JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa

"South Korea’s Jeju Island has long been a beloved weekend getaway for local city slickers. They fly in for the miles of hiking trails that weave past soaring volcanoes and craggy coastlines, then flock to the island’s restaurants for their famed hay-smoked Jeju black pig, juicy mandarins, and shellfish caught by the illustrious Haenyeo divers. It wasn’t until recently, though, that Jeju finally had a resort worth traveling out of the way for. Pitched up on a cliff on the island’s southern tip, the JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa is a sprawling, straight-lined complex of basalt rock. For the interiors, hotel guru Bill Bensley drew inspiration from Jeju’s natural and cultural landscape: Jolts of yellow marble in the rooms nod to the canola fields that bloom every spring; the frames of timber hanok (traditional Korean buildings) in the lobby mimic the island’s oldest settlements. A spacious hot spring complex with indoor and outdoor pools, three local-minded restaurants, a tea lounge, and a jimjilbang (Korean-style sauna) with various themed rooms make it tempting to stay in—but the spectacular walking routes unfurling from the hotel’s art-studded backyard will convince even the staunchest couch potato to strap on their hiking boots." - Chris Schalkx