Accommodations Infused
With Local Values

A memorable night’s stay at a guesthouse or B&B can be achieved by having a heart-to-heart conversation with fellow travelers, cooking outdoors, throwing a party, reading a book, or listening to music by your favorite artist. At least, that’s how it was until a few years ago. Shifting away from traditional types of accommodations, private houses have emerged as a unique alternative to hotels and inns.

Jeju Island, home to a variety of unique accommodations, is a hot destination. Many travelers book a stay in a building designed by the famous Japanese architect Jun Itami to experience the hotel itself, rather than nearby attractions. The roof resembles the island’s volcanic cones, and the guest rooms provide unique features that integrate elements from the surrounding landscape.

Recently, stone houses on Jeju Island that double as private rental homes have been remodeled to accommodate modern lifestyles. They are not only convenient places to rest, but also provide a chance to get more acquainted with Jeju itself through the traces of time embedded in the stones. One traditional accommodation in Jocheon-eup, under the theme of “immersion in local life,” has furniture made out of former wooden floor boards and a wooden main gate, preserving the centuries-old rafters and columns. Guests are offered useful travel tips on lesser-known alleys and small villages.

The city of Andong in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province is no exception. A new type of accommodation is the gotaek resort, which literally means “old house resort.” From the name alone, you can tell that these types of B&Bs aim to strike a balance between tradition and modernity.
The city, which has gained a reputation as the capital of Korea’s spiritual traditions, is doing its part to preserve the historical value of old houses. The gotaek houses are a good example of how old, unused spaces can be reborn to attract more tourists to the region.

Smartphones, Navigation Devices,
and Gen Z Consumers

One recent trend is hyper-personalization, which has developed with the advent of the fourth industrial revolution. Diversified individual lifestyles have led to a higher demand for content, customized services and instantaneous AI responses to any query.
With the transition from an “age of possession” to an “age of experience,” the emergence of Airbnb and Instagram have expanded the genres of accommodation available to the standard backpacker. New marketing methods and a sense of community have created accommodation choices that bring together people of similar lifestyles and preferences.

One B&B in Ikseon-dong, Seoul, is worth mentioning. Ikseon-Dada, a team formed to modernize the old spaces in Ikseon-dong, led a crowdfunding project to upgrade an old inn. After purchasing the building, the team received funding from 40 young investors. The inn is now in business, and actively cooperating with nearby shops and restaurants. In the age of hyper-personalization, this creative approach to securing funds was the key to the birth of a new cultural space in the neighborhood.

The “maker movement,” too, which transforms a region into a cultural hub based on an individual’s creative ideas, is contributing to the rising popularity of such micro-hotels.

Co-Existence With Historical and
Cultural Heritage

In 2018, Seoul hopes to have the 600-year-old Hanyangdoseong Seoul City Wall included on UNESCO’s official World Heritage List. One issue that has come under the spotlight is the preservation of its historic value, along with the management of the surrounding buffer zone.

On a separate note, the Ihwa Mural Village has turned into a cultural space thanks to the efforts of its residents. The re-opening of old houses as cafes, galleries and guesthouses has generated profit for the neighborhood. The Ihwa-dong Village Museum was a solution to achieving peaceful co-existence of the neighborhood and the old Seoul city wall. Against this backdrop, the neighborhood’s accommodations hold great significance. Traditional Japanese houses were restored while remaining in harmony with the neighborhood’s scenery. Visitors who step inside a tiny room, called jjokbang, are pleasantly surprised, as it is very different from what they had imagined. Tourists are drawn to Ihwa-dong for its historic charm, the integration of “party” and “stay” in its available accommodations, and efforts to preserve Korea’s cultural heritage.

Based on the above experiences, Seoul will devise measures to build a “fortress neighborhood” that exists in harmony with the historic Hanyangdoseong wall itself.

Dreaming of a Town Hotel

While most urban hotels connect guest rooms using a vertical elevator, town hotels have created a paradigm shift by connecting alleys in a horizontal manner. Hanare, a hotel by Hagiso in Tokyo, is a guesthouse under the slogan of “the whole town can be your hotel.” It offers the opportunity to explore an entire town, including baths, restaurants, shops, and to enjoy a range of cultural activities.

In Korea, Seochon Village is planning to establish a neighborhood hotel that connects local shops and activities in traditional Korean houses, cafes and restaurants. The friendly concierge will provide recommendations of restaurants, bars and shops. Tourists can try a variety of activities in traditional Korean houses and rent a bicycle to explore the neighborhood. Instead of simply spending the night at a hotel, they will be able to get a taste of the local life.

Driven by the Design of Experience

Word-of-mouth is essential for the success of such accommodations. Of course, some accommodations may do well even without advertising. The experience begins from the moment you make a booking, and the first impression counts toward creating a sense of home. The thought that goes into the smallest of details is what moves the hearts of travelers. It is the hosts who have the power to make that difference. Some hosts integrate their experiences from abroad, emulate the atmosphere of a cafe or restaurant, or even draw inspiration from museums and galleries.

In the age of hyper-personalization, accommodations will have to place greater emphasis on value, branding and their relationship with the local community. More and more people are beginning to recognize messages relevant to their needs amid the vast trove of information that’s available online. To provide travelers with a better experience, hosts are exerting more effort and ponder the question, “How can I help my guests spend a memorable night that goes beyond simply ‘staying’ here?”