High1 is undoubtedly the resort with the best facilities in Korea. I visit every winter to ski, and right now is the peak year-end season. As expected, the Mountain and Valley Condos were already fully booked, but fortunately, I managed to reserve a room at the High1 Palace Hotel.
The drive from home to High1 is 275km, which usually takes about 3 hours, but during holidays, traffic jams can make the travel time unpredictable. To avoid the bottlenecks, I left early around 5:30 AM.
⛷️ Heading to High1!
I arrived at the Mountain Ski House around 8:30 AM. After having a quick snack in the car and resting for a bit, I went up to the Athena course and skied for about two hours. The snow condition was great and there were fewer people than expected, which made for good skiing. However, I felt hungry and very tired, so after lunch, all I wanted to do was go to the hotel and rest.
You shouldn't ski when you're tired~~
📍 High1 Palace Hotel Location
The High1 Palace Hotel is located about 7km away from the High1 Valley Ski House. Whoa! While having to travel 7km from the Valley Ski House is a disadvantage, the hotel offers great value for money, excellent service, and very good room conditions. Everything else is a plus.
📸 The Scenic View of High1 Palace Hotel
I took this photo while walking up the mountain path behind the parking lot. Isn't the scenery absolutely beautiful?
🅿️ High1 Palace Hotel Parking
Since the Palace Hotel is located at a high altitude, you have to drive uphill all the way from the entrance. Once you see the castle-like peaked roofs on the hill, you have almost arrived. The hotel is on the right, and the parking lot is on the left.
It is best to drop off your luggage in front of the hotel first, then park your car in the lot and return to check in. The parking lot is very spacious, so parking didn't seem to be a concern even during the peak season.
🛎️ High1 Palace Hotel Lobby
High1 operates a "Flexible Check-in" system where you can choose from three check-in times: 1 PM check-in (9 AM check-out), 3 PM check-in (11 AM check-out), or 6 PM check-in (1 PM check-out). We chose the 3 PM check-in and 11 AM check-out.
After parking, there were about 40 minutes left until check-in. While waiting in the lounge area of the lobby, I inquired if check-in was possible just in case, and fortunately, they allowed us to check in right away. Oh~ Thanks!
⛰️ Choosing Between View and Non-View Rooms
The Palace Hotel has an additional charge depending on the room view. If you choose the mountain view (golf course view), you must pay an extra 11,000 KRW per night. If you choose the standard non-view, you are assigned a room facing the parking lot.
Even with the non-view option, the mountain ridges stretch out beyond the parking lot, so it doesn't feel suffocating at all (see the photo below). Having visited the Palace Hotel several times, I didn't feel a great need for the view, so I chose the non-view room this time. If it's your first visit, it might be nice to choose the mountain view.
🚪 Room Location
The room assigned this time was 5074. I liked that it was on a high floor, but it was located at the very end of the hallway, so it was a long walk from the elevator. It’s better to be near the elevator when carrying ski gear. However, being a side room, it was more spacious than a regular room, which was a nice trade-off.
🛏️ Room Condition
Entrance
Looking at the door, the closet is on the left and the bathroom is on the right. A dedicated power card key is already inserted near the entrance; you insert your key into the holder on the left to turn on the power.
Palace Hotel Bedding
The bed had the characteristic cleanliness of hotel bedding. It felt lightweight yet provided great warmth, allowing for a comfortable rest.
Palace Hotel Room Furniture
While the Palace Hotel doesn't have a flashy modern interior, it offers a classic and stable atmosphere befitting a 4-star hotel. Although the chairs and furniture show some signs of use, the maintenance is so good that it doesn't leave an impression of being old. There are nightstands on both sides of the bed that can be used as personal lamps and are convenient for placing items. By the window, there is a small table and chairs suitable for light drinks or relaxing.
☕ Coffee Cups and Tea Kettle
Coffee cups for two, a tea kettle, and some tea are provided. If you open the door under the TV stand, there is a mini-fridge. Two bottles of water are provided and refilled every day.
🧺 Closet
Opening the closet reveals hangers, bathrobes, a safe below, and indoor slippers. The slippers are large enough to be worn by anyone regardless of gender.
🛁 Bathroom and Washroom
It’s great that all rooms in the Palace Hotel have a bathtub. Soaking in hot water to relax stiff muscles after skiing makes the body feel much lighter.
🧴 Bathroom Amenities
In the past, single-use amenities were provided, but now they are offered in large-capacity dispensers, which is also good. The body lotion applies lightly without leaving a white cast and smells great. A hairdryer is also provided.
- Toothpaste and toothbrush are not provided.
🌡️ Room Temperature Control
If you don't feel well in winter, you might want to raise the temperature. In hotels with central heating, you have to request it, but at the Palace Hotel, there is a thermostat in every room, so I can adjust it to my own condition. I really like this feature too.
✨ A Great View Despite Being a Non-View Room!
Isn't this quite excellent for a non-view room? I drank coffee in the morning while looking at the scenery outside the window. It was very atmospheric.
I hope this post was helpful to you. See you again!