Hotel Solaire

The local staff were really bad. They can barely speak English and showed no empathy for what customers asked. Any help they offered came with a price, and they weren't willing to assign anyone to help in another way. I'll never stay here again.

The beach view from the room was great, but bathroom tiles were coming off. I booked an EXF room without repairs, and the bathroom was spacious. The Solaire Hotel's comforter and mattress felt incredibly cheap compared with the down or goose down bedding you'd expect at a luxury hotel. There was only soap among the room amenities, which is absurd. If disposable toothbrushes aren't available, they should have replaced them. Jeju Island isn't an island, so the front desk is tucked into a corner of the lobby, making guests walk all the way to the end. I wonder if that's proper hotel service. At checkout, fortunately, a staff member came out to take my key. Hotels in this location often have a counter by the door, so guests don't have to haul their luggage over for the key and then back to the elevator. The curtains open and close semi-automatically, but there's no remote to operate them properly. The lobby and elevator area look more luxurious than the guest rooms.

The ocean view made for a genuinely relaxing stay. The rooms were well maintained, the staff were very friendly, and the heating kept me warm in the cold weather. I was also very satisfied with the water pressure and the temperature selection. One issue came up with meals. As of November 27, 2025, every hotel restaurant, including the dinner and breakfast venues, was closed on weekdays. The bar selling alcohol and snacks was open. Hotel policy also barred outside food in the rooms, whether it was strongly scented seafood or chicken or milder food like kimbap. The hotel explained that indoor dining odors can soak into furniture and cause sanitary problems, but said food bought at the hotel bar could be eaten in the room. We asked if we could bring chicken from the bar, and they refused, saying its smell would linger. So if you want to eat at the hotel, you're stuck using the bar. Otherwise, you have to eat out and come back. The restrictions weren't mentioned on the website or in the post-reservation text message. We booked based on the website saying the hotel restaurant served Korean food for dinner and offered a breakfast buffet the next day, so that was disappointing. They should at least put the restrictions on the website.

Sound carries between rooms, so the soundproofing could be better. The rooms are clean despite feeling a little dated, and you can choose between condo-style and hotel-style lodging. Since the hotel is known for its ocean views, it may be a good pick. For a family trip, I'd go with the condo-style rooms.