The Westin Chosun is advertised as the best hotel in Pusan, but it did not completely convince me.

Undoubtedly, the hotel is extremely well located in the Haeundae beach having an astonishing ocean view. In general, the staff demonstrated to be very friendly and efficient, as proved by arranging a late pick-up service in the train station (arriving from Seoul in the KTX – high speed train service highly recommended), accommodating to serve some meal in the lounge even after the closing hours, and providing prompt and reliable support through the concierge. Also, housekeeping service was well done maintaining cleanness and freshness of the room.

In terms of hotel conditions, it seems that it has gone through a recent renovation that left some mixed results.

On the one hand, the lobby floor, including a lounge and some small shops, looks very new and modern, very nice indeed. The same regarding the lower floor where a comfortable - and with a great view - gym is located.

One the other hand, the room is in somehow below expectation. The bed is “semi-heavenly” (I have stayed in some other Westins where the beds were much better), the furniture was a mix of different styles and ages (some new some old) that do not necessarily match, and more amazingly, despite of being a king room and having enough space, there is only one nightstand/lamp in one side of the bed. The bathroom is small. In the positive side, it is very clean, has a modern LCD TV set , a decent selection of cable channels, and the internet access is smooth. On top, the ocean view is breathtaking.

In terms of restaurants, the three main options are either Asian (Korean and Japanese) or the traditional international – buffet. Also, there is a lounge and a small pub that serve basically the same menu. I had two meals and breakfast. I would rate it as average.

A structural issue that I noticed was the fact that despite of being a beachfront hotel, its facilities do not provide a leisure friendly environment. No parasol, beach chairs or towels are provided (I was told that it will be introduced soon), the indoor swimming pool is very small for the hotel size, there is basically no area for resting/sunbathing/reading – the supposed sunroof is not to be considered, and there is no spa facility (Korean style massages are offered in the gym club). Also, the access to these areas is confusing to say the least.

Bottom-line, I would say that it was not an unpleasant staying but certainly there are basic things that one expects from a hotel at this caliber that are not there. Location and service are positive whereas rooms and leisure infrastructure need to be improved.

I may be particular but when I pay about $200 a night in Asia, I'm not content with smiling stuff and a beach. I'd like not to be forced to buy a hair cup when I go to the pool, even if it is just to sit and read, I'd like to have free access to the sauna when the reservation claims that I have free access to the fitness center, and not be charged $40 extra, I'd like to be able to get to the pool and the sun deck without having to go to the basement, check in, get a lift to a 1st floor hidden from regular elevators, and then followed by people to check I wasn't straying from the right path... The room is nothing special, it was a fair size, the bathroom is rather small, the view to the port is no view at all, except to some skyscrapers and ... according to the hotel the governement forbids them to give you toiletries as amenities! (this means that you'd better save your 4 first little bottles of shampoo, lotion, etc...) The room has no drawers anywhere! Not all is bad, don't get me wrong, but I'd like them to be less directive and more relaxed and also... prohibit smoking in common areas (you'd like to enjoy your drink in the lounge without people smoking in your face)

Just got back from a wonderful trip to Busan. My stay was from a Sunday through Tuesday and I got a terrific rate on priceline of $153/
night. Of course, with this kind of price don't expect to get an ocean view but that wasn't important to me for this trip. I didn't plan to spend a lot of time in the room. The beach was gorgeous and not crowded at all this time of year. I would venture to say that is because the water was very cold. Although I managed to overcome the coldness, it was not prime time for a swim in the sea.

The Westin is in a gorgeous location with plenty of offerings for Western guest. Within walking distance is an Outback, TGIF, Bennigans, and plenty of other restaurants. Paradise casino is only about a 15 minute walk down the boardwalk if you're interested in gambling. The locals were overly friendly and made us feel very welcomed. I never felt uncomfortable in any setting and we walked many blocks in and around the beach. Surprisingly, there was an area of prostitution (known as glass houses) only one block off the beach behind the row of western restaurants. I was surprised to walk up on something that would normally be reserved for much higher end real estate. Anyway, wasn't really bothered or hassled by anyone.

The hotel has a very friendly staff, an incredible gym with unbelieveable views. Every treadmill had its on television screen affixed to the front of the machine if you so desire. The spa was incredible but the pool is mostly indoors and covered. There is a separate sun deck above the pool. Not really my favorite set up. Easy access to the beach right out the back door.

The hotel was spotless, our rooms were fantastic, and the beds were heavenly. Also, I highly recommend use of the subway system in and around Busan. It is very clean, easy to use, affordable, and ticket purchases can be done via self service machines that also have English. All stops are announced in Hangul and English so don't worry. It's really very simple and the Hyundaae Beach terminal is only a few minutes from the Westin Hotel. A cab ride to the terminal was only $2.10. One way trips via the sub were never more than $1.30 and I believe you can get an all day pass for $3.50.

Enjoy your trip and enjoy your stay. I hope this helps.

Wanting to get out of town for the New Year's Eve weekend, we spent a 3 day mini-holiday at this fine hotel. Without a doubt the best location in Busan, and clearly only the Westin 'get's it' when it comes to rooms, ambiance, food and overall presentation in Busan. We initially booked the Grand Hotel and upon spending one night we both made the decision to change hotels, something we rarely do. the Grand is obviously built and managed in the Japanese style, meaning the feeling you get is cold, stark and basicly unwelcomed. Hotels like that just dont have the feeling...so, we switched to the Westin Chosun and thank goodness we did...spending New year's Eve here was memorable for so many reasons. First, the location on the beach cannot be beat. The food is above the rest (although we recommend you try the local Thai restaurant, 'Hello Thai" quite good, nice place)....wish the bed here was the classic 'heavenly bed, but it was close enough for Korea. Staff was great, thanks for the upgrade. The lobby lounge has one of the most stunning views, you must stop here for coffee. The 9th floor executive lounge was a bit small, but again, stunning views with great drinks and snack choices. Every staff member we encountered was courteous and seemed happy to have us stay there. Great training here, it shows.