A Seoul couple relocates to the wife's hometown, searches 24 properties over 19 months, and opens a traveler-focused guesthouse steps from Sokcho's bus terminal.
Property type: Guesthouse
Address: 5 Jangan-ro, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do
Room types: Dormitory, Twin Room, Double Room, Triple Room
Amenities: Common space, café, shared kitchen, parking
Nearby attractions: Jungang Market, Yeongrangho Lake, Abai Village, Dongmyeong Port, Dungdae Beach
Q. Hi there. Tell us about yourself and your property.
Hello. I'm the host of Red Lighthouse Guesthouse, located right in front of Sokcho Intercity Bus Terminal. We opened on June 23, 2017. Our guest base is diverse, but we see a lot of young Korean women, including international visitors. Female travelers often come in groups of two or three.
Lately, we get a lot of calls asking about parties, but we don't host them. Rather than being a party guesthouse, we wanted to create a comfortable resting place for travelers. That's why we chose a location right by the bus terminal — easy to reach — and put a lot of thought into breakfast, amenities, and room design with travelers' comfort in mind.
Q. Sokcho has seen a boom in guesthouses recently. Competition could be fierce. Why did you choose Sokcho?
We knew competition would be fierce. We started planning a hostel in Sokcho back in 2015, then pivoted to a guesthouse. Even then, we predicted more guesthouses would spring up. Personally, I think Sokcho will see even more hostels and guesthouses in the near future.
Before moving here, I'd lived in Gangnam, Seoul my whole life — from childhood through marriage. We chose Sokcho because it's my wife's hometown. She knows the area inside and out. We were confident that if we found the right location, we'd succeed. We waited a year and seven months for this property — looked at over 24 listings. When we finally saw this building, we knew. This is it. We came down, signed the contract on the spot, and opened.
Q. With so many guesthouses nearby, what sets Red Lighthouse apart?
My wife handles the interior design. When we were remodeling, our motto was "delight the guest's eye." There's a lot I could say, but here's one example: we gave each floor's hallway a different color scheme. If a guest stays on the 2nd floor and returns to stay on the 3rd, it feels like a brand-new place.
My wife has always been passionate about interior design. During our marriage, she'd redecorate our home every season — she's that diligent. She brings the same energy to the guesthouse. She constantly tweaks the décor, adjusts the accessories. Since we get a lot of female guests, we've leaned into charming, delicate touches. Guests often tell us the space feels cute and cozy. So our differentiator? We have more elements that female travelers love.
Q. What's been the hardest part of running a guesthouse? And the most rewarding moment?
The hardest? I'll share two real examples. We built this guesthouse for travelers, but occasionally — rarely — guests come who aren't really interested in traveling. Some male guests come mainly to socialize with female guests. They'll play board games or drink in the common area, then approach women at other tables and invite them out for drinks. They leave together, come back way past curfew, completely drunk, and disturb other guests. Or we've had female guests go out early in the evening, miss curfew, and bring random men they met at tourist spots back to the guesthouse. These folks ignore house rules. When people like this check in, I can't sleep — I have to stay up waiting, because they might cause a ruckus or sneak in outsiders. I handle it firmly when it happens, but it's still exhausting.
The most rewarding? When guests embrace our concept. They pack their days with sightseeing, then come back with food to share, laughing with their friends, playing board games. Watching people step away from the daily grind and de-stress — even briefly — makes me happy. It's why I run this place.
Q. How did you promote your property when you first opened?
We opened June 23, 2017, but we started building our blog, Facebook, Instagram, and Naver site back in November 2016. By the time we opened, we had enough content online for word to spread naturally. Before leaving Seoul, my wife even designed a postcard with a map of nearby attractions, bundled it with business cards, and handed them out around Gangnam. One of those recipients actually showed up shortly after we opened.
After opening, we integrated ONDA's real-time booking widget into our blog and Naver site. We only took bookings through the widget and by phone — no domestic or international OTAs. For a brand-new guesthouse, I think we got a solid number of bookings. Summer high season hit right away, so we postponed listing on overseas OTAs. Then October holidays came, and we postponed again. Then ONDA introduced GDS (channel distribution), so we connected to Naver through that. We're currently only on Naver. Once ONDA finalizes contracts with international OTAs, we'll use those too.
Q. You seem to manage guest reviews really well. You respond to every comment. Why put in that effort?
Shouldn't review management be a given? Good or bad, the host should respond thoughtfully. I've seen some guesthouses copy-paste identical replies to every review. Even if reviews are similar, I think it's better to vary your responses. For example, mention something specific from that guest's stay — something only you and they would know. That extra touch makes the response feel personal.
Q. What's the best part about running a guesthouse? And who do you think would be a good fit for this line of work?
Other guesthouse operators will relate: meeting people from all over — domestic and international, from all walks of life — and having meaningful conversations with them. That's a huge draw. Sometimes I help them; sometimes they help me. Of course, this mostly applies to guests who are outgoing. As for who's suited to this work? Strong computer and social media skills help. Foreign language ability — especially English — is a big plus. Most foreign guests, even if they're not from English-speaking countries, default to English. And being detail-oriented beats being scatterbrained when it comes to operations.
Q. What should aspiring property owners avoid?
Don't rush into a bad location. Some people choose spots far from tourist hubs because the property is cheap. But from a guest's perspective, inconvenient access is a dealbreaker.
Early on, when guesthouses were rare, guests would trek to remote spots. Not anymore. Unless you have something truly special, why would travelers go out of their way when there are plenty of options near attractions? Don't let impatience push you into a poor location just because the perfect spot isn't available yet.
Q. You recently started using ONDA GDS (channel distribution). How's that working out?
We've been using ONDA's booking system, and recently added GDS. I'm really satisfied. Our booking rate has definitely increased. Right now, we're only on Naver through GDS. I use Naver Pay myself all the time for online shopping, so I know how convenient it is — I think guests appreciate the ease of booking and canceling with Naver Pay.
The big advantage of ONDA GDS? It reduces vacancies — every host's nightmare. I take bookings through our blog, homepage widget, and phone, but there's a ceiling. GDS helps us break through that ceiling. I'm looking forward to ONDA's international OTA contracts so we can tap into overseas bookings too.
One more thing: I manage reservations on PC inside the guesthouse, and when I'm out, I use the ONDA mobile app. It's incredibly convenient. Reservation management was my biggest worry before opening. Thanks to ONDA, I've been able to run this place smoothly from day one. I'm truly grateful.
Q. Finally, any recommendations for things to see or eat nearby?
Yeongrangho Lake is a five-minute walk from our guesthouse — twice the size of Seokchon Lake in Seoul. In spring, the entire lakeside is lined with cherry blossoms. I recommend walking or biking around the lake. About ten minutes on foot, you'll find Dongmyeong Port, Yeonggeumjeong (famous for sunrise), the Lighthouse Observatory, and the Red Lighthouse — popular tourist spots. Jungang Market, a must-visit in Sokcho, is also a ten-minute walk.
As for food, there are famous spots within one to fifteen minutes on foot. Jangkalguksu at Jeongdeun Sikdang, abalone hot pot at Jeonbok Ttukbaegi Daetongryeong, raw fish soup at Bongpo Meoguri-jip, codfish soup at Sokcho Saengdaegu, steamed fish at Imone-jip, grilled fish at 88 Saengseon-gui… the list goes on.