Fontana Beach Hotel

The room was clean, though old-fashioned. I found it decent, but not especially good. The hotel is well placed for strolling along the streets by the ocean, grabbing a drink, or finding food. There’s no sandy beach, though, and the area just behind it is a bit dirty. For Mokpo, I’d still say it’s a good option for travelers.

We liked the room itself: it was spacious and comfortable, with a good shower. My favorite part was the small open dressing area just outside the shower, which felt cozy. The room was very clean and had a lovely beach and sea view. The music fountain was right in front of us, although there were no shows while we were there. We stayed for two nights in a room booked for two people. The hotel sits in a lively spot, with lots of different restaurants just behind it. Events are held around the fountain area too, though I think those are mostly on weekends. There were a couple of frustrations during our stay. At check-in, we found just one bath towel and five hand towels. We told reception, but communicating was difficult because the staff weren’t very confident in English. After the room was cleaned on day two, the same towel mix appeared again, even though we’d hung up the towels. I had to call reception again and try to explain. They did bring the extra towels promptly when asked, which we appreciated. The soundproofing was poor. We could hear the rooms on both sides, especially chairs being dragged, and it kept happening late into the night. I know the hotel can’t control guests moving furniture loudly, and after four visits to Korea I’ve come to see this as a local habit, since many guests are locals. Still, some hotels I’ve stayed at put up signs asking guests not to move the furniture around excessively to avoid disturbing others.

Our fifth-floor room faced the water, and we could watch the lovely light show that happens every night. It seems like all the rooms have water views. The hotel is clean, modern, and right on the waterfront, with underground parking and an easy walk to the museum district. We stayed on a weekday in the off season and paid 121,000 won. Its English name is Benikea Fontana Beach Hotel.

The view was nice and the stay was quite good, though there isn’t much parking space.