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Quick snapshot — One night near Pyeongchang
- Location & drive time: About 1 hour from central Pyeongchang (via expressway and local roads)
- Room rate (1 night): Around $380 USD (2 adults + 1 five-year-old)
- Hot spring & sauna add-on: $14 per adult / $9 per child
- All-access pass: $49 per adult / $38 per child — includes pools, saunas, outdoor soaking areas
- ⚠ The catch: Even with the all-access pass, the sauna closes at 6 PM. Want to use it after that? You’ll pay another $14 per person.
We pulled up to Seolhae Hot Spring Resort on a Sunday morning in mid-April, about an hour’s drive from our overnight stay in Pyeongchang. The three of us—my husband, our five-year-old, and me—made good time on the highway, though we hit a bit of weekend traffic near one of the long tunnels. But honestly? Those were my favorite moments of the drive. My daughter kept asking, “Mom, what do we do at the hot spring?” and I loved hearing the excitement in her voice.
The main entrance sets the tone—modern, understated, more gallery than typical resort
The main building caught our eye immediately. Long wooden slats stretched across the façade, framing the sky behind them, with one substantial tree anchoring the right side. My husband’s first words: “This feels more like an art museum than a resort.” The parking lot is generous—we found a spot in under five minutes on a busy Sunday afternoon, which said a lot about the place’s planning.
Check-in: The credentials wall
Official check-in wasn’t until 3 PM, but we arrived around 2 and settled into the lobby for a few minutes. Walking up to the front desk, I immediately noticed eight framed certificates lining the wall behind the counter. The Seolhae logo was mounted on a sleek black panel, with permits and accreditations displayed in a neat row beneath it.
The desk area doubles as a trust statement—credentials on full display
“First time visiting?” the front desk clerk asked warmly. Check-in took five minutes flat. The room rate came to around $380 for the three of us. That felt right—in line with what I’d budgeted.
Then came the price sheet.
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The facilities menu—and its hidden time limits
I scanned the pricing board posted next to the desk. There were more options than I expected: immunity treatments, hot spring saunas, indoor pools, outdoor soaking areas, private cabanas. If we’d done everything, we’d have easily spent over $200 per person. That’s when I realized this wasn’t a bundled resort experience—it was à la carte all the way.
The menu: more options than you’d expect, each with its own fine print
We decided to keep it simple: just the hot spring sauna for now. As a guest, that was $14 per adult and $9 for our daughter—$37 total for all three of us. That seemed fair and reasonable.
| Pass type | Guest rate (adult) | Guest rate (child) | Sauna hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sauna only | $14 | $9 | 6:30 AM–10 PM (last entry 9:30 PM) |
| All-access pass Pools, saunas, outdoor soaks |
$49 | $38 | 10 AM–6 PM (sauna only) |
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The women’s sauna: Where my daughter said “let’s come back”
After dropping our bags in the room, we headed straight to the sauna. The entrance is marked with clean signage against warm beige wood paneling. The whole vibe felt calm and intentional. My daughter put on her little white robe and practically bounced through the door. It was impossibly cute.
The entrance sets a serene tone from the start
Inside, there are three soaking pools (hot, warm, and cold) plus dry and wet saunas. My daughter spent a long time in the warm pool, dipping her fingers and announcing to me every thirty seconds, “Mom, look! It’s so warm!” I settled into the hot pool for about twenty minutes and felt every bit of driving fatigue from Pyeongchang melt away. Here’s what I really appreciated: the pool floors aren’t slippery. This might sound small, but for a parent letting a young child walk around on their own, it’s huge. I could actually relax instead of hovering.
As we left, my daughter looked up at me and said: “Mom, can we come back here again?” In that moment, I stopped regretting that we hadn’t splurged on the all-access pass. Her happiness was the whole point.
The lounge: Where we lingered longer than planned
After we dried off and got dressed, we stepped into the lounge area. Dark walls, a few pieces of abstract art, three red chairs in a row, natural wood tables and seating. It had the feel of a contemporary art space—very intentional, very calm. My daughter pulled out her colored pencils and drew for a solid thirty minutes while I just sat there, actually relaxed. That never happens.
The lounge has that rare quality of being both beautiful and actually comfortable
The bottom line
Seolhae is genuinely nice. The design is thoughtful, the details matter, and the sauna experience is legitimately good for families. But go in with eyes open about the pricing structure. The all-access pass isn’t as all-access as the name implies—especially if you’re a night-owl family or hoping for an evening soak after bedtime.
For us? We’ll probably go back. But next time, I’m asking about the evening sauna situation before we book. And my daughter will definitely be wearing that white robe again.
