The Venezia Suite Hotel

Our room on the 11th floor had lovely sunset views over the city and mountains, and we didn’t hear much street noise up there. It was a pleasant place for a short stay, though a bit outside the central area, about a 30 minute walk from the station. There’s a small kitchenette, but it lacks basic crockery and other essentials. The convenience store next door came in handy.

The bed was unbelievably uncomfortable, like sleeping on an airbed, and the service was terrible. We couldn’t return one of our two key cards because it was probably somewhere in the room, and they charged us $15 USD for it. I’ve travelled around the world for 20 years and never had a hotel or motel charge me for a misplaced card. Ridiculous. Koreans are way too stiff.

The rooms are good, and the hotel is right in the heart of Chuncheon. The staff speak English, which makes it a good choice for foreigners. If you’re used to western sized towels, though, you’ll need to ask for them at the front.

We stayed two weeks on the 12th floor near the fire escape. People kept slamming doors morning and late at night, and the area seemed to be where everyone went to smoke. Sometimes we could smell it in our room, with chain smokers next door going in and out until around 3am. After several complaints, the manager offered to move us the night before checkout. At least the water problem was fixed in this room, but the bed was terrible. From my earlier stay: I thought this was the better hotel in the area, but the water pressure was poor and the shower swung between hot and cold, so I had to keep adjusting it. It’s an officetel, not a suite, and they’re nowhere near the same thing. Parking was awkward and took a long time. Outdoor events at the University were easy to hear. There was no microwave or kitchenware, and rooms were cleaned only once a week, on Wednesdays.