A Series of Posts on Where to Ski in South Korea : Phoenix Pyeongchang
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| Slopes of Phoenix Pyeongchang. |
Phoenix Pyeongchang is one of top tier ski resorts in South Korea, established in 1995. And recently it has become the hot tour place not only for skiing and snowboarding in winter but all year round since it was known for the filming site of the TV show, BTS In The Soop. But in this blog post I will only give information about skiing and snowboarding in the resort. You could find detailed information about this in other websites specialized for BTS.
The resort was one of main venues of Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games for free style ski and snowboard. It is located in the region with the biggest amount of natural snowfall, and its capacity of making high quality artificial snow is the best in Korea.
They announced the resort will be opened November 25th in this year, which is a little bit earlier than last year. It is good news to skiers and snowboarders who want to avoid the peak time crowds of the resort. Because Phoenix Pyeongchang is so popular for its slopes.
1. Location
Phoenix Pyeongchang is one of three ski resorts in Pyeongchang, Gangwondo, 2-hour driving distance away from Seoul. It could take more time on Friday and weekend. Resorts in Pyeongchang, the region hosted 2018 Olympic Winter Games, are all time popular tourist spots. Other two resorts are Monapark Yongpyong Resort and Alpensia Resort.
2. Slopes
Phoenix Pyeongchang has 22 wide slopes for beginners, intermediates, the advanced to professionals, including the mogul course, which is ranked the second top in the number of slopes in Korea. The resort ranked the top is Monapark Yongpyong Resort with 28 slopes.
The funny thing is that most of its slopes are named after birds like Penguin, Sparrow, Hawk and Eagle. You can guess which one is for beginners. Yes, Penguin and Sparrow is for beginners. There is the slope called Dodo for very beginners and little children and their first lesson. Even its lift goes up very slow. So beginners can take lessons safely on the slope.
The resort is very famous for the best quality of snow on slopes. Many people give it thumbs up saying it is very smoothly sliding down. So that professional skiers and snowboarders like Phoenix Pyeongchang.
Besides slopes, the resort has international standards of half pipe, tabletop, round quarter and rails for extreme snowboarding.
3. Services and Facilities
Blue Canyon is the water park of Phoenix Pyeongchang. Even though it is much smaller than Ocean World of Vivaldi Park(Ocean World and Caribbean Bay in Yongin, Gyeonggido, is two top water parks in Korea), it is good enough to take a rest in warm water after skiing and snowboarding cold outside. Its open-air hot springs are famous for snow covered views in winter.
Their tour gondola goes up to the 1,050-meter-above-sea-level peak. There is the base camp called Mont Blanc, which is served as a cafe for people to relax. And there is the observatory. The night views of white slopes from the observatory is fantastic. You can see wind turbines of the wind power plant in the mountain from a distance. There are many good photo spots around Mont Blanc. Skiers and snowboarders also use the gondola to go up to the peak and slide down the slope.
There are 35 camp sites in Forest Camping(BBQ), and a tent is set on each site. But they are not for real camping. It just like a camping style restaurant, where can have a outdoor BBQ. All the equipment for outdoor dining are set the site. You have to make a reservation to use the camp site, and it is not allowed to bring food purchased outside. They supply all kinds of food for BBQ including meat, seafood, vegetables, even beer and wine. But prices are quite expensive.
Its Ski House Lounge is popular for all inclusive services. It has a huge buffet restaurant, a rental shop, locker rooms, the convenient store CU etc. The resort offered All Day Pass last year, which was a lift ticket including dining at the buffet and a discount of gear rental. People who had the ticket could use slopes and the buffet in any time all day long. It was a very convenient system, because when you felt hungry while skiing, then just you could go to the buffet, and back to ski, and go to the buffet again. It is no matter how many times you would go to ski and the buffet within the day. No extra charge. They announced that they will offer new package products with upgraded services this year like including Blue Canyon admission. You need to look it up before buying any ticket of Phoenix Pyeongchang.
There is Snow Village, the snow themed play ground for family with little children in the resort. It has snow sled slopes, igloos, etc.
