By Jun Ji-hye
Chuseok is one of Korea's biggest annual holidays where family members get together to enjoy good food and celebrate the fruitful harvest season.
During the Chuseok holiday, millions of people travel to their hometowns across the country to perform ancestral rites and spend time with their families and relatives, making it one of the year's busiest times.
Traditional Chuseok activities have taking a back seat due to the COVID-19 pandemic that began in January last year, with this year's holiday, which begins Saturday and runs through to Wednesday, expected to be even more quieter than last year amid the ongoing fourth wave of the pandemic led by the highly contagious Delta variant.
In a bid to serve the desires of people who still want to feel the holiday spirit and enjoy the traditional atmosphere, Hotels.com, a global online travel agency, recommended a list of accommodations with a theme of traditional Korean houses, or hanok.
Gyeongwonjae Ambassador Incheon
The Gyeongwonjae Ambassador Incheon presents the beauty of traditional Korean architecture set amid a forest of modern buildings in Songdo, which is often cited as one of the most advanced cities in Korea.
With 30 guestrooms and suites, all equipped with free mini bar items, the property offers a Korean dining restaurant, Sura, which means a table of royal cuisine made with meticulously selected food ingredients served to ancient Korean royalty. The restaurant serves up dishes to highlight the special taste of the season's best ingredients.
In addition, families traveling with children can play traditional Korean games in its spacious courtyard.
Namwonyechon by Kensington
Namwon in North Jeolla Province is the city where the classic Korean novel "Chunhyangjeon" ― a love story between Chunhyang, the daughter of a retired courtesan, and Mongryong, the son of a nobleman ― started.
The city of Chunhyang, Namwon boasts a variety of popular attractions such as the Gwanghallu Pavilion and Chunhyang Theme Park, and fortunately, these main attractions are within walking distance of Namwonyechon by Kensington.
Namwonyechon is a hanok-style accommodation displaying the elegance of Joseon Kingdom architecture with 22 individual guestrooms.
The hotel buildings, crafted by Korea's leading hanok masters, do not contain any cement or polystyrene materials. Instead, they were constructed entirely of natural materials, including red clay, bamboo and seaweed, reenacting the building method of ancient architecture.
Despite being a traditional Korean house, the guestrooms are designed to be comfortable like those of a modern hotel and are equipped with a bed and other necessary furnishings.
The hotel also offers various traditional programs such as a hanbok experience, pansori, and traditional games.
Royal Room of King
Jeonju in North Jeolla Province is well known for its Hanok Village, the largest such traditional village in the country featuring over 700 houses.
The Royal Room of the King is located close to the Hanok village and offers excellent access to nearby tourist sites.
The hotel is composed of 15 hanok buildings with 64 rooms. It is also interesting to see each of the buildings named after the kings of the Joseon Kingdom, such as Taejo, Sejong and Sukjong.
This premium hanok hotel combines the unique beauty a the traditional house and modern amenities, where the past, present and future coexist.
Chuseok is one of Korea's biggest annual holidays where family members get together to enjoy good food and celebrate the fruitful harvest season.
During the Chuseok holiday, millions of people travel to their hometowns across the country to perform ancestral rites and spend time with their families and relatives, making it one of the year's busiest times.
Traditional Chuseok activities have taking a back seat due to the COVID-19 pandemic that began in January last year, with this year's holiday, which begins Saturday and runs through to Wednesday, expected to be even more quieter than last year amid the ongoing fourth wave of the pandemic led by the highly contagious Delta variant.
In a bid to serve the desires of people who still want to feel the holiday spirit and enjoy the traditional atmosphere, Hotels.com, a global online travel agency, recommended a list of accommodations with a theme of traditional Korean houses, or hanok.
Gyeongwonjae Ambassador Incheon
 |
| Gyeongwonjae Ambassador Incheon / Courtesy of Hotels.com |
The Gyeongwonjae Ambassador Incheon presents the beauty of traditional Korean architecture set amid a forest of modern buildings in Songdo, which is often cited as one of the most advanced cities in Korea.
With 30 guestrooms and suites, all equipped with free mini bar items, the property offers a Korean dining restaurant, Sura, which means a table of royal cuisine made with meticulously selected food ingredients served to ancient Korean royalty. The restaurant serves up dishes to highlight the special taste of the season's best ingredients.
In addition, families traveling with children can play traditional Korean games in its spacious courtyard.
Namwonyechon by Kensington
 |
| Namwonyechon by Kensington / Courtesy of Hotels.com |
Namwon in North Jeolla Province is the city where the classic Korean novel "Chunhyangjeon" ― a love story between Chunhyang, the daughter of a retired courtesan, and Mongryong, the son of a nobleman ― started.
The city of Chunhyang, Namwon boasts a variety of popular attractions such as the Gwanghallu Pavilion and Chunhyang Theme Park, and fortunately, these main attractions are within walking distance of Namwonyechon by Kensington.
Namwonyechon is a hanok-style accommodation displaying the elegance of Joseon Kingdom architecture with 22 individual guestrooms.
The hotel buildings, crafted by Korea's leading hanok masters, do not contain any cement or polystyrene materials. Instead, they were constructed entirely of natural materials, including red clay, bamboo and seaweed, reenacting the building method of ancient architecture.
Despite being a traditional Korean house, the guestrooms are designed to be comfortable like those of a modern hotel and are equipped with a bed and other necessary furnishings.
The hotel also offers various traditional programs such as a hanbok experience, pansori, and traditional games.
Royal Room of King
 |
| Royal Room of King / Courtesy of Hotels.com |
Jeonju in North Jeolla Province is well known for its Hanok Village, the largest such traditional village in the country featuring over 700 houses.
The Royal Room of the King is located close to the Hanok village and offers excellent access to nearby tourist sites.
The hotel is composed of 15 hanok buildings with 64 rooms. It is also interesting to see each of the buildings named after the kings of the Joseon Kingdom, such as Taejo, Sejong and Sukjong.
This premium hanok hotel combines the unique beauty a the traditional house and modern amenities, where the past, present and future coexist.
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