Gyeongsangbuk-do(Andong-si)

'Andong City in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province is a town of culture and folk traditions where one can trace the long history of eminent families. It is also a symbol of time-honored tradition to the extent that the name Andong reminds people of traditional Korean hanok houses. Isangru, an ancient hanok house with a history of 2,590 years, located in the foothills of Mt. Cheondeungsan, served as a venue for the memorial rite for Kim Seon-pyeong, the progenitor of the Andong Kim clan and a meritorious government official during the reign of King Taejo of the Goryeo Dynasty. Isangru, meaning ‘a tall majestic building built on frosty ground’, is a two-story wooden building with a tiled roof characterized by elegant curves that form a half-hipped shape when viewed from the side. The house consists of two accommodations, Taejangtaesa and Isangru, arranged in a ‘ㅁ’ shape. The large door located in the middle of the ground floor offers an open view of the beautiful natural environment including a pine grove, a pond, and wild flowers. Built in 1750, this hanok house shows its age in its wooden pillars, stone walls, and interiors decorated with wooden engraving on the handrail. Guests can stay in a room heated with wood in winter, or in a tent for a different experience in summer. The house has been well maintained with various repair works, and underwent extensive renovations, including the wallpaper and floors, in 2013. Although it is close to a road, the house is surrounded by old trees, creating the impression that it is situated in the middle of a dense forest. A path runs between ancient pine trees on the road leading to the house. There is a pond with water lilies and white lotus flowers in front of the house, while various species of wild flowers including big blue lily turf, plantain lily, montane aster, and asters come into full bloom around the house in their respective seasons. Fully maintained by the Andong Kim clan, Isangru is a large structure that can accommodate many people and is used to hold clan assemblies. This tall building is also used as a venue for concerts, seminars and traditional hands-on experience programs for students, including tea ceremony, masked dance, natural dyeing, hanji (Korean paper) crafts, and filial duty education programs. The house also offers guests a traditional nobleman’s dining table including various wild vegetable dishes for breakfast. Isangru is popular among Korean and foreign guests who want to experience traditional Korean culture or enjoy a relaxing stay with their parents amid beautiful nature. In addition, it is located between Hahoe Folk Village and Dosanseowon Confucian Academy in Andong, and offers easy access to other nearby tourist attractions including Bongjeongsa Temple, which is the oldest wooden building in Korea and is just three minutes’ drive away, and the two-hour-long Dulegil Trail.


Jeollabuk-do(Buan-gun)

'As a 5-story building with 29 guestrooms, Shani Motel is located a mere 7 minutes away from Buan Intercity Bus Terminal on foot. All the rooms are clean and spacious. The motel has handicap parking spaces, handicap entrance ramp, and braille blocks for both the physically challenged and the visually impaired. No pets are allowed, except for guide dogs. The motel is usually full during the Masil Festival in May. Both Standard and Twin Rooms can be booked at reasonable rates.


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Cheongsong-gun)

Built in 1920, Chalbanggong Head House is the head house of Sim Dang (pen-name: Chalbanggong), a ninth-generation descendant of the Cheongsong Sim clan. The name Chalbang originates from a local government post (superintendent of the postal station in each province) during the Joseon Dynasty. The house is a historic building that was also used as the local schoolhouse. Its buildings were originally configured in a ‘ㅁ’ shape with an inner courtyard. However, the old thatched mill building was demolished, leaving the current layout of the house as a ‘ㄷ’ shape. It also shares a wall with the Songso Old House. The house consists of rooms with under-the floor heating (ondol), a large courtyard, and a vegetable garden. The rooms are decorated with hanji, or traditional Korean paper, and equipped with traditional Korean bedding. As it is located in the quietest part of the village, the house offers guests an opportunity to enjoy all the warmth and coziness of a hanok coupled with the warm-hearted atmosphere of the countryside.


Jeollanam-do(Gangjin-gun)

This hanok (traditional Korean house) guesthouse is nestled in the folds of Wolchulsan Mountain, in Gangjin’s Dalbit Hanok Village, a collection of hanok houses. The treasure of this place is the view of nature: Sitting on numaru (raised floor space), which has an open view to the three sides, one has a view of the Wolchulsan National Park and the green tea fields nearby. A wide courtyard serves as the home of flowers and the playground of the puppy in the residence. There are three rooms in total, all Korean-style ondol (under-the-heating system) rooms. Rooms are decorated with folk painting, dried flowers, and old-style ornaments to recreate the comfortable and charming atmosphere of rural Korea. Sunlight and moonlight filter between the screen doors, making one realize staying in a hanok building. Dalbit Room has a numaru for an even better view, where one can enjoy a cup of tea while appreciating the view of nature. Smile Room has access to jjongmaru (balcony). Another important thing that must be mentioned at Dalbit Smile is its breakfast: the owner, who is licensed in Korean and Chinese cuisine, offers a robust table of heartwarming home food every morning. It takes about 5 min by car to reach Gangjin’s famous tourist sites like Baegundong Garden and Gangjin Dawon (tea plantation), while Wolchulsan National Park is reachable in 10 min.


Incheon(Jung-gu)

Located in Incheon’s Wolmido Tourist District, BENIKEA Wolmido the Bliss Hotel offers a premium location with an open view of Wolmi Seohae Sea, Wolmi Mountain, Wolmi Park, and Wolmi Theme Park, thereby making the hotel an ideal place to stay for families, groups of friends and couples.


Gyeongsangbuk-do(Cheongdo-gun)

Cheongdo Good Spa Kids Pool Villa is an accommodation that features private indoor playgrounds for children and indoor swimming pools. It is a pension type accommodation that offers 27 guest rooms in two three-story buildings. Buildings A and B stand on each side of the entrance. All the guest rooms have a two-story structure with a bathroom and a kitchen. They are designed to accommodate three guests, and even up to six or seven guests. All of the guest rooms except for rooms 302 to 305 in Building A and rooms 305 and 306 in Building B have an indoor jungle gym for kids. The jungle gyms are installed in the living room in front of large windows. Each room also has a spacious swimming pool filled with natural spring water. Only room 302 in Building A has a whirlpool bathtub where you can enjoy home spa instead of a swimming pool. Guests can also enjoy a grill in the private terrace. The self-contained kitchens are fully equipped with kitchen appliances including a refrigerator and a microwave. The pension also offers hotel-quality bedding to make sure the guests rest comfortably. Management also pays a lot of attention to disinfecting and sterilizing the facilities. Common areas shared by all guests include two swimming pools, a rest area, and a cafe, which are all located on the first floor of Building A. The common swimming pool also uses natural spring water, which means you can enjoy a swim comfortably even on cold days. Nearby tourist attractions include Cheongdo Luge, Cheongdo Provence, and Cheongdo Wine Tunnel.