tpmattis
Google
I would not recommend this hotel, particularly during busy season. I am a Marriott Titanium (soon to be Ambassador) member, and had 105 nights year-to-date in late July when we checked in. They refused to give me any upgrade, and I ended up with the lowest level room in the hotel with no view. I doubt anyone else in the hotel -- or in South Korea for that matter -- had 105 nights year-to-date, and yet everyone in the hotel got a better room and superior view than me. Guaranteed check-in time was 3:00 p.m., but our room was not available until 4:30 p.m. and no concessions or discounts were applied for the 90 minutes that we had paid for -- but did not have access to -- our room.|The hotel is on the beach, but there is no outdoor pool and the hotel has no control over the beach and no dedicated space. They do not provide beach chairs or towels. The small indoor pool was incredibly crowded, literally shoulder to shoulder, and too packed to even float on one's back. At any given time there were 5-6 people within reaching distance; it felt like eels at the fish market. One-third of the pool was roped off for laps, but I never saw anyone swimming laps; they should clear that space when the pool is that crowded. No drinks at the pool in the late afternoon/evening, and the pool actually closes for an hour between 18:00 and 19:00. For Westerners expecting a resort-pool type experience, it is NOT that -- you will avoid the pool entirely and be forced to join the throngs of public beachgoers with no chair and no towel.|Platinum/Titanium members can only access the Executive Lounge for a total of one hour at night -- you have to choose one of two hour-long time slots (5:30-6:30 or 7:00-8:00). When you arrive for your time slot, there is a long line, and then a stampede for one of the too-few tables when the doors open. After about 40 minutes, the staff circulates to remind everyone that they must leave in 20 minutes. It was a very rushed, chaotic experience, and the lounge is supposed to be a place where loyal customers can relax. The extra charges for family members are outrageous for the scant food offerings.|The rooms were very dated, and they obviously had not vacuumed our room when we checked in, because there was a nest of black hair, which had apparently fallen from the prior guest's hairbrush, in the middle of the very worn carpet. |We ate dinner at the Korean restaurant in the basement, which was mediocre, and we had an 8:30 reservation for a set menu with several courses. At 8:50, the hostess came to our table to inform us that they closed at 9:00, and we did not even have our entree course yet. At 9:00, as they were setting down our entrees, the hostess returned and told us that they were closed and that they needed to clear the table. We explained that we had just been served entrees, and had not yet been served dessert. Between the Concierge Lounge and the Japanese restaurant, we felt very rushed throughout our time at this hotel.|Reviewing the folio at checkout, I discovered that I had been grossly overcharged, including $100 per day for two breakfasts that I was entitled to for free due to my Titanium status; it took nearly an hour to explain why they had to remove those breakfasts ($300 over three days) from the bill, but they finally did. |All in all, it was a hectic and stressful stay. Most of the staff members were very polite, and the view from the very expensive bars and restaurants was beautiful, but if you are expecting the typical beach resort experience, you won't find it here, and the whole place was very poorly run.
