All the comforts needed for a short stay : New capsule hotel in Incheon International Airport offers solace

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All the comforts needed for a short stay : New capsule hotel in Incheon International Airport offers solace

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The inside of a double room with a shower at Darakhyu, the first-ever capsule hotel opened in Korea. The design of the rooms of the hotel at the Incheon International Airport are inspired by the doors seen in traditional Korean homes made with a wooded structure and white paper. [GRAND WALKERHILL SEOUL]

For those who find themselves stuck late at night at Incheon International now have a place to go for a quick nap on a comfortable bed instead of a seating area or cafe where many fight to keep their eyes open.

The Incheon airport now has a capsule hotel called Darakhyu whose rooms can be booked by the hour. Grand Walkerhill Seoul, located in Gwangjin District, northwestern Seoul, opened Korea’s first-ever capsule hotel, hoping to make the airport a more comfortable space. The hotel is located in the Transportation Center, a building across from the main terminal.

There are a total of 60 rooms available with four different options, depending on bed size and whether the room includes a shower or not. The rooms do not include toilets, but there is a public bathroom for guests to use. There is also a communal shower for guests who choose a room without a shower.

The cheapest room includes a single bed without a shower and costs 23,100 won ($19.80) for three hours, while the most expensive room with a double bed and shower costs 36,000 won. Anyone who wishes to book a room after 9 p.m. will be given 12 hours to stay at a discounted price. The overnight rate starts from 55,000 won.

The outside of each room is designed to look like the doors and windows often seen in traditional Korean homes and are made with wood and white paper so that visitors can get a glimpse of what a traditional Korean design looks like.

There is no phone or TV, but a reading light and a Bluetooth speaker are provided for those who wish to enjoy their own entertainment during their stay.

To shorten the check-in and check-out times for busy travelers, the hotel has introduced a “keyless” system where guests can check in through a mobile application. They can control the doors to the hotel and to their room with buttons on the app, and even control the temperature of the room. Currently the mobile application is only available on Android phones.

“Our hotel is always thinking about how to pursue ultimate relaxation,” said Kim Chul-ho, Vice President of the hotel’s Customer Service Division, explaining why the luxury hotel decided to open a more affordable lodging option.

“Such a facility is needed for single travelers or those traveling with their family who need to find a more convenient and relaxing way to start or end their getaway from daily life.”

If the hotel sees a high occupancy rate in the coming weeks, it will consider opening other more affordable hotels at airports and other transportation hubs like train stations. Although details have yet to be discussed, there is a chance of opening another capsule hotel in the new terminal of the Incheon International Airport, which is currently under construction.

The opening of the new lodging option is also a meaningful event for the hotel, as it is the first venture it has taken since it decided to drop the Sheraton brand. The hotel had taken a management partnership with the global chain back in 1977 but decided to become an independent hotel starting Jan. 1. With the opening of the capsule hotel, SK Networks, which has been operating luxury hotels, is exploring if it can expand its business to another level.

“The pursuit of sustainable relaxation comes from travelers with a wide range of budgets and we want to offer them a variety of ways to enjoy that leisure time with the know-how we have accumulated over the years,” said Kim.

While SK Networks has continued operating the former Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel with just a simple name change, its other hotel, which it had operated under a management agreement with the brand W, has temporarily closed its doors for renovation. The hotel is scheduled to reopen in April under the new name Vista Walkerhill Seoul.

For more information about the capsule hotel, go to www.walkerhill.com/capsulehotel or call (032) 743-3000.

BY LEE SUN-MIN [summerlee@joongang.co.kr]
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