KensingtonHotel Seorak

Terrible hotel in 5* location. Tatty, very very dated and searingly hot rooms with effectively no operational air-con. Possibly the worst hotel we have ever stayed in

Great english buffet breakfast. Amazing location just beside the national park for morning hikes. Great service by staff whom all communicate in good English and Mandarin. The hotel itself has floors that showcase collections by singers, actors and athletes.

Was really looking forward to my stay at the Kensington Hotel Seorak. But when I pay $263AU / night I have a certain expectation that a 4 star hotel will live up to the hype. The service at the check-in desk and in the restaurant was excellent. The hotel itself exudes 'history' and it was interesting spending time looking at the library, hallways and various displays on offer. The menus were adequate for our stay and we spent 29000KRW on the chicken and beer offer on the first night and the steak and wine (120000KRW) on the second night. Breakfasts were 29000KRW/pp or 10% off if you book at check-in were also value for money. However several aspects let the hotel down. Hot water was hard to get - I tried for an afternoon shower and again at midnight with no luck. Larger hotels in Korea tend to have central control over the air conditioning, so if you like a cool room you'll be out of luck by October?? Even having the small window open, and turning of the 'air conditioning, the room was stuffy. Having found a laundry bag and order form I was told that the hotel no longer offered that service. Disappointing. The towels were worn / frayed on the edges (they've passed their useabe date) and though the hotel room we were in had a great view the windows were so grubby it was hard to really enjoy the view. While I appreciate COVID has had an impact on the hotel industry generally, I'm pretty certain that the Kensington, with its views and proximity to Seoraksan, faired better than most. While I would stay here again I would like to think that for prime pricing the Kensington could up its game and ensure that such small issues were addressed.