Maru Guesthouse

Written By Karly Pierre

Translation by Farahiah Aminuddin

Boutique guesthouses have been popping up around Gwangju, offering chic alternatives to “love motels” which are the usual form of lodging, but often have sketchy reputations. The Maru Guesthouse recently opened in June and is conveniently located in the heart of downtown Gwangju. We spoke with the owner and native of Gwangju, Yun Su-han, about his vision for this guesthouse.

Do you travel a lot?

I was in the Philippines for about a year. I don’t really have a lot of experience in terms of travelling overseas. I have more experience travelling in Korea. I realized that in Korea, especially Bong-gu and the southern part of the country, there is a lot to see but there are not many places to sleep or stay.

What was your vision when you were designing the guesthouse?

After I renovated the building, I wanted to make the guesthouse more “Korean-like”. On the fifth floor, I wanted a space for guests to be comfortable and feel peaceful especially after climbing stairs. I wanted to include aspects of nature in the design too. That explains the wooden interior and traditional Korean house-like lay-out.

Why did you pick downtown for the guesthouse?

I first came to know about the building when it was owned by an acquaintance. It was a one-room building at that time. However the business wasn’t going well. Yet, the location was very strategic to me. It is bustling with people coming and going. With the new Asian Culture Complex, a lot of people come here for business trips or any other tasks. Young people like to come to this area and shop, drink, have meal dates with friends or just hang out. Not to mention a lot of tourists come too. Even though downtown is noisy, in this alley where the guesthouse is located, it is very quiet and peaceful.

I see that there are a lot of hotels or motels here, but they do not provide guests with any special experience. Plus most hotels are expensive too. So I thought of setting fairly cheap rates for guests.

What is your vision for the future of your guesthouse?

I love Gwangju, but I believe that people are mostly misinformed about Gwangju. I want people to come here and say, “Ahh it is a very nice place indeed.” I would like to meet people from a variety of backgrounds, hang out together and show them the charms of Gwangju. Therefore I have a plan in September to advertise interesting and fun places to go to in Gwangju. Like display a poster in the guesthouse about Damyang etc.

Regarding the seminar room, we do receive guests who come here for business trips/ work related purposes, and they need a space to discuss and hold a meeting. Besides that, young people who come as guests also sometimes need a place where they can study. They can also use the space to play games, watch movies etc.

However, more than that, I just would like to provide warm and friendly treatment to whomever visits this guesthouse so that they can enjoy their stay in Gwangju. I always try to greet them nicely and ask for their reviews when they checkout. I even try to text them personally from time to time while they are staying in the guesthouse and enquire about anything they need. I would like to provide a home-like space that is well equipped, has a beautiful interior but is cheap. Because I have a heart to let know about Gwangju, even if I do not get a lot of money, it is okay because I feel satisfied.

Below your guesthouse is a new coffee shop, Café Oma. Is there a partnership between you and the coffee shop?

Yes, I don’t own it personally, however I co-own it and manage it with my friend. I offer a 30% discount coupon for the coffee shop per night during my guests’ stay at the guesthouse. With that, they can get 5,000 won of worth of coffee and bread/ sandwiches. I did this because I’d rather have them enjoy a real cup of coffee in a nice environment rather than just making coffee out of the instant coffee mix in the room. I do not get any profit from this special deal, but I feel satisfied in providing my guests that service.

 

Maru Guest House

Address: 광주광역시 동구 서석로7번길 12-31(불로동 2-1번지)

Phone: 010.5042.0666 / 062.222.1134

ysh@cafeomakorea.com