nest hotel is the first Design Hotels property in South Korea. It is located in Yeongjongdo island of Incheon, a neighbouring city near Seoul with a bunch of new development, ranging from luxury resorts, cultural centres, golf courses, casinos, adventure parks and malls — the future Northeast Asia’s cultural hub.

The architecture of the building was inspired by the hotel’s main focus of becoming a hideout for their guests. The designers first drew up plans for each room individually, blending the views of pine trees, reed fields and the calming Yellow Sea into the interior. These 370 rooms were then constructed through the “piling up” design, forming a unique nest-like facade.

It is a perfect blend of post-modernity with simplicity. I love the combination of a huge amount of white, natural light and earth tone colours, all tastefully selected for their interior colour palette. The hotel is fairly new. In fact the hotel is in a soft launch mode since 12th this month. I absolutely love the feather-like chandeliers hanging gracefully in the lobby.

Taking the island airport hotel to the next level, nest hotel, set in Incheon near Seoul, is the perfect getaway for today’s jet-set crowd.

The Room

I didn’t manage to get satisfying pictures of the hotel room since we only checked in at 11pm, but the standard twin room was pretty comfortable. The quilts and pillows are in soft, good sinking-in material to ensure a restful slumber. Standard rules for most S.Korean Hotels also applied here: Free soap and shower utensils, but extra charges apply if you use the brand new toothbrush provided.

The Lobby

If there is a word to describe the hotel, that would be “Industrial Elegance”. I love the neat colour arrangement and I appreciate the designer’s attention paid to the tiniest detail of the  bricks, the carpet and the pillars. Personally I love natural sunlight, and I must say here at the hotel you really feel the connectedness between the building at the warm daylight. Staffs are friendly and attentive, creating a welcoming atmosphere throughout my stay. Casual chats with their staffs offered me with the information that the hotel is also providing some unexpected services such as Glamping (glamorous camping) facilities, biking courses through the reed fields and adventurous watersports!

My denim overalls and me, soaking up in the glorious morning sunshine at the lobby.

The Surroundings

I was so blown away by the spectacular view of the hotel surroundings, especially the reed fields nearby, and the reservoir (or was it a lake?) right outside their restaurant. Since there is basically nothing nearby the hotel and the nearest convenient store is like 5-10 minutes drive away,  this place is certainly a recluse paradise.

The PLATZ

One highlight of the stay would be their beautiful restaurant. Tiered seating were designed to ensure a romantic theatrical dining experience — enjoying the food while overseeing the sea. The whole white and ivory colour settings give off a minimalist, contemporary simplicity atmosphere. The restaurant is surrounded by tall glass windows, make it a gem day and night. Natural sunlight shining through the glass window, lighting up your palate, making the food even more appetising.

The Platz goes quite international on their breakfast menu. Fine western cuisine was served, from fresh garden salad to a good selection of antipasti (not extravagantly wide in selection but good at what they got). Cheesy potato gnocchi and even Chicken Tandoori, the dining experience at their restaurant were a pleasant surprise. Korean style dishes like pa-jeon and haemul-jeon (green onion and seafood pancake), the holy-jeonbukjuk (abalone porridge) and even Chinese dimsum were on the breakfast buffet table as well. Not to mention the artisan croissant, hearty full-grain muffin and the beautifully baked tarts. Certainly (and perhaps, literally) a feast for the eyes and stomach!

The KUNST Lounge/ Library Café

Fancy a drink over some interesting, good read? Head to their library café at the other end of the lobby. They have a rather impressive library of books, with a few major families of genres ranging from unique culture from all over the world, design, architecture, interior and even humanities. The cosy library actually offers a collection of 1000 books for any reading enthusiast!

I would definitely love to and get cosy up with a glass of martini and getting my hands on The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman at the KUNST. But it was a pity that we were having a super tight schedule during our stay : ( To my surprise, their lounge closes as early as 11pm so if you want to get your drinks at night, you’d better be early to avoid any disappointment.

