Fairfield Marriott Songdo Busan Review

Looking for a hotel in Songdo Beach Busan? Here's my review of Fairfield Marriott Songdo Busan based on a stay of a week.

You don't get a good selection of international hotels at Songdo, Korea's first beach (public.) The most international one is the 3-star Fairfield by Marriott, where I stayed for a week. The beach-facing hotel rooms have a FANTASTIC ocean view- see above- better than the one I had at Signiel Busan at Haeundae Beach actually.

This was my first time staying at a Fairfield- but apparently it's the Marriott's budget option. (I have a friend who is familiar with Marriott hotels and raised an eyebrow when I said I was staying at a Fairfield.)

I actually had a great stay at Fairfield Marriott Songdo and was impressed by how fluent the team was in English. However, I did think it was a little pricey for a 3-star hotel in a non-central part of town. (I paid about 215 985 Korean Won/ US$156 per night and I've seen it go for even higher prices in October (peak season.)

Star rating aside, Fairfield Marriott was actually more comfortable than the 2 (5-star) hotels that I stayed at in Haeundae, and with better views of the beach!

I would be very happy to stay at Fairfield Marriott Songdo Beach again if the price is right- I actually looked at it for my 2026 trip to Busan but decided to skip it as it was almost/more expensive than Lotte Busan! 😛

Rooms at Fairfield Marriott are spacious and allow up to 3 guests in them.

The bathroom is tiny though, and is open concept, so some people hate it. I can see it being an issue if sharing a room as there is very little privacy. Personally I loved how space-saving it was, and also how it maximises the ocean view: you can watch the waves as you brush your teeth at the bathroom sink!

I'm definitely going to use a similar design once I have my own place!

As the first public beach in Korea, opened in 1913, Songdo Beach is also pretty famous. However, it's mainly visited by local Koreans. (Around 5 million people visit it every year.)

It went downhill for a bit, but has since been regenerated.

I like how it gives you a taste of local Korean life as there are more local than international tourists, though I did spot a few internationals staying at Fairfield Marriott Songdo.

Whilst I would be very happy to stay at Fairfield Marriott Songdo again, I would be hesitant to bring my 80 year old Mom here, as it's not that convenient for the elderly (in my opinion.)

The hotel is separated from the beach by a road- cars zip by quite quickly and I know my Mom would be stressed having to cross.

1. Walk along the suspension bridge “Songdo Yonggungdari” which will give you good views of the coast. At night, the bridge is illuminated in different colors. If you stay in one of the hotels along the beach (with a sea-facing view), you won't be able to miss it! You'll also be able to see the local lifestyle here: when the weather is good, old ahjumma-s and ahjusshi-s (old ladies and gentlemen) walk out to pick shellfish during low tide.
2. Take the Songdo Marine Cable Car from Songnim Park to Amnam Park. You'll be able to have a view of the sea and oddly shaped cliffs through the floor- it's transparent! (The cable car's arrival station is linked to the entrance to Songdo Sky Park which has attractions such as Dino Adventure (dinosaur models) and the Sky Harbour Observatory (where you can make time capsules.)
3. Eat fresh seafood
   • There are many eateries in the area, but most don't have a good rating on Google Maps. They tend to be traditional places to eat, so don't expect trendy interiors and what not.
   • Many are Mom and Pop shops, with a few cafe chains, but nothing terribly exciting. Don't expect too much foreign fare here. (I personally prefer to always eat Korean food in Korea but different folks, different strokes.)
   • Ask your hotel for a recommendation or check out my reviews of the Songo Beach eateries- there's only 1 restaurant (a seafood kalguksu, knife cut noodle place) that I would return to.

Recommended For

Fairfield Marriott at Songdo Beach is a good place to stay for those who:

• want a great ocean view. I actually find the sand at Songdo Beach nicer and softer than that at Haeundae!

• are looking for a peaceful beach to "get away from it all." (It is a quieter beach, especially during weekdays.)

• want a more local experience. (There are more local tourists than foreign tourists here.)

• want to be close to many Busan attractions, such as Jagalchi Fish Market, Gamcheon Culture Village, Huinnyeoul Culture Village, Yeongdo Island etc (In fact, I think it is 1 the best beaches for easy access to the sights IF you drive or take taxis- taxis are pretty cheap in Korea, by the way- but NOT for public transport due to the steep walk to the bus stop.)

I was very happy with my stay, so I would return to Fairfield Marriott if based in Songdo Beach in future- I even thought of using it as a base for a long stay in Busan, since Busan doesn't really have co-living residences.(But it was a bit too pricey.... 😛 )

It has very comfortable rooms for solo travelers. (Except for the fact that there was no safety chain on the room doors.) There's a terrific floor-to-ceiling view of the water, a flat-screen TV AND washing machines! Hooray!

The rooms come with a free buffet breakfast (which isn't very good to be honest!)

Best of all, the Fairfield hotel staff speak excellent English (for Korea.) MUCH better than some 5-star hotels in Korea, such as Signiel Busan.

International hotel chains have staff which speak MUCH better English than Korean ones, even if it's a 5-star Korean hotel, in my experience.

Note: the hotel only has mechanical parking. If you're on a budget, you can also get spacious rooms at Songdo Beach Hotel for less.

However, whilst I enjoyed my stay at Songdo, it may not the right place for travellers who:

• want to street food options near their hotel.
  • There are many eateries, but very few street food vendors.
  • On weekdays, there is only the Roast/ BBQ chicken van. On weekends, you get 1 or 2 more trucks, selling Korean snacks etc. It's definitely not 1 of the best places for Korean street food!

• like to eat at fancy restaurants
  • It's pretty much mom-and-pop shops here.

• do not want to take taxis and/ or do not have a car.
  • There is no subway line nearby, and it's an uphill walk to the bus stops, so you will need to be pretty fit.
  • Kakao maps may say it's a short walk to the bus but... well, just watch the video below!

Fairfield Marriott hotel also sends a thank you email after your stay.

Any questions about booking Fairfield Marriott Songdo Beach Busan hotel? Let me know in the comments or ask in my Korea Facebook group!