Located in Pyeongchang, Kensington Hotel Pyeongchang is in a national park, a 1-minute drive from Odaesan National Park and 9 minutes from Woljeongsa Fir Forest. This family-friendly hotel is 8.7 mi (14.1 km) from Alpensia Ski Resort and 10.2 mi (16.5 km) from Yongpyong Golf Club.
After a day on the slopes, enjoy recreational amenities including a health club and an indoor pool. Additional amenities at this hotel include complimentary wireless internet access, concierge services, and an arcade/game room.
Grab a bite to eat at one of the hotel's many dining establishments, which include 3 restaurants and 2 coffee shops/cafes. Buffet breakfasts are served on weekdays from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM and on weekends from 7:00 AM to noon for a fee.
Featured amenities include a business center, a 24-hour front desk, and luggage storage. This hotel has 10 meeting rooms available for events. Free self parking is available onsite.
Make yourself at home in one of the 260 air-conditioned rooms featuring flat-screen televisions. Rooms have private balconies. Cable television is provided for your entertainment. Bathrooms feature separate bathtubs and showers, complimentary toiletries, and hair dryers.
"Overall, the amenities (pool, petting zoo, convenience store) were excellent for families, and we were quite satisfied.
However, one major disappointment was the attitude of the staff member who handled our check-in. As check-in is the hotel's first impression, I believe a staff member's demeanor truly reflects the hotel's image and professionalism. Even if the price is more affordable than other 5-star hotels, guests still book with the expectation of 5-star service. Therefore, the disappointing way the initial check-in was handled by the staff member clearly requires improvement.
Here’s a breakdown of the interaction:
1. I explained that I had requested a bed guard during the booking process.
-> The staff member responded: 'We didn't receive any separate information about that.' 'It seems you booked through an international website, and that kind of request doesn't show up on our end. All bed guards are currently unavailable/out of stock.'
2. Given I have a young child, I inquired if I needed to make an additional booking should a guard become available.
-> The reply was: 'There's no separate reservation for that.' 'If they're already out, they won't become available again.'
3. I asked if customers are expected to constantly call and check then.
-> The staff member said: 'Since you made the reservation the day before, it's highly probable that bed guards wouldn't have been available anyway.' 'Even if you call, there won't be any.'
Is this truly the appropriate way for a 5-star hotel to handle a guest? Am I, the guest, at fault for booking last minute or via a third-party site?
I wasn't asking for anything unreasonable. For a 5-star hotel, wouldn't a more fitting response from a service staff member be something like: 'Since you booked through an international site, sometimes details like this don't get fully transmitted to us. All our bed guards are currently in use, but let me see if one might become available, or if there's anything else we can provide as a substitute'?
Curiously, when I raised the complaint to a different staff member, they managed to find a bed guard in storage and provided it. (What does that say about the earlier response?)
Frankly, even after receiving it, I didn't feel good about the whole experience.
Considering this is a hotel popular with families, this kind of guest interaction definitely requires serious improvement."