SEAMARQ Hotel

I loved the beautiful ocean view from the room, and breakfast at the hotel was superb. The infinity pool was smaller than I expected.

The gallery deluxe room was in great shape and clearly well looked after. It had a private balcony and views in three directions. The hotel’s architecture is stunning against the natural scenery, and the staff at the front desk and concierge were so sweet and gentle. I’d return for the view and spa, but probably skip the complimentary meals next time. The food was the letdown. Dinner felt more like a $29.99 all-you-can-eat meal than what I expected from a five-star hotel. I know it was buffet style, so I can’t complain too much about temperature or freshness, but lots of dishes were badly seasoned. The soups and pasta could be too sweet, bland, or salty. Dessert selection was good by comparison. Breakfast was much better, with fresh, delicious bread, though some of the warm dishes were still unseasoned and low quality.

The hotel was designed by world-famous architect Richard Meier, and it’s beautiful in every corner. For a special Korea holiday, I’d say give it a go. My favorite is the corner suite, with its ocean view, standalone hot tub facing the East Sea, and separate bedroom and living room. There are two dining venues, The Restaurant for buffet meals and The Chef's table for course meals.

I’m sharing this in the hope that the hotel’s customer service improves for future guests. After we posted about an unpleasant experience at Simark Hotel, the hotel called us on our personal phone, brought up a legal review, and suggested we delete the review. They already had our contact details from earlier email and phone conversations. Since the issue hadn’t been properly addressed, I had left an earlier review, which is currently deleted. The call initially scared us. I couldn’t speak when they called and said, “I am unable to talk now.” The response was, “Then just listen without saying anything. Feel free to record this conversation.” I’m basing this review on the recorded call and sticking to objective facts because I’m afraid this comment could also lead to legal threats. I hope the hotel’s customer service eventually matches its excellent facilities.