Writer’s Note: The 2d1n stay during my visit to Incheon at nest hotel was perfect — though there is certainly space for improvement. We actually checked into a room with an empty fridge and empty snack bar lol. The spa (jacuzzi pool) in the hotel was closed due to maintenance as well. (We were certainly out of luck!) Though some of the facilities (the garden, the jogging course etc.) are not exactly ready, I feel that everything had lived up to my expectations since the hotel is on soft launch. I heard from the staff that they will be all ready by mid-October 2014! So do check it out if you’re interested! I do hope I can enjoy their hospitality once again when they are all ready! ; )

Contact Details

nest hotel
19-5, Yeongjonghaeannam-ro,Jung-gu,Incheon,Korea
Incheon 400-340, South Korea
Tel. +82 32 743 9000

Our stay costed KRW 250,000-360,000 (USD 239-344) per night. Buffet Breakfast cost KRW 22,000 (USD 21+-) for adults and KRW 11,000 (USD ) for kids if you booked your meals together online.

If you decided to walk in for your breakfast, it’ll cost KRW 27,500 (USD 26) and KRW 13,750 (USD13) for adults and kids respectively. 

Promotion during the Asian Game period: Show your ticket for the games and be eligible to enjoy your breakfast at the PLATZ for free.

Disclaimer: This trip is sponsored by Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). However opinions are my own.

Pampering yourself during summer vacation overseas is, of course, one of the best ways to soothe your soul after a taxing year. Imagine throwing everything behind and just unplugging yourself from the world and giving a little piece of yourself somewhere your boss/client can never reach you, is beyond words can describe. However, not all of us are granted this kind of luxury every summer holiday as you might have to stand by for certain events happening in the workplace. If this is your case, this secret hideout located just 25 minutes driveway from Seoul could be one great destination this summer.

There are two penthouses in South Korea now under The Ananti. Both newly opened last year, The Ananti Penthouses are located in the suburbs of Seoul and Busan Haeundae beach. These penthouses are built under the concept of “옥상 가옥” （屋上 架屋） which means “making a roof on a roof” kind of architecture concept that allows the guest to live in harmony with nature. Sounds Zen already?

The penthouses took a lengthy 5 years to complete. Be it the construction, the interior, the sufficient natural lighting and environmental planning, were all done by the professionals in each field. One best feature was its Eco-friendly IMTEC system that uses an automated cold/hot water running system throughout the resort to adjust the indoor temperature. To simplify, there is no air conditioner and heater in the penthouse be it summer or winter.

What is a “healing” retreat if one still needs an air-conditioner in the forest?

The Korean concept of a “healing trip”, it doesn’t necessarily relate to Dali Lama or a fasting trip in the western context. “Healing” trip in a Korean context means relieving yourself in some remote area where you can do stress management activities, basically just forget about your usual chores and relax. It is usually done in the woods, and the word “healing” is a very common phrase in the Summer. With the “no air cond / heater” concept in the penthouse, the guests will be able to enjoy the abundant green shower throughout their stay for total relaxation.

Since the Ananti Penthouse Seoul is located in between Mt. Yoomyung and Mt. Jung-Mi Natural Recreation Forest, you can start off the day on their semi-outdoor running treadmill in the morning, followed by a sumptuous meal and head out for a good 2-3 hours of jungle trekking. Then reward your skin and muscles by dipping in the hot spring overlooking the forest after a good walk in the jungle. Sounds like a plan!

Directions: 

The Ananti Penthouse Seoul is located in the outskirt of Seoul, at Ga-Pyung (가평).  Basically taking the Olympic Dae-ro then travel all the way up the highway towards Chun-cheon for about 20 minutes (28.5 KM). After passing Seol-rak IC, travel for another 5 minutes and you’ll reach the destination.

If a Sun, Sea and Beach Vacation is your kind of summer break, The Ananti Penthouse in Haeundae would be an excellent alternative. Although located at Busan Haeundae, a popular summer destination for the Seoulites, the Ananti Penthouse Haeundae, however, secured a prime location that stresses exclusivity. Great views from the hillside penthouse right beside the beaches, infinity pools and, of course, the white and earth tone interior, all contribute to a relaxing atmosphere that beckons one to stay longer.

I was blown away by the beautiful pictures featured on their site, especially their Haeundae penthouse. The walkway on the hill overlooking the breathtaking scenery of the beach totally nailed on certainty as one of the best domestic healing trip destinations in Korea, No? ^^

Direction: (THE ANANTI PENTHOUSE HAEUNDAE)

Contact Details: The Ananti Penthouse (Click to link to their web page)