Hotels breathe new life into old South Korean homes

[David Kilburn]

Hotels breathe new life into old South Korean homes
Thu Dec 11, 2008

By Jonathan Hopfner

SEOUL (Reuters Life!) - For decades, they were scoffed at by the
status-conscious and razed to make way for apartment blocks, but South
Korea's humble traditional houses, or hanoks, have made an unexpected
recent comeback as luxury hotels.

While a few budget guesthouses have been around for decades, the last
few years have seen a surge in the number of hanoks restored or built
to house more discerning travelers, blending centuries-old design with
contemporary luxuries like silk bedding, plunge bathtubs and herbal
spas.

The hanoks have proved a hit with nostalgic locals and international
visitors seeking an authentic Korean experience.

"I believe if you're going to put traditional culture on display you
should make sure it's of the best quality," said Young Ahn, the owner
of Rakkojae, an upmarket guesthouse in Seoul's historic Bukchon
district.

Built in a former nobleman's home once destined for the wrecking ball,
the property's six antique-filled rooms start from 180,000 won ($132)
per night.

This is a major shift for dwellings that were never renowned for their
luxury and, according to architect and hanok authority Doojin Hwang,
Koreans used to be ashamed of.

The standard hanok, a name which literally translates as "Korean
house," is a squat, single-storey building with earthen walls and tile
roofs supported by wood beams that curl upward in a graceful arc.

Windows and sliding doors made of translucent rice paper filter
sunlight and provide ventilation in the sticky summer months, while
wood is burned under the stone floors to warm the home in winter.
Furnishings and decor are usually limited to a few carefully placed
scrolls, chests or sleeping mats.

But Hwang says guests appreciate the emphasis on simplicity and
natural materials, the soft light and muted colors.

"These features form a very happy dialogue between your body and the
house you're in," he said.

"Korean homes don't try to conquer nature, but use it," added Ahn.
"The materials are all environmentally friendly, and that's what makes
the atmosphere so comfortable."

NATURAL CHARM

Hanok guests also appear to appreciate the experience. Sian Yee Kwok,
a Singaporean who stayed at Rakkojae on a recent visit, said she found
the "naturalness" of the structure charming.

"It was above my expectations and yet not opulent or pretentious," she
said. "I believe this is very unique in all the (places) I've had the
privilege to stay, I just felt so at home."

Oh Kyoung Young, owner of the Ssangsanjae hanok resort in rural South
Jeolla province, has been surprised by the clientele since he recently
converted the aging buildings on his family's sprawling estate into
guesthouses.

Visitors can stay in the former servants' quarters or splash out
around 150,000 won ($110) for a far larger former refuge for scholars
surrounded by pine trees and rice fields.

"I didn't expect any young people to come here, but they've been very
interested, even after I made a decision to take out all the
televisions," he said. "We have older guests who come to relive their
memories of course, but I guess hanoks give even young people a sense
of nostalgia."

Ahn says revenues at Rakkojae are now rising by about 30 percent per
year, which has encouraged him to build a new hanok hotel in the folk
culture center of Andong, south east of Seoul, that will open next
spring.

Smaller hanok properties such as the Tea Guesthouse are springing up
in older parts of Seoul and Jeonju, where an entire district of hanoks
has been preserved. In late 2007, to much fanfare, the country's first
five-star hanok hotel, Ragung, was unveiled in the historic city of
Gyeongju.

But even with concierges and top chefs, a hanok stay is not for
everyone. Paper-thin doors can startle those accustomed to more
privacy, while others find it hard to adapt to customs such as
sleeping on the floor or removing their shoes inside.

Ahn recalls an entire party of U.S. businessmen abandoning Rakkojae
for more contemporary accommodation, confounded by a night of Korean
bedding.

But hanok proprietor hope the growing number of guests will help
maintain the renaissance of this Korean tradition.

"I didn't open this place because I wanted the money, but because I
believe if no one stays in a traditional house it'll just fall apart,"
says Ssangsanjae's Oh. "The only way we can maintain our heritage is
if we're living in it."

($1=1361.8 Won)

(Editing by Keiron Henderson and Miral Fahmy)

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