EL Hotel

For the price range, this is a lovely hotel just across the road from the beach, with a fantastic view. The rooftop restaurant had a nice dinner set and breakfast buffet. There was some traffic noise, and the walls are quite thin, but it wasn’t bad for the cost.

HotelEl is right by the beach, close to a great beach in sock-cho. The rooftop is a lovely spot, especially with free wine for guests. From up there you get two gorgeous views, one of the ocean and one of the mountains. Both look especially beautiful at night. I hope you enjoy them and get to relax.

There was no receptionist when I arrived around lunchtime. I know check-in starts at 3 p.m., but I still didn’t understand why nobody was there, so I had to call to ask them to hold my belongings. The food and unlimited wine and beer were nice, though.

The restaurant on the 7th floor had good food and nice views. Our dinner choices were limited, but enjoyable, and the unlimited wine was a nice perk. Breakfast came with our room, though it wasn’t a buffet. They brought one set option to the table. The bed was okay, but the sheets felt rough. We had the top-floor, ocean-side royal suite, which might be the best room there, and the view was nice. The layout was odd: both double beds were by the bathroom and front door, and the motion sensor by the entrance switched on a bright light whenever someone went to the bathroom at night, waking the baby. The shower was barely more than a trickle and only lukewarm even on full heat. Although the hotel is on the beach, getting there meant a long walk along stretches without sidewalks, so we had to drive. Parking was limited, and the hotel photos didn’t look realistic. I paid far too much for two nights. I’d give it two stars for the view, or one if I’d stayed in a room without one. Avoid it if there are better options.