Hotel Ciel De Mer Haeundae

The staff managing the flat were professional and quick to respond. The studio was furnished quite decently and had enough equipment, so I had nothing to complain about. It’s in a great spot, right across from the beach and surrounded by loads of supermarkets and restaurants.

A terrible place to stay. I booked through Booking.com on 11/2, and the payment was completed when the order was confirmed. Then on 12/9 the hotel messaged me that there had been a pricing error and they’d charge another 120,000 KRW. They said I couldn’t check in if I didn’t agree. They’re putting the blame for their pricing mistake on guests and disregarding their rights. That’s unacceptable. Future travelers should be extra careful booking this unpleasant hotel so they don’t face the same unreasonable treatment.

The main drawback was the lift. This is a 22-floor building, but it has only two regular lifts and one emergency lift. Otherwise, it’s a good apartment hotel: the clean, well-maintained room has body soap, shampoo, and conditioner, and guests can use the gym on the third floor. There’s also a gas stove and pots and pans for cooking.

The setup was an interesting experience as a foreigner. What they call a “hotel” is basically a front desk managing several units inside an apartment high-rise. I saw other “hotels” operating the same way, with each unit marked by a little nameplate showing which “hotel” it belongs to. It’s essentially a centrally managed AirBnB. Our room was super clean and well appointed. The kitchen had the basic utensils except for forks, and even had a fancy rice cooker. They left three complimentary bottles of water. Shower supplies, though, came in a sealed bag with a note saying opening it would mean a 5,000 won charge to the room, so bring your own shampoo and soap. We booked through Expedia without any trouble. I’d stay again if we’re in the area.