Loving Love Motels

Brian in Jeolnamdo, a favourite blogger, has written in the Korea Herald about the benefits of the love motel and the changes. I’m an avid traveller around Korea, and I always stay in Love Motels. I’ve found that there are 5 levels of accomodation in Korea. At the bottom, there is the Yogwan (usually has the same symbol as the saunas). These are the cheapest, running from 20 to 35 thousand won for a night. They are usually the sleaziest, dirtiest, and most conveniently located in old downtowns. Then, the Love Motel, which usually is found in the newer areas, like the Samsandong corridor of Love motels near Ulsan station. Love motels should cost between 30 and 40 thousand, and come with big tvs, jacuzzis, computers and sometimes a fun surprise like a dildo vending machine or a sex chair.

After love motels come tourist hotels. Tourist hotels are difficult to find and over priced. The good news is that they are always surrounded by love motels. After tourist hotels come business hotels. Business hotels share a lot in common with tourist hotels, except that they are actually worth the money. Business hotels should always be modern and professional (the kind of place you’d let your parents stay). Finally, there is the luxury hotel. Lotte and Hyundai fall into this category. Both cost too much for the services provided, when there are other good business hotels in the city.

The other options for sleeping include the minbak, the pension and the condo. Minbaks are basically a room of a house that has no beds, and only traditional floor sleeping. They are most popular with the university student crowd. Take 10 buddies, get pissed, sleep on the floor. Pensions are quickly becoming very popular, especially at the seaside. Pensions are usually western style cottages that can cost around 100 000 won a night,but can be much more expensive. Given a beautiful location, they are a great choice. Finally there is the condo, condos are half way between business hotel and luxury hotel, and found in Korean vacation hotspots like Bomun lake in Gyeongju.