Hanok stay playbook: Designing homes where the past and present can naturally coexist

Experiencing Korean culture no longer ends with wearing hanbok (traditional Korean attire), listening to K-pop or enjoying Korean cuisine. It also extends to where visitors spend the night — preferably somewhere uniquely Korean.

That is why, for tourists, staying in a hanok (traditional Korean-style house) has almost become a rite of passage.

“Foreign visitors have long favored hanok accommodations, but that trend has become even more pronounced in recent years,” booking platform Stayfolio CEO Chang In-seong said. Stayfolio provides a curation of around 800 handpicked lodgings across Korea.

Roughly a quarter of Stayfolio’s portfolio — more than 200 properties — consists of hanok. About 30 percent are in Seoul, while another 40 percent are spread across the Gyeongsang, Jeolla and Gangwon regions.

“The share of foreign guests has increased by around 10 percentage points from a year ago to 60 percent this year,” Chang said.

“Travelers are far more familiar with Korea and what it has to offer, thanks to its rising global profile,” the CEO explained. “At the same time, they can now find and book a hanok more easily than ever before.”

With the number of hanok accommodations multiplying to meet growing demand, the challenge is no longer opening more properties but creating spaces that feel authentic and unique. Architects, designers and hospitality experts say that the best hanok experiences balance thoughtful design, modern amenities for comfort and a strong sense of local history to offer something that travelers cannot find anywhere else.

Quantity is not always quality

Licensed hanok lodgings in Bukchon Hanok Village, the most prominent hanok cluster in Seoul, rose from just 47 in 2020 to 343 as of Wednesday, according to the Jongno District office.

Korea’s hanok hospitality boom becomes even more apparent when including clusters across the country, from Eunpyeong Hanok Village in Eunpyeong District, northern Seoul, to the ones in Seochon, which is west of Gyeongbok Palace, central Seoul; Jeonju in North Jeolla; and Gyeongju and Andong in North Gyeongsang.

Domestic travelers are also embracing the trend as well. The ability to rent an entire house makes hanok stays especially appealing for families, couples and groups of friends looking for a more intimate getaway.

But as the market expands, quantity hasn’t always translated into quality. Some accommodations compromise on cleanliness and convenience. Others retain the facade of a hanok on the outside but fail to capture traditional details on the inside.

Architect Noh Kyung-rok of real-estate design firm Z_Lab distinguished hanok stays into two broad categories: faithfully preserved historic homes and modernized reinterpretations.

“The properties attracting the most attention today tend to be the latter,” Noh said. “At the end of the day, travelers want a comfortable night’s sleep.”

Modern comfort

The biggest challenge lies in solving hanok’s practical shortcomings, such as heating, cooling and floor-based living, without diluting the elements that make them authentic.

Yusungwan in Haenam, South Jeolla, is widely regarded as Korea’s oldest operating hanok inn. The property was built in 1937 and originally served as guest quarters for monks and pilgrims visiting the nearby Daeheung Temple. It only officially began offering accommodation services in the late 1960s.

The inn’s picturesque location — nestled along a quiet forest path leading to the temple — has transformed it into something of a cultural landmark. Renowned movie director Im Kwon-taek filmed several classics there, including “General’s Son” (1990), “Seopyeonje” (1993) and “Beyond the Years” (2007). The site is also mentioned in incumbent National Museum of Korea Director You Hong-june’s book, “My Exploration of Cultural Heritage” (1993).

Korean design firm BAE, alongside architect Kim Dae-gyun of Chakchak Studio, refurbished the property three years ago.

“Because [Yusungwan] is nearly 100 years old, we wanted to preserve its structure and emotional character while making the space genuinely comfortable to use,” Bae Si-jeong, a representative of BAE, said.

The inn’s original beams and pillars remain untouched, while translucent hanji (mulberry paper) visually expands the interior. The windows incorporate modern insulation, but their hemp-lined frames still allow the breeze and sound of flowing water to pass through the traditional paper screens.

As installing modern bathrooms inevitably reduced the size of rooms, the designers divided each room into a bedroom — complete with a mattress — and a separate sitting area furnished with a low wooden table and floor cushions instead of mimicking hotel suites.

All of these elements are meant to create the feeling of staying in an actual home.

“We considered adding sofas for younger guests and foreign visitors who may find floor seating uncomfortable,” Bae said. “But sitting [and sleeping] on the floor is part of the experience that you can only have in a hanok.”

As a result, BAE designed its own quilted bedspreads and buckwheat pillows so guests could appreciate the traditional environment while resting peacefully.

Stories from the past

But great hanok stays do more than showcase beautiful interiors. They weave together the building’s own history with contemporary life, allowing the past and present to naturally coexist. 

The Waterhouse in Bukchon was first renovated in 1985 by its original owner, who used it as both her home and dressmaking studio.

Today, visitors encounter modern touches, including a sleek kitchen and bathtub, but these additions do not erase the house’s layered history. Instead, they preserve the traces of decades of renovations while rendering the house suitable for modern living.

A small room beside the entrance pays homage to the munganbang, or the guest room typically found in traditional Korean homes.

Through a large window, guests can take in a beautiful view of Mount Inwang. The window embraces the Korean architectural concept of chagyeong, in which surrounding landscapes become part of the home’s interior experience. Chagyeong means “borrowed scenery” in Korean.

The property also collaborates with an antique shop to periodically decorate its interior with artifacts from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

“The name ‘Waterhouse’ reflects our hope that guests will find their own rhythm here, one that moves as calmly and naturally as flowing water,” said Kim Su-yeon, the director at Log Hotel Group, which operates the property.

The surrounding scenery

Architecture alone is no longer enough, branding and spatial design experts say. The experience should extend beyond the building itself and offer guests a visual-led experience that exists only in that particular setting — which is why the scenery and neighborhood are essential factors to consider for hanok accommodation operators.

Historic country estates often enjoy a natural advantage. At Yusungwan, visitors are immediately greeted with a painting-like forest view as soon as they open the front door to step outside.

At the Awon hanok in Wanju, North Jeolla, the act of simply lying on the wooden daecheong floor, the equivalent of a living room, while looking out the windows toward the mountains becomes an experience in itself.

But urban properties’ surroundings are not lacking. Besides the Waterhouse, other hanok lodgings in Seoul feature glass-enclosed courtyards where guests can enjoy an outdoor spa session as rain or snow quietly falls around them.

“One of the defining qualities of a great hanok stay is that it allows guests to immerse themselves in local life, almost as if they've become residents of the neighborhood,” architecture writer Jung Sung-kab said. 

Ultimately, the most memorable hanok stays aren’t defined by the house’s flawless restoration or luxury amenities.

“A great hanok stay isn’t about whether the structure is perfect or whether every modern convenience is available,” Choi Won-seok, the creative director at design company Project Rent, said. “It’s about asking what guests will see, feel and experience within that space.”

The goal is to give travelers a story worth sharing after they return home — not simply that they stayed in a hanok, but that the scenery, atmosphere and experience left a lasting impression. Delicately crafted moments, not just beautiful architecture, may be what truly sets the best hanok apart, experts say.

BY SEO JEONG-MIN [[email protected]]