Skybay Hotel Gyeongpo — Hotel in Gangneung-si

The Skybay Hotel at Gyeongpo is one of the hotels built in the lead up to the 2018 Winter Olympics, so it is still quite new. All of the rooms have amazing views, either of the ocean or of Gyeongpo lake and the mountains to the west. The view and location of the hotel are amazing, the beach is a thirty second walk from the hotel back entrance. This last visit was with my wife and infant daughter and the hotel offers several amenities: a crib, a sterilizer, and the like, and that was nice. The beds are also comfortable and the bathroom was clean, and also had decent water pressure as well as a good range in water temperature. The staff at the hotel were nice and helpful as you could expect. The hallmark of this hotel is the roof infinity pool on the 20th floor, my wife and I had been once before in the summer time and it is nice (if a bit crowded) and to my surprise the pool was open on January 1st, and it is in face heated so that is a nice touch. However, access to the pool is not free to hotel guests, or a reduced rate, 30,000 won per person can add up in a hurry and in all honesty it is not that big of a pool. There isn’t much else to do except lounge around and splash a bit. Also (here come the negatives) the walls of the rooms are not very soundproof, we could hear other guests from either side of us, as well from the hallway and I know they heard our baby when she was crying. The elevators are a complete joke as well, they work but with only three elevators for each tower it is always a wait for a elevator. And if it is during a busier time of day (like 11 AM ) then the elevator will be full, and you have to wait more. The average wait time for an elevator was a little less than five minutes by my estimate. Since I was waiting for so long I was able to spend some time and look and think at the glassed off room next to the elevators, and I realized that there were going to be an additional four (or more) elevators for the tower. That would have helped immensely ease our experience, I do not know the reason why they didn’t finish installing the remaining elevators (the decision was made after construction was already a fair ways along, or else they could done anything else) but the elevators alone are a reason for one star being taken off from...

Come for the pool and the beach. The rest doesn't matter. The rooms are nice and reasonably priced. But the rooms feel like a missed opportunity. Our room had a small patio with a hot tub. But the patio was rather dirty and the hot tub was disconnected. I knew this when I reserved the room so I wasn't disappointed. But I can't help but think there's no good reason for this. Charge a little more and pay people to keep it clean. There's also a garden just below the balcony that isn't maintained. Another missed opportunity. That said the rooms are clean and comfortable enough. There are larger rooms available that I'm sure are nicer. You really come here for the pool and the beach. The rooftop infinity pool is lovely. With good weather you get a great view of the ocean. Being up high you usually have a nice breeze so you won't be hot. The pool water is clean, warm, and isn't over chlorinated. Don't bother with the pool bar though. Insanely priced juice and snacks. None of it good enough to come close to the price (16,000 won for a non-alcoholic mojito that's just syrup and soda). The restaurants downstairs are a little more reasonably priced. But it's still resort prices. Which is odd because just a few meters down the street there are a dozen other restaurants. The beach is nice. The water is warm and clear. The sand isn't too fine and dusty. There are places to rent parasols, mats and tubes. The beach is kept clean for the most part and lifeguards diligently...

The Skybay is one of the best hotels in the Gangneung area. It is not as pricey as nearby resorts and is far superior to the nearby St John's Hotel. The design of the hotel is stunning and you will end up with a room with a decent view of the lake and mountains or the coastline. Parking is easy, though the first basement level is always crowded with cars (most of whom seem to belong to non-guests), so proceed straight to the second basement level. Reception is friendly. The rooms are very comfortable. We did not eat in the buffet - largely because I hate buffets - but there are a range of walkable and nearby eateries that are very good, including Tom's Bistro across the road and the stunning La Cocina, which is a 4 mind drive or a 25 min walk. The top floor bar is large and well-stocked, if pricey. There is an excellent gymnasium and a stunning rooftop pool (though as is typical in Korea, people enter the water for selfies and cuddles rather than strokes of a swimming nature). The basement of the hotel has several convenience stores and eateries, with a big shout to California, which is a well-stocked store with great wines. The beach access is very good and the vibe is relaxed and friendly. If there was one area for constructive improvement, it would be to jazz up the breakfast buffet food and the surrounds a bit, to be a bit more classy. Make this hotel one of your first choices when visiting...