Hanok Guesthouse Dongchonchae / 한옥 게스트하우스 동촌재

Built in 1939, Dongchonchae was designated as Seoul Well Hanok by the Seoul Metropolitan City in 2016. In 2020, this hanok (traditional Korean house) received the Certificate of KOREA QUALITY from the Korea Tourism Organization in the Heritage Hanok field in recognition of its historicity and quality of services. Dongchonjae is located in the western side of Gyeongbokgung Palace, at Seochon. When one passes through its main gate, one sees the yard, with anchae (women's quarters), sarangchae (men's quarters), and byeolchae (detached quarters) surrounding the plot. Anchae has four rooms, daecheong (wood-floored main hall), a kitchen, and a restroom. One of the rooms is used for tea ceremonies as well. Outside of the sarangchae and byeolchae, which are the living spaces for the owners, visitors have free access to the numaru (raised open floor) and the yard. The anchae’s rooms “Bom” and “Yeoreum” can accommodate 2 to 3 adults each, while the rooms “Gaeul” (Tea Room) and “Gyeoul” are optimal for two. The building is rented out as a whole, so no more than one group may stay in the building at any given time. Standard occupancy is four persons, and eight is the maximum number. There are two restrooms, one within the anchae building, one out in the backyard. Cooking is not allowed in the kitchen, but guests are free to bring in outside food. Experience programs on offer include nighttime exploration of Seoul City Wall, tea ceremony, folk songs, and rice cake making. Additional payment is only required for rice cake making. Guests may choose between two types of complimentary breakfast: Korean, which comes with rice, soup, and three side dishes; and Western, which comes with bread, salad, and coffee. There are a 100-in screen and mini projector for film watching in the yard or daecheong. Towels, toiletries, hair dryer, bottled water, traditional tea, and capsule coffee are included. The kitchen is equipped with kitchen utensils, a microwave, and a coffee pot, enough for instant foods. Guests also have access to refrigerator and washing machine