In part one of my review of The Lotte Hotel in Jeju, I covered the pool and the room. Now, in continuance with the massive amount of stuff to do at the resort, I’m going to tackle the shops, the casino and a new Korean trend that is bursting on the scene this summer “Glamping”. We have to start with glamping because since autocorrect has changed it three times now to clamping, it clearly is not a real word. Glamping stands for glamourous camping. Basically, it’s a tent with all the amenities of home, and Lotte has a whole area dedicated for glamping.
Ready to rough it in the wilderness? No… Not Really: Gone are the days of the triangle contraptions that took an eternity to assemble. Although, I will miss the image of my father with a beer in one hand, a cigarette in the other, spewing every curse word the English language has to offer, the idea of Glamping (Glamourous camping) does have its appeal. Tents, a BBQ, plenty of utensils and still close to the pool with now the echoes of the ocean waves crashing into the black rocks, the Lotte Hotel Camping Site is camping without leaving the hotel. It’s opulent setting allows the guest to experience the joys of camping without the hassles of nature.
Gift Shops, Duty Free and Louis Vuitton: The Lotte Hotel Jeju offers some quality shopping, but at a steep price. Now, most people staying at the Lotte Hotel I’ll assume have some discretionary income to splurge on the finer things in life. If you are one of those people, congratulations, you will have an excellent time shopping to your hearts content. If you are like us, humble educators, browsing is the most you are going to do.
I don’t know what this was, but it was the most interesting gift in the shop.
Ladies contain your orgasms.
Paradise Casino: So I found out the hard way it’s not wise to try to sneak a camera into a casino, so therefore, I would like to apologize in advance for the lack of pictures. In general, the Paradise Casino was a pretty big disappointment. The LP describes the Lotte Hotel as “bringing Vegas to you”, so naturally I had high expectations for the casino. While I was thinking the Mirage, they were thinking of your local slots and sports book casino with the 99cent buffet. There were roughly 25 slot machines, a couple of roulette wheels, and a handful of blackjack tables. I spent approximately 25 minutes and lost 50,000KRW at the slots. No free drink. No food. No poker tables. It was a pretty Mickey Mouse operation and unless you are twitching to test your luck, I would probably avoid it.
Final Thoughts: If you are ready to tackle some glamping, this would be the place to start. The duty free was huge, but I didn’t have enough time to take any pictures. If you are looking for something nice for the lady, and you’ve just cashed in on a huge bonus, you can never go wrong with Louis Vuitton. Unfortunately, the casino was a huge disappointment. I was really looking forward to playing a little poker, but the shoebox-sized casino wasn’t having any of that. It was pretty sad really. If you are looking to do some serious gambling, better head to Macau.
Value: For three nights, we shelled out an eye-watering $1,753CAD or 1.6 million WON. This was a five star experience all the way though. The service was impeccable, the facilities immaculate and the view breathtaking. That said, this is not somewhere I would go again, simply because there are so many other options on the island that offer the same amenities.
Who Should Visit The Lotte Hotel in Jeju: A great place for families. There are tons of options for the kidlets and they will be well entertaining during your stay. If you are new to Korea and are slightly scared of leaving your comfort zone, this hotel feels as though you’ve never left your native country. All the staff speak excellent English and all services are labeled in English as well.
Who Should Avoid The Lotte Hotel in Jeju: Poor people and singles looking to mingle. Often, one in the same.
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