What Is It Like to Stay at a Resort Outside the City in Korea? – Part 1

 

If you're traveling in South Korea, chances are you'll spend at least part of your trip staying in a city.

That makes sense.

Hotels in places like Seoul and Busan make it easy to reach restaurants, shopping areas, subway stations and major attractions.

But when Koreans travel domestically, staying outside the city can be a very different experience.

Instead of choosing a hotel mainly for its location, sometimes the accommodation — and the scenery around it — becomes part of the trip.

This was one of those stays.

1. The View Can Be Part of the Reason You Stay

One of the biggest differences from a city hotel was what we saw outside.

Instead of buildings, traffic and busy streets, there was a small beach below, with green mountains surrounding the coastline.

Korea is a very mountainous country, and in some coastal areas the mountains come surprisingly close to the sea.

For someone who has mostly experienced Korea through Seoul, scenery like this can feel like a completely different side of the country.

2. Resort Rooms Can Feel Very Different From City Hotels

The room itself was also much more spacious than the type of hotel room you might choose for a short city trip.

There was a separate sitting area with a sofa, chairs and a table, surrounded by large windows.

That changed the way we used the room.

Instead of treating it simply as somewhere to sleep before going sightseeing again, it was comfortable enough to spend time inside, talk, have something to drink and enjoy the scenery.

3. This Kind of Stay Works Well for Family Trips

There was plenty of sleeping space as well.

One area had two separate beds, which is particularly convenient when traveling as a family.

The interior wasn't overly decorated or flashy.

It was relatively simple, with warm lighting and neutral colors, which actually worked well with the quiet surroundings outside.

4. Imagine Waking Up to This

Another bedroom had a large window next to the bed.

And outside that window was the sea.

It's a small thing, but waking up somewhere like this changes the feeling of the morning.

You don't necessarily feel the need to get dressed and rush outside immediately.

Opening the curtains and looking at the water can already feel like part of the trip.

5. And Sometimes You Just Eat in the Room

This may actually be one of the most realistic parts of a Korean family trip.

We didn't eat every meal at a restaurant.

One evening, we brought food back to the room and spread everything out on the table.

There were different kinds of mandu (만두), Korean dumplings, along with gimbap (김밥) and drinks.

It wasn't a carefully planned dinner.

But after spending the day outside, sitting around the table together and eating simple Korean food was exactly what we wanted.

And this is something travelers can easily do in Korea too.

You don't always need to search for another famous restaurant. Pick up some local food, bring it back to where you're staying, and enjoy a slower evening.

6. So, Should You Stay Outside the City?

For a first trip to Korea, I wouldn't recommend replacing a conveniently located city hotel with a remote resort.

If you're sightseeing every day, location matters.

But if you have a longer itinerary — or you're curious about how Koreans travel within their own country — spending a night or two somewhere away from the city can be a completely different experience.

You see more of Korea's mountains and coastline.

You slow down.

And instead of thinking of your accommodation as simply somewhere to sleep, you actually spend time enjoying it.

Korea isn't only busy streets, cafés, shopping districts and city lights.

Sometimes it's also a quiet room, Korean food on the table, mountains outside the window and the sea in front of you.