The resort offers room guests a free ski lesson. You have a plan to stay a night in the resort and need a ski lesson for beginners, check it out.
4. Restaurants, Cafes and Stores
Like I mentioned above, Ski House Lounge is the very convenient main facility where skiers and snowboarders can use all kind of services, and especially thanks to the buffet restaurant you don’t need to think where and what to eat for lunch or dinner. You don’t need to change clothings and go out to have meal. The buffet restaurant is quite huge and its food quality is good.
You can also have snack and ramyeon at the cafe of Mont Blanc on the peak. Eating hot ramyeon on the peak is popular too, but it is not included the ticket price.
The cafe, Bakery & Chicken House is at the reception area, mostly people use it while wating to check in or check out.
Basically the resort has a good and convenient dining system, so people don’t need to go out to have meal. But still, there is a restaurant just right outside of the resort, people recommend to visit, called Deep Burger. Interestingly it started with a small food truck, and it grown to a restaurant. They sell burgers and fried chicken mainly. Its opening hour is 11:00 to 20:00(last order is 19:30, break time is 15:00 to 16:00) and every Tuesday is off day.
5. Accommodations
Phoenix Pyeongchang has three condominiums called Orange, Green, Blue and Euro Villa, the Youth Hostel, Phoenix Ville and the hotel, Phoenix Hotel. Not all but most rooms of the resort were remodeled before the Olympic game. The hotel was used as a dining place for athletes and the press center during the Olympic Games. The buffet restaurant Olympic athletes used is called Ondo and it is still popular for its views.
Some rooms in the hotel and the condominiums have great slope views. These rooms are so popular. People try to get a room with slope views as possible, even though there is an charge extra charge for that.
Not all rooms in its condominiums have a kitchen. In some rooms it is not allowed to cook at all. Basically grilling or frying food in a room is banned, even though the room has a kitchen.
There is Hanhwa Condo right next to Phoenix Pyeongchang. Hanhwa Condo is one of the biggest hotel and condominium brands in South Korea. Hanhwa is a Korean representative conglomerate. You can stay in Hanhwa Condo and ski in Phoenix Pyeongchang, which would be budget friendly than staying only in the ski resort. Hanhwa Condo Pyeongchang is kind of old and not remodeled newly, but its rooms are clean and neat. Hanhwa Condo and Phoenix Pyeongchang have made a partnership, so they share some services like ski tour packages.
6. Other Information
The resort has many slopes which means you can ski or snowboard without breaking time to clean and maintain slopes. While some slopes are closed for maintenance, the others are opened in turns.
Winter is coming and now Korean ski resorts, especially the top three resort in Gangwondo, Vivaldi Park, Monapark Yongpyong Resort and Phoenix Pyeongchang, are ready to open in November, and already selling and promoting early bird hot deals. I highly recommend to look up hot deals for a ski tour package including a lift ticket, equipment rental, a lesson, a shuttle and even accomodations(if you need) on internet, which will make you save much money than buying each thing separately in person on the ground. You can see many hot deals for foreigners on Google.
- How to get Phoenix Pyeongchang
The resort used to offer free shuttle services before. This year you have to use the bus service from the private bus company called Daewongwangwang, specialized for traveling from major downtowns in Seoul such as Hongdae and Gangnam to major ski resorts in Gangwondo. When you buy a ski tour package via tour agencies on Google, they will also help you book the bus.
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| Ski House Lounge of Phoenix Pyeongchang. |
- Other Ski Resorts in South Korea
Vivaldi Park in Hongcheon, Gangwondo
Monapark Yongpyong Resort in Pyeongchang, Gangwondo
Elysian Gangchon in Chuncheon, Gangwondo
High1 Resort in Jeongseon, Gangwondo
Muju Deokyusan Resort in Muju, Jeollabukdo
Alpensia Resort in Pyeongchang, Gangwondo
Welli Hilli Park in Hoengseong, Gangwondo
- Notice
Information about services, products and prices of the resort can be changed and updated in any time. And opening time, capacity and other policies of each facility are subject to the Covid19 situation in South Korea. Please check the latest information via the resort, tour agencies or Google search, before you make a reservation.