Did you know Seoul to Jeju is the world’s busiest route? Like waving a taxi, you can literally hop on a plane every 15 minutes and arrive here faster than rush hour traffic in Los Angeles. Perched high on a cliffside, there’s a new luxury hotel that commands a hefty price for its privacy & architectural marvel on this island.
Booking
The target demographic must be the baller clients at Andaz Gangnam because cash rates hovers around $700-$900 USD/night. Luckily, Marriott points are high value at this property and is dynamically priced at only 54,000 points.
For an additional data point, my brother booked a suite directly with 128,000 Marriott points (cash rate $1500 USD for that night)
Arrival
About an hour from the airport, we arrived at the valet with our rental car. It has a beautifully groomed bonsai tree as the centerpiece.
The floating islands in the backdrop feels like a nod back to all our previous tropical stays in Thailand.
The check-in experience was surprisingly strict. Being a Lifetime Platinum member, this is the first time we were personally denied “late checkout” at a Marriott property, which is a pretty standard perk. You can imagine the shock on Miki’s face.
After the shock subsided, the hosts gave us a tour and kindly escorted us to our rooms. The property itself is huge.
Premium King
The design is a rectangular modern hanok with the bedroom and bathroom connecting as one.
“Premium King” category means our room has a nicer balcony that overlooks the ocean property.
For reference, my brother’s suite is wider and has an additional living room next to the bedroom.
There’s a plethora of amenities here. The highlight was jumping into all the indoor/outdoor pools.
One of my favorite meals in Korea is the breakfast here. It’s the fanciest à la carte hotel breakfast I’ve ever had (outside of Japan).
It almost made me forget that we don’t have “late checkout”
Overall, JW Marriott Jeju Island is an ultra luxury property for high end clienteles looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city life in Korea. The hotel is surprisingly inflexible with its “late checkout” policies, which is usually a basic perk especially for longtime Marriott Lifetime Platinum members. That being said, this hotel clearly sets a benchmark in the endless fancy amenities it has to offer. It definitely humbled us & made us wish we had a longer stay at this hanok private paradise.
Chai Bear World 