staff is friendly, but also slightly awkward perhaps due to lack of experience. Lastly, I expected better service from a 5-star hotel.

My family and I vacationed here during our summer vacation. It was "Golden Week" in Korea so we ended up paying double the regular rate. So that's why I rated the value for money a 3 star. It is beautiful and very nice. Everything is modern and even the entrance is very grand. Our room had partial view, but it was perfect. We saw the harbor and the sea-green water. We had two beds in the room and each were large (definitely not single beds). The room and bathroom were very clean, as well. The water in the hotel is hot when first turned on. That was a surprise. If you don't plan to go out, you can go upstairs to the rooftop and have some drinks. The food menu wasn't vast, but the beer was unlimited. Also, the view from the rooftop is AMAZING. When you go out to the large terrace and look below, you can see the coral and sea-green water. I actually didn't know that mainland Korea had that color sea. If you want to leave the hotel, you need a car. Nothing is close by walking.

Stayed here for 4 nights in an Ocean Double. Definitely recommend the Ocean rooms which face the beach. Great to fall asleep with the sound of waves on the sand. Although if you’re a light sleeper the noises from fireworks on the beach and people walking down the street seems to go on until early hours. I didn’t find it a problem and the benefit of being right on the beach definitely outweighed that. Plenty of parking, good rooms and helpful staff. There isn’t any cafe/breakfast but there are lots of places around. Looks like they might be opening a cafe downstairs but it still looked under construction when I stayed here. Only 2 negatives I had whilst I was staying here which could be addressed by the hotel is the lights on the balcony are on 24/7. There is no switch to turn them off. Also, no shower screen. I’d prefer a shower cubicle rather than a bath in a hotel but having no shower screen made water go everywhere but I think that this is fairly normal in this situation in South Korea. Would recommend having a car as well as this place is a perfect base to go to Seoraksan and also I drove to the Goseong DMZ area which was interesting. I also drove to Sogeumsan Suspension Bridge (Wonjo) which was a couple of hours away but really worth it. I really annoyed my time at this hotel.

My husband and I enjoyed 4 wondeful nights at Hotel November. Firstly as neither of us speak Korean it was very reassuring to meet Mr Kang and find that he has excelent English skills, possibly helped by his natural way with people. On arrival we were welcomed with complimentary tea and asked to think about things we would like to do during our stay so that Mr Kang (the most dedicated hotel manager I have encountered) could help us plan our itinerary. The hotel is an oasis in an already quiet location. As we didn't have a car we used buses and taxis to get around to the spots in Gangneung we wished to visit and Odaesan National Park. This was quite easy especially with the help of Mr Kang who was kind and thoughtful enough to look up bus times and routes and even to drop us at the bus stop in his jeep! Wherever we went each day we always felt great satisfaction on returning to November at the end of our day. Aside from breakfast and the fantatsic 'glamping' evening option there is no food served in the hotel. This is not so much a problem as just something to be aware of. We often found that after our full hot breakfast (toast, egg, bacon, delicious sweet potato soup and yoghurt) we could manage lunch and then just wanted to snack in the evening. There are a few restaurants within walking distance of the hotel and a few a little further afield too that Mr Kang will happily recommend and direct you to if needed. On the whole I don't think I've ever been made to feel as welcome or special as a guest as I was at Hotel November. Mr Kang and his team were fantastic. It's the perfect place to go with a loved one to relax and enjoy the sea air, or find a cosy corner in the coffee shop or lounge and tuck up with a book. We'll certainly be going back to this hotel at the next oportunity.

A good hotel out of town but near the beach. Taxis to town cheap 4200 won - 5000 won. No English during the day. Office lady calls the 1330 interpreter no which is a great service. The interpreter gave us restaurant advice and helped with interpreting with taxis. The woman at the office is very helpful and obliging. A young man works the night shift and he has good English and likes a chat and is helpful so we saved questions for him. A big construction starting nearby so may be noisy for a long time. This is a love hotel that also caters for tourists. Corridors are very dark in the day time. We did not have the beach front view and I enjoyed the rice paddy and vegetable farm view from our window. No cupboards or wardrobes so remember to bring clothes hangers. Not many English menus nearby. Tofu village nearby where the whole street seems to have the same menu, Tofu and no other types of food. We searched for the table and chair restaurants rather than sitting on the floor. Paul and Marys' hamburger on the beach side was a change from Tofu. There was also a pizza place nearby.The beach is fenced and razor wired so you need to find a gate to get access. It is a 3 minute walk through the pine trees across the road to the beach. There are squirrels there. Went to Unification park and climbed over the submarine and warship. The Chamsori Gramophone & Edison museums were good. Not on a bus route at the moment but this may change with the developments under construction.

