Pyeongchang – Phoenix Hotel – A Mountain Resort Staycation

Hi, it’s Solyn. This time we stayed at Phoenix Hotel in Pyeongchang.

It sits high in the Gangwon-do mountains, inside the big Phoenix Pyeongchang ski-and-golf resort. After a day at the Blue Canyon water park, this was our base to crash, eat, and do absolutely nothing.

Here’s my honest take up front: the room itself is simple. But the way you book it, and everything packed inside the gate, is what made this stay so easy.

Getting there

Phoenix Hotel is about a two-hour drive from Seoul, tucked inside the Phoenix Pyeongchang resort.

Almost everyone arrives by car — there’s a huge lot right by the hotel — and a resort shuttle loops between the buildings if you don’t feel like walking.

The resort is big and spread out, so it helps to picture the layout before you arrive. There’s a guide map in the lobby that lays it all out.

The space

The resort splits its lodging into three types: the Hotel, the condo buildings (Blue-dong and Green-dong), and the pool villas. We went with the Hotel.

We booked a Superior Twin — a clean, straightforward room. Nothing fancy, but comfortable, and the big window framed nothing but green ridgeline.

I’ll be honest: I didn’t get proper room photos this time, so you’ll have to picture it — a simple twin, a big window, and nothing outside it but mountains. I spent the evening sprawled on the bed with a cold one, just watching the ridgeline go dark.

The package to book (this is the tip)

If you take one thing from this post, take this. Don’t book the room on its own.

We booked a package: the room, one free activity for two people, and breakfast at Ondo, all bundled together. Priced this way, it came out far cheaper than paying for the room, the activities, and breakfast separately.

So before you book anything at Phoenix, look for the room-plus-activity-plus-breakfast package first. It’s almost always the smart move.

Breakfast at Ondo

Breakfast came with our package, served buffet-style at Ondo, the resort restaurant. This was a highlight on its own.

The best part is the room itself: floor-to-ceiling windows over the pine garden, so you eat with a green mountain view. Grab a window seat if you can.

The spread is a proper mix of Korean and Western. On the Korean side, there’s a full banchan lineup — kimchi, braised beans, seasoned greens, dried anchovies, and packets of gim (seasoned seaweed).

There’s a warm bread-and-pastry table — plain toast, croissants, and little mini pastries — plus a cook-to-order station turning out waffles and fresh fried eggs.

A salad bar rounds it out, with greens, radicchio, and a few dressings including a good balsamic.

And the small touches I loved: a fruit-and-yogurt case, a light rice-noodle soup, and even chocolate cereal for the kid in all of us.

Everything is inside the gate

This is what actually made the stay great: you barely have to leave the resort for anything.

Coin laundry. There’s a coin laundry over in Blue-dong (the condo building next door), and it was a lifesaver after the water park — I didn’t want to drive home with a bag of damp swimsuits. There are two exchange machines right there — a tall one that dispenses bills and a short one for coins — plus a 500-won detergent vending machine, so you can travel light.

One hard-won tip on the machines: the washers take bills only, while the detergent, fabric softener, and the dryer all run on coins. So change some cash into bills first for the wash, then get coins for everything after. I learned this the annoying way — I swapped all my money into coins, walked up to the washer, and found out it only takes bills. Cue a full trip back to the room to grab cash. Save yourself the walk.

A pharmacy, a convenience store, and more. Inside the complex there’s a convenience store, a bakery, cafes, and restaurants — and a pharmacy over in Blue-dong — so a mild cold or a forgotten toothbrush is a two-minute fix, not a drive.

Late-night delivery. Here’s the part that surprised me most: a lot of restaurants actually deliver right to the resort. We ordered fried chicken at 1 a.m. — the very last call — and honestly, it was so good.

(The arcade, noraebang, and bowling are a post of their own — and so are Center Plaza’s shops and restaurants.)

Coffee, pastries, and wine in Blue-dong

The condo building next door, Blue-dong, has a bright little cafe that became our afternoon spot. One wall is all glass, framing the pine forest, with counter seats to sit and stare.

There’s a proper bakery counter too — pastries and cookies — plus a wine corner if you want to carry a bottle back to the room.

The sauna

Blue-dong also has a sauna, and as hotel guests we got in cheaper. It’s the classic Korean bathhouse — hot and cold pools inside, plus an open-air bath.

Guest rates run 14,000 KRW (~$10) for adults and 10,500 KRW (~$8) for kids — noticeably less than the walk-in price. It’s open 9 AM to 6 PM (the open-air bath until 5), and it closes midweek, so check the day before you plan a soak.

Would I go back?

Yes — and I’d book it the exact same way. The package is what makes a resort stay like this actually affordable.

With a car, a laundry run, and delivery on speed dial, we never had to think about leaving. That’s the whole point of a mountain staycation.

So yes — book the package, bring a car, and let the resort do the rest.

— Solyn