The Shilla Jeju

Where do Koreans go to get away from it all? One answer is Jeju, a volcanic island off the southern coast, a volcanic island that’s home to some of the country’s best scenery — and beaches. There’s no shortage of places to stay, but one of the biggest names is doubtless the Shilla Jeju, located on the southern, Pacific-facing coast of the island.

They don’t really do boutiques here. The Shilla weighs in at nearly five hundred rooms. Then again, where the big hotels are capable of such professional service, such careful attention to detail, size is not in itself a guaranteed negative. The rooms here, while not exactly flashy, do exhibit a fair measure of personality, the colors mellow, the lines of the furnishings identifiably Korean.

Of course while everything’s very much state-of-the-art, what’s in the room is somewhat secondary. The Shilla’s mission is escape, the seaside its raison d’etre. There’s a first-rate spa and a handful of fine drinking and dining options. As the island’s first high-end property they’ve had plenty of time to hone their competence, and they’re still blessed with a prime natural setting — the grounds are splendid enough, and the nature reserves on this volcanic island are among Korea’s unique charms.