Coogee Holiday: 30 Years of Welcoming the World into a Korean Home

"I'm so glad I came here." That's the one phrase our guests leave behind the most. That single line is enough. It's the reason I keep doing this.

After COVID, many accommodations switched to contactless. But we chose a slightly different path — meeting people, sharing time together. Because we already know that a single short conversation can change a day's journey, and that journey becomes a memory that lasts for years.

Over 95% of the guests who visit our home are warm families. And with them, we form a slightly special bond and become a new family. Some become our dependable fathers and mothers, others become brothers and sisters, and we continue to cherish those bonds to this day.

Ten years ago, a family came from Singapore. That meeting naturally continued as time flowed, and we became family to each other. This year, my wife and I traveled to Singapore ourselves to share the longing that had built over the years and the joy of meeting again. A connection that began with travel has now become a family that shares life.

We want to offer more than just a place to stay. We want to share the warm, everyday life of Korea with you.

First, my wife, a certified Korean cuisine chef, is here with us. You can make beloved Korean dishes like japchae and gimbap with your own hands, and naturally experience the warmth of our food culture.

There is also time to try on the beautiful colors of hanbok. We have carefully prepared over 30 hanbok outfits so that everyone from children to grandparents can join in. If you wish, you can capture a precious moment of your life in the scenery of Jeju's Seongsan with a professional photographer.

For special occasions, we offer an even deeper experience. Together with Chef Ga Heeseung, an internationally awarded culinary competition winner, we prepare a full-course 'Chef's Banquet'. (35,000 won / 50,000 won per person)

Breakfast is also prepared with care. From refined Korean home cooking to American-style breakfast, you can start each day according to your own taste.

None of this is a scheduled program. It all happens naturally, through conversation and laughter shared under one roof. That is why Coogee Holiday is not a place to stay, but a place to live together.

Guests often say it feels more like home than home. One mom came for a babymoon, then returned with her 5-month-old — she said the beds pushed together for co-sleeping, the bottle sterilizer, the baby bathtub... she didn't have to pack anything.

The breakfast we serve isn't just food — guests say it makes them feel truly welcomed, like being hosted by family.

Families who come for a grandparent's birthday celebration use the karaoke and the private space to throw a real party — they leave saying it was the best family memory they've made. The heated pool works even in winter, and kids love the PlayStation and comic books in the living room.

But what I hear most is: 'The owner's warmth made it special.' More than any facility review, knowing my heart reached them — that's what makes me happiest.

Coogee Holiday is not just a place to stay briefly during your trip. During the few days you spend here, you will experience the warm daily life of a Korean family. Cooking together, sharing stories over quiet conversation, you'll carry home a warmth that no hotel can give.

The story that began 30 years ago in a small guesthouse in Ilsan now continues all the way to Seongsan, Jeju. The spaces have changed with time, but the heart toward people has never changed. That is why, even today, I wait for guests with an excited heart. "The door of Coogee Holiday is always open for you."