Sokcho's newest luxury resort woos vacationers with ocean views and private pools

Sokcho's new high-end resort, Cassia Sokcho, offers luxury accommodations with ocean views and wellness-focused amenities.

Cassia Sokcho, a newly opened Banyan resort in Sokcho, Gangwon [CASSIA SOKCHO]

Sokcho, GANGWON — Summer is in full swing — and for many in and around Seoul, that means escaping the city’s smoldering heat and humidity to the breezier northern seasides.

Gangwon's bustling city of Sokcho, just a 2.5-hour drive from the capital on the azure East Sea, is locals' favorite summer escape.

Sokcho saw a total of more than 25 million visitors last year, almost a quarter of which arrived in July and August, according to data obtained by the Sokcho city office. Foreigner-friendly as well, Sokcho recorded some 68,000 international tourists last year, 17 percent of whom were from the United States, followed by Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. Those numbers haven’t fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels, largely due to a continued slump in the volume of Chinese tourists, according to the report.

View of Sokcho, Gangwon, from one of the rooftops at Cassia Sokcho [LEE JIAN]

There’s always a scramble to book stays in Sokcho during summer travel months — but flustered vacation planners will now have one more option to consider as Banyan Group's new high-end resort, Cassia Sokcho, enters the coastal vacation hotspot's hospitality scene.

Officially opening last week, the colossal Cassia Sokcho boasts three towers and 28 floors. Its 674 rooms all face the open sea and have a private balcony, bathtub and kitchen. With stays priced as high as 9 million won ($6,600), it is currently the most luxe property in Sokcho.

Cassia also has properties in Bintan, Indonesia, and Phuket, Thailand, and those who are familiar with the brand's resorts may associate it midrange and accessible establishments. The Sokcho property, however, has positioned itself in a higher tier, according to resort General Manager Bryan Yoon.

“It’s a high-end resort geared toward wellness, with facilities, services and touchpoints that tend to guests just as a five-star property would,” he told the Korea JoongAng Daily at Cassia Sokcho on June 2.

Yoon is an experienced hotelier with a background in sales who previously led operations at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul in central Seoul and the Sheraton Grand Incheon.

Bryan Yoon, general manager of Cassia Sokcho [CASSIA SOKCHO]

The resort's opening comes 14 years after Banyan's last launch in Korea, the hotel-slash-resort Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul in Jung District, central Seoul.

Cassia Sokcho is only the start of what appears to be Banyan Group’s aggressive footprint expansion in Korea. Busan's Banyan Tree Haeundae and an additional Cassia property in Jeju are slated to open in 2025. HOMM, a midtier extended stay brand under Banyan, is also scheduled to arrive in Sokcho next month.

Banyan highly values Sokcho’s vibrant culinary scene, natural landscape and proximity to Seoul, per Yoon, who views the city as “an incredibly attractive travel destination, especially from the perspective of Southeast Asian travelers.”

“Mount Seorak, famous for hiking and the confluence of seafood, particularly crab, make it a unique and appealing location for international travelers,” Yoon said.

One of three rooftop spaces at Cassia Sokcho [LEE JIAN]

The mountain view from a rooftop at Cassia Sokcho [LEE JIAN]

The resort faces the East Sea and has its back to Gangwon's Mount Seorak, which is designated as a national park, to the west. It is just a 10-minute walk from the Daepo Port, encircling dozens of seafood eateries.

In opening Cassia Sokcho, Yoon plans to leverage the city's landscape and Banyan’s renowned spa program to create the ultimate wellness resort.

The infinity pool, currently only open to overnight guests at Cassia Sokcho [CASSIA SOKCHO]

“We are currently in the process of launching a slew of wellness-related programs in active discussion with the Banyan Group, which is very much focused on providing a sustainable and relaxing experience,” he said. The programming will target retirees in addition to couples, families and friends.

The Korea JoongAng Daily visited Cassia Sokcho last week. Here are our thoughts about the resort so far.

Around the resort: Cassia Sokcho

One of the biggest advantages of Cassia Sokcho may be its location. The journey from Seoul takes about 2.5 hours by car or intercity bus. That duration is expected to shrink to around 1.5 hours when the high-speed train KTX from Seoul to Sokcho opens in 2027, to around 1.5 hours.

Currently, those taking a bus disembark at the Sokcho Intercity Bus Terminal, from which the resort is a 10-minute taxi drive.

The lobby floor of Cassia Sokcho [CASSIA SOKCHO]

Cassia Sokcho is nestled between a Lotte resort and a Ramada hotel, but it stands out. It's the tallest of the three, and the wavy walls of its massive towers invoke the pages of a book — as intended by architect Kim Chan-joong, founder of the contemporary architecture studio The System Lab.

The hotel's interior is modern, biophilic and bright with ample sunlight and high ceilings throughout the whole property.

The lobby floor of Cassia Sokcho [LEE JIAN]

Check-in staff in blue hoodies hand over key cards in a lobby on the fourth floor. Guests are directed to one of the resorts three towers — dubbed A, B and C — which house 16 types of rooms including suites with private pools and two-story lofts that can sleep up to six.

The various accommodations have varying feels — especially those in the priciest tier.

A one-bedroom Premier King at Cassia Sokcho [CASSIA SOKCHO]

For instance, the One Bedroom Suite on Tower B’s 10th floor appears more sleek and sexy because of its symmetrically arranged furniture and floor-to-ceiling windows that surround whole U-shaped wall overlooking the ocean. A Premier Pool Suite feels less private and more active, with a large, open living room and a smaller sliding window that opens into a spacious outdoor area with a private pool and cabana.

The balcony view from a suite at Cassia Sokcho [LEE JIAN]

All rooms include balconies, open ocean views and kitchens with items like a medium-sized fridge and electric stovetop. Pantries are stocked with metal pots and pans, kitchen utensils, silverware and wine glasses.

A kitchen inside a room at Cassia Sokcho [LEE JIAN]

The ocean views make the rooms ideal for an intimate dine-in — and as not all of the resort's dining venues are fully operational yet, the kitchens are a must. But the surrounding area also houses abundant takeout options, with Sokcho’s specialty seafood red crab and raw squid hoe available at eateries surrounding the Daepo Port, a 10-minute walk from the resort.

The bedroom of a suite at Cassia Sokcho [LEE JIAN]

Cassia Sokcho has five in-house F&B locations, including Horizon, an all-day brunch spot and bakery with 200 seats; Vista, an international buffet currently operating during the day; and Fogo, a grill specializing in steak and seafood that is open for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays for now.

The eateries are also open to non-guests, as are the Kids Club and spa treatments at Banyan brand’s 8lements, located within the resort.

8lements Spa [CASSIA SOKCHO]

The resort's pools — including an outdoor infinity pool, an indoor pool and multiple Jacuzzis — and open-air baths are currently only open to overnight guests for an additional fee.

Open-air baths [LEE JIAN]

Cassia Sokcho plans to make the bulk of its revenue by attracting large business groups to its rooms, especially during the offseason and on weekdays. It includes four meeting rooms that can be reconfigured for various purposes including meetings, conventions and exhibitions for up to 24 people, as well as a ballroom with a maximum occupancy of 300. All have large windows with mountain views.

The Ballroom [CASSIA SOKCHO]

All facilities will be in full operation by July 19, according to the hotel.

Cassia Sokcho is currently providing a Grand Opening Offer, including special prices in booking and dining through June 30. For more information, visit Cassia Sokcho’s official website.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]