After living here 3 years and traveling the country extensively, this was definitely the best experience I have had at a hotel in Korea! The hotel manager and his wife were very friendly and helpful and went above and beyond to provide us with a good holiday! Whenever we asked for help, they gave us more help than we expected. For example, we asked where a good restaurant was, and they actually brought us there. It was during the week, so perhaps it was a less busy time for the hotel. Also, even though we only booked for two people on Agoda, they gave us extra Korean style floor bedding for our third person. My friends and I were so impressed, we wrote the hotel manager and his wife a thank you note! If you are a foreigner who speaks enough Korean to have a very basic chat with a hotel manager, I highly suggest this hotel! They were incredibly kind and had great advice about restaurants and beaches. They genuinely cared to make sure we had a great trip and were so pleased/amused to speak Korean to foreigners. The only negative aspect about this hotel is that a taxi from Gangeung Bus Terminal cost 25,000 won, and it is on top of a hill (ten minute walk down to the beach). However, the location on the hill makes for a BEAUTIFUL view of the ocean and Jeongdongjin Beach area. And, we were able to catch a bus back to the terminal on the return trip to save money. I will definitely stay here again!

I strongly recommend this homely guesthouse to everyone. While you don't get fancy, luxurious facilities as with hotels (but why do you even want those in a guesthouse), what you get in exchange is a homely, warm and fuzzy feeling when you move into a guesthouse that has all the facilities you need. The wooden concept makes it even more cozy and comfortable to stay in. The place is constantly clean. The toilets are dry and necessary toiletries are readily provided. What is even more recommendable is the guesthouse's owner! My friend and I (two girls from Singapore) came here without much prior planning. He picked us up at the terminal and even gave us a short tour around Gangneung. He talked to us, smiling warmly and made us feel ever so welcomed to a foreign place. He knew of our lack of plans, sat down and planned with us for more than an hour. He even did all the reservations for us (those we couldn't have done by ourselves because the website was all in Korea). He was so patient and sweet to us that I am still so so thankful for. He even called us at the end of one day, worrying that we were still not back yet. He made sure all of us are safely back in the dormitory. He even inquired a foreign guy's safety and asked us to look out for him when he was back. We had a rooftop BBQ on our first day here when we didn't know where to head to for dinner. And as with all homemade BBQ are, the dishes were succulent and tasted like an authentic Korean home-fare meal. More importantly, it was a no frills dining session where you eat over beer and soju and make new friends. They even treated us to potato jeon (pancake) and makgeolli (rice wine) after dinner. So we just sat with the sea breeze blowing over us and talked. Whenever we were free in the room, the owner would brew some tea and offer it to us! Did I mention the tea he brews was so fragrant?! I've never had a better experience staying in a guesthouse like this. I didn't bear to leave this place. I felt so so c

The staffs are very kind and helpful. Although they don't know much English, they've tried their best to solve our problems. We asked him to recommend a restaurant to eat Tofu, he directly drive us there! Very grateful for their dedication!! The location is also very nice. We were at 7th floor and can see the whole town and the sun cruise. The sea is also very great!!

We used Goodstay Soo Motel as a base to explore the northeast region of South Korea. We went to Seoraksan, Sokcho-Si and Auraji Cycle Rail. I cannot comment on the convenience of public transport as we rented a car. We had a room that faced the East Sea and from the balcony, we could watch the gorgeous sun rise. The staff were very friendly and spoke very good English. I stayed there for two nights with my wife and two daughters, aged nine and eight. We highly recommend the place for its cleanliness and comfort. If you expect 6 stars Ritz Carlton standard, then this is not for you, but if you are a seasoned traveller away from the city, Soo Motel is more than perfect.

We stayed here for three nights. Late check-in (1am, coming from Seoul) was no problem and the owner directed the taxi driver by phone for us. We didn't have many encounters with the owner/staff but he was very friendly. The building looks beautiful from the outside, and was simply furnished but comfortable. Despite the location off the main roads there was a bit of noise in the mornings and around from local festivals, kids playing etc., but nothing very bad. It's within walking distance from the main beach and very close to the lake. There are some typical Korean restaurants nearby and a convenience store too. Overall, I'd recommend.

Check in doesn't start until 4 pm which is amazingly late. They market themselves as a party hostel so those usually aren't the cleanest. Although there wasn't any particular problem with mold or smells, I was there for 3 nights and they never once cleaned the room or bathroom. There was a lot of paper and plastic trash around the room that me and some other guests cleaned up. There was also a pile of wet towels just sitting in the bathroom and little packets of body wash and shampoo everywhere. Would have been better had they just had a big shampoo container attached to the wall in the shower.

This is a great little spot overlooking the sea. The sleeping mats are slightly thicker and softer than typical Korean floor mats. The rooftop was a wonderful, quiet spot to relax and chat. The room was spotlessly clean! It’s right on the beach, so you can use your own shower after coming in from the waves. And there is a little rinse spigot in the courtyard outside, so you can prevent tracking sand into your room. This was a superb place to rest.