UH FLAT THE SOKCHO: The Hotel I Keep Coming Back to in Sokcho
I really love Sokcho.
Whenever I want to escape Seoul, see the sea, and eat good food, Sokcho is one of the first places that comes to mind. From Seoul, it usually takes around two to two and a half hours by car depending on traffic, and express buses also connect Seoul and Sokcho in roughly two hours. Direct rail service to Sokcho is not open yet as of 2026.
Sokcho is also one of my favorite food destinations in Korea. It is a port city on the East Sea, so seafood is everywhere, and hongge, or red snow crab, is one of the local foods worth trying when you visit.
And whenever I come to Sokcho, there is one place I keep booking: UH FLAT THE SOKCHO.
The location is excellent, the building feels new and clean, the ocean view is amazing, and the price is surprisingly reasonable. Google currently shows a 4.8 rating, so I am definitely not the only person who likes this place.
And stay until the end, because I will show you how much I actually paid for my room.
This is the view that keeps bringing me back.
You can sit in the living room and see the terrace, and behind it is the East Sea.
Table of Contents
Arriving at UH FLAT THE SOKCHO
One Building Standing High Above Sokcho
The building immediately stands out because it is extremely tall compared with much of the surrounding area.
It reaches 25 floors, and the hotel even offers duplex rooms on the top floor. Just remember that UH FLAT sells both ocean-view and city-view rooms, so choose an ocean-view room when booking if the sea is important to you.
Look Up
Standing right underneath it makes the building look even taller.
I especially like the outdoor terraces. From the street, you already start wondering what the view must look like from up there.
🔊 Listen: 테라스
(teraseu)
Meaning: Terrace
Easy Underground Parking
If you are driving to Sokcho, parking is easy.
The underground parking area is spacious, and I have never found it stressful to park here. Previous hotel information also lists parking from basement levels B1 to B3.
🔊 Listen: 지하주차장
(jiha juchajang)
Meaning: Underground parking lot
Everything Still Feels New
From the parking garage to the elevator, everything feels clean and modern.
It does not have that worn-out feeling you sometimes get from older seaside hotels.
🔊 Listen: 엘리베이터
(ellibeiteo)
Meaning: Elevator
The Lobby
A Surprisingly Nice Lobby for a 3-Star Hotel
Google lists this as a 3-star hotel, but the lobby honestly feels more upscale than I expected.
There are plenty of comfortable sofas, so even waiting for check-in does not feel annoying.
🔊 Listen: 로비
(robi)
Meaning: Lobby
Lots of Space to Relax
The lobby is much larger than it first appears.
Books decorate the walls, and there are plenty of places where you can sit down and relax.
Small Details Make It Feel More Expensive
I really like the decorative artwork in the lobby.
Details like this keep the space from feeling like a plain apartment lobby and give it a more premium atmosphere.
🔊 Listen: 도자기
(dojagi)
Meaning: Pottery / Ceramic ware
The Front Desk
You may notice that the building says 속초자이엘라 더 카라 rather than UH FLAT.
That is normal. The building itself is Sokcho Xiella The Cara, and UH FLAT operates accommodation inside it.
So don’t worry—you are in the right place.
🔊 Listen: 프런트 데스크
(peureonteu deseukeu)
Meaning: Front desk
Inside My Ocean View Room
A Real Kitchen and Dining Table
As soon as I entered, I saw the kitchen and a large living area.
The dining table comfortably seats four people, so you can eat here, open your laptop, or get some work done.
🔊 Listen: 식탁
(siktak)
Meaning: Dining table
This Feels More Like an Apartment
This is what I like about UH FLAT THE SOKCHO.
It does not feel like a small hotel room. There is a proper living room, a separate bedroom, a television, and the terrace beyond them.
🔊 Listen: 거실
(geosil)
Meaning: Living room
A Sofa I Actually Wanted to Sit On
The sofa looks good, but more importantly, it is actually comfortable.
After walking around Sokcho all day, this is exactly where I want to sit.
🔊 Listen: 소파
(sopa)
Meaning: Sofa
The Best Part: The View
Step Outside
Open the door from the living room and you are immediately on the terrace.
This is the moment when the room really becomes worth it.
🔊 Listen: 바깥
(bakkat)
Meaning: Outside
The East Sea Right in Front of You
Beyond the harbor, the East Sea seems to continue forever.
I have stayed here more than once, and I still stop for a few seconds every time I walk onto the terrace.
🔊 Listen: 동해
(Donghae)
Meaning: East Sea
Look to the Left
Turn left and you can see more of Sokcho’s coastline and beaches.
This is especially beautiful when the weather is clear.
🔊 Listen: 해변
(haebyeon)
Meaning: Beach
Now Look to the Right
From the other side, you can see the bridge below and Sokcho spreading along the coast.
You get sea, harbor, bridge, and city in one view.
🔊 Listen: 속초대교
(Sokcho Daegyo)
Meaning: Sokcho Bridge
Living Room and Kitchen
Smart TV
There is an LG wall-mounted TV that is around 40 inches.
It is a smart TV, so relaxing with YouTube or Netflix at night is easy.
🔊 Listen: 스마트 TV
(seumateu tibi)
Meaning: Smart TV
A Proper Kitchen
The kitchen is another big reason I prefer this place to a normal hotel.
There is a sink, induction cooktop, microwave, and kettle. The official property information also advertises kitchens, microwaves, and induction cooktops.
It is especially convenient for bringing food back from Sokcho’s markets and enjoying it in the room.
