Two innkeepers in Korea break down what "hospitality" actually means — starting with the dictionary and ending with the unglamorous work that makes a guest feel truly rested.
essay
A question for anyone running a place to stay.
04. Can You Define the Fundamentals of Hospitality?
Writer: Minimal Sincerity Innkeepers Ryu Ha-yoon & Choi Hyun-woo
Editor: ONDA Manager Lee Chae-eun
Hello, we're Minimal Sincerity.
Hi, we're Ha-yoon and Hyun-woo, innkeepers of 'Minimal Sincerity' — a single-room guesthouse facing the East Sea. This essay is the piece we needed most two years ago. It's what we desperately wished existed when we were getting started. We're writing it now hoping it reaches someone who needs it — and that it takes root. If you have questions, thoughts, or your own answers to the questions we're asking, we'd love to hear from you at the link below.
Website: http://www.sincerity.kr/
The Fundamentals of Hospitality
While preparing Minimal Sincerity, we watched an episode of Baek Jong-won's Alley Restaurant. At one point, Baek told a struggling restaurant owner: "You haven't gotten the fundamentals of food service down." That comment stuck with us. It made us ask:
"What are the fundamentals of hospitality?"
Before answering that, we realized we didn't even know what the word "hospitality" (sukbak) really meant. We looked it up. The Korean characters — 宿 ("lodge") and 泊 ("stay") — literally mean "to sleep and rest at an inn."
To define the fundamentals, we researched. We read books, looked up stories from other innkeepers — why they started, why they kept going, what they valued, and why some quit. We also studied the guest side: what travelers expect, what delights them, what disappoints them. After all, you can want to run a guesthouse all you like — but if guests don't show up, there's no business.
"What are the fundamentals of hospitality?"
After reading, reflecting, and living it, we arrived at three answers. This is Minimal Sincerity's take. We hope it inspires you to find your own.
1) Provide a comfortable, clean place to sleep.
Obviously, a guesthouse's first job is to give people somewhere to sleep. The space should help guests rest deeply so they wake up refreshed and ready to explore.
Some hotels stock dozens of pillow types so guests can choose. That's out of reach for small properties — but the principle isn't. Whatever your scale, do your best to create a comfortable, clean sleeping environment.
At Minimal Sincerity, we spent serious time and money finding the right mattress, comforter fill, pillow fill, and fabric covers. The result? Guests ask us for product details. One guest recently emailed us:
"I've been thinking about my time at Minimal Sincerity ever since I got back. The bed was so comfortable that I ended up buying the same mattress for my own place. Now I sleep great. My lower back pain is gone. Best part? Every time I lie down, I remember those peaceful days at your guesthouse."
In two years, we've received all kinds of compliments. But the best one is always: "I slept so well." One guest who normally wakes at 4 a.m. told us, "For some reason, I slept straight through here." Moments like that remind us: getting good sleep while traveling matters.
Our second commitment: replacing all bedding between guests. Always. It sounds obvious — but we learned from a friend who worked at a Jeju guesthouse that some places skip this when busy. They'd just use a lint roller to pick up visible hair and dust.
'What's basic to us might not be basic to everyone.' We get that it's hard when you're slammed. But we believe cleanliness is non-negotiable.
Another reason guests love our beds? Sun-dried linens. We don't use fabric softener or a dryer. On sunny days, we haul everything up to the rooftop, shake it out, and let the sun do its work. The natural, slightly crisp texture feels — and smells — fantastic.
2) Anticipate and care for your guests' needs.
The second fundamental: understand what your guests need — before they ask. This isn't something you can script in a manual. It's about noticing what would help someone, and offering it first.
Example: We once had a guest who kept sniffling — probably from allergies. I have the same issue. At night, a stuffy nose makes it hard to fall asleep. I used to drape a damp towel near my pillow — the moisture helped. So I wrung out a towel and offered it to the guest. I'm not sure if it worked, but they texted later: "Thank you for thinking of that."
Another time, we hung a large lace curtain over the guest room door. We wanted guests to keep the door open for airflow — but the room is visible from the common area, which can feel awkward. The curtain solved it: air flows, privacy stays intact. After that, guests started leaving their doors open.
There's no universal answer to anticipating needs. The best you can do is put yourself in the guest's shoes. Ask: "If I were staying here, would I leave the door open? Or would I close it because I'd feel self-conscious?" Every guest is different, but starting from your own experience is better than nothing.
3) Help guests have a great trip.
The third fundamental: support a memorable travel experience. The simplest version? Share local knowledge. Travelers don't have the same information density as locals. Recommend walking routes, hidden cafes, restaurants tourists don't know about.
We love slow countryside travel — which means bus schedules matter. For car-free guests visiting Donghae, we compiled bus timetables to key sights. Miss one bus here and you've burned an hour of a short 2-night trip.
>> See the Donghae travel guide we send the day before check-in
The beach is a 10-minute walk from us. Prepared guests bring picnic blankets. Most don't. So we lend out mats, mini camp chairs, tumblers, parasols, a Polaroid camera — anything that makes beach time better.
Guests tell us: "Thanks to the gear you lent us, we had a lovely time by the water." These little things mean nothing to locals. To travelers, they're everything.
Final Thoughts
Minbak, inn, guesthouse, hostel, hotel, pension — we lump them all under "hospitality business." Early on, we wondered what to call ourselves. After some soul-searching, we realized: the label doesn't matter.
What matters is how you define your work. That's why we wrote down these fundamentals — and figured out how to put them into practice.
A host we stayed with recently said their fundamentals are "clean linens and good meals." You could tell. They served thoughtful breakfasts — and dinners. The care was obvious. Not convenience food. Real cooking.
For some properties, the fundamental might be "creating space for guest conversation." For others, "Instagram-worthy photo spots." Every place will define hospitality differently. What's important is that you define it — and act on it.
What are your fundamentals?
How do you define the work you do?
Does your property get the basics right?
That wraps up the fourth installment of Minimal Sincerity's series: "Can You Define the Fundamentals of Hospitality?" Questions or feedback? Use the link below. Next time: "Does Your Pricing Have a Reason?"
[Series Index]
- "Do You Have a Real Reason to Run a Guesthouse?"
- "Can You Picture a Space That Makes You Happy Just Thinking About It?"
- "Who Are You, Really?" 4. "Can You Define the Fundamentals of Hospitality?"
- "Does Your Pricing Have a Reason?"
- "How Much Rest Do You Need?"
- "Do You Know Your Limits?"
- "What Kind of Interior Are You Envisioning?"
- "What's the Best Way to Handle Reservations?"
- "How Did These Questions Land for You?"
⚠️ All rights reserved. Cite this piece as 'ONDA (온다)' when quoting.