🔊 Listen: 인덕션
(indeoksyeon)
Meaning: Induction cooktop
Microwave and Kettle
Even the smaller appliances look clean and well maintained.
Having a microwave is surprisingly useful when you bring food back to the room.
🔊 Listen: 전자레인지
(jeonja reinji)
Meaning: Microwave
It Feels Like a New Korean Apartment
The whole kitchen gives me more of a new apartment feeling than a traditional hotel feeling.
That is probably why staying here feels comfortable even for several days.
One Small Weak Point
There is a refrigerator beside the sink.
It works fine for drinks and a few groceries, but I do wish it were a little bigger.
No hotel is perfect.
🔊 Listen: 냉장고
(naengjanggo)
Meaning: Refrigerator
Heating and Cooling Controls
Next to the kitchen are controls for heating and cooling.
Small things like being able to control the temperature easily make the room feel more like home.
Another Nice Interior Detail
Behind the sofa is another ceramic-style framed decoration.
It is simple, but it makes the living room look more polished.
🔊 Listen: 액자
(akja)
Meaning: Picture frame / Framed artwork
Plenty of Storage at the Entrance
Open the cabinet on the right side of the entrance and you get storage for shoes and clothes.
This is especially useful if you are staying more than one night.
🔊 Listen: 신발장
(sinbaljang)
Meaning: Shoe cabinet
Bathroom
Clean, Bright and Well Equipped
The main bathroom is beside the kitchen.
There are plenty of towels, and the toilet also has a bidet.
🔊 Listen: 비데
(bide)
Meaning: Bidet
Separate Shower Area
I really like that the shower area is separated.
The rest of the bathroom floor does not get completely wet every time you shower, and the water pressure was excellent during my stay.
🔊 Listen: 샤워실
(syawosil)
Meaning: Shower room
Two Ways to Shower
There is a normal handheld shower plus an overhead rain shower.
You can switch between them depending on what you prefer.
🔊 Listen: 샤워기
(syawogi)
Meaning: Shower head
Toiletries Are Already Here
Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash are provided in large glass-style bottles.
I like not having to pack full-size toiletries for a short Sokcho trip.
🔊 Listen: 샴푸
(syampu)
Meaning: Shampoo
Plenty of Clean Towels
The towels were clean, soft, and there were plenty of them.
This sounds like a small detail, but it makes a big difference.
🔊 Listen: 수건
(sugeon)
Meaning: Towel
Even More Towels
There were another two towels hanging on the rack.
I definitely never had to wonder where the next clean towel was coming from.
🔊 Listen: 수건걸이
(sugeongeori)
Meaning: Towel rack
The Bedroom
A Separate Ocean View Bedroom
My room had a separate bedroom with a double-size bed.
And yes—the bedroom has its own door toward the terrace, so you can still enjoy the ocean view from here.
🔊 Listen: 침실
(chimsil)
Meaning: Bedroom
Clean Bedding
The bedding is one of the reasons I keep returning.
It felt fresh, clean, and soft, with none of that unpleasant old-hotel smell.
Separate Bedroom Temperature Control
The bedroom has its own wall controls for temperature and electricity.
That is especially useful if one person wants the bedroom cooler than the living room.
A Huge Closet
There is also a surprisingly large built-in closet.
For a longer stay, this is much better than living out of a suitcase.
🔊 Listen: 옷장
(otjang)
Meaning: Wardrobe / Closet
Call the Lobby from Bed
A phone beside the bed connects you with the hotel front desk.
Simple, but useful when you need something without going downstairs.
One of My Favorite Small Details
There is a round mirror above the bedside table with a soft warm light around it.
At night, it gives the bedroom a surprisingly luxurious atmosphere.
🔊 Listen: 거울
(geoul)
Meaning: Mirror
A Second Bathroom
And here is one feature I really appreciate:
There is another small bathroom near the bedroom.
If several people are staying together, having two toilets makes mornings much easier.
🔊 Listen: 화장실
(hwajangsil)
Meaning: Bathroom / Restroom
Is UH FLAT THE SOKCHO Worth It?
For me, yes.
I visit Sokcho regularly, and UH FLAT THE SOKCHO has become the place I naturally check first.
The biggest reason is the combination.
You get a modern room, a proper living area, a kitchen, a terrace, and—if you book the right room—an incredible ocean view. The location is also excellent: the official hotel information says Sokcho Central Market is about a five-minute walk away, while places such as the Abai Village ferry, Dongmyeong Port and Yeonggeumjeong are also within walking distance.
That means you can buy sashimi, dakgangjeong, sundae, seafood, or hongge at the market, bring it back, put everything on the dining table, open the terrace door and eat while looking at the sea.
That is pretty much my idea of a perfect night in Sokcho.
So, How Much Did I Pay?
UH FLAT THE SOKCHO has several room types, so prices can vary depending on the room, date, weekday, weekend, and season.
Simpler rooms can sometimes be available for around ₩60,000 (about US$44) per night.
I booked a larger room with a separate bedroom and ocean view through Agoda on a weekday for approximately:
₩150,000 (about US$109) per night
For a spacious living room, separate bedroom, kitchen, two bathrooms, terrace, and this kind of ocean view, I think the value is excellent.
If you are planning a trip to Sokcho and want something cleaner and more spacious than a typical hotel room, I would definitely put UH FLAT THE SOKCHO on your list.
One final tip:
If you want the ocean view shown in this post, make sure you specifically book an ocean-view room.
Then buy some hongge, bring it back to the room, open the terrace door, and enjoy Sokcho properly.
USD prices are approximate and may change depending on the exchange rate.
