(Yonhap Feature) Competition transforms "love" hotels into entertainment complexes

By Lee Youkyung

SEOUL, Aug. 26 (Yonhap) -- Most Westerners think of motels as simple lodging facilities with free roadside parking but South Koreans have long identified them as shabby sex shacks.

Such notions are changing, though slowly, as more and more motels are
transforming their guest rooms into private entertainment places equipped with
wide-screen TVs and other high-tech gadgets as a means of attracting clients.
Motels in South Korea have served as covert places for couples seeking to elude
public scrutiny in a society where sex and romantic liaisons are anything but an
open subject.
Despite offering little more than a bed with suggestive lighting and a
see-through shower booth, motels have continued to record high turnovers as they
guarantee utter privacy for customers.
But in the face of a steep increase in competition, motel owners are transforming
their guest rooms into private entertainment complexes, renovating once spartan
furnishings into lavish accommodations.
Couples can now find rooms in some of the country's leading motels equipped with
a swimming pool, a sauna or jacuzzi, and flat-screen displays. Popular game
consoles like Play Station or Wii, as well as karaoke machines, multiple PCs and
a tastefully decorated bed are all part of the package.
"Lodging facilities used to be just for sleep or sex," said Lee Kyung-su, head
manager at Seoul Mate Hotel. "But these days, such limitations don't make money."
Previously the Mate Motel, Lee says the name was changed because of the bad image
that came with it. The renovated building now boasts a large swimming pool tucked
in between two of its 57 rooms.
"Doing everything in one spot and in private ... is a major trend now," he added.
Lim Young-bin, the owner of two motels in western Seoul, equipped them with
modern electronics and renovated interiors after he realized the same-old "love"
hotel was no longer profitable.
"Recreation is the main reason for selecting one room over another," Lim said of
the latest in customer trends. "Female clients' opinion also counts. They like
clean and stylish rooms."
Motels expanded as real estate owners discovered they were an easy way to rake in
profits. Government figures show that as of 2008, there were about 31,000 motels
in South Korea, accounting for more than 60 percent of the nation's lodging
industry.
But it was a strict anti-prostitution law that went effect in 2004 that gave a
wake-up call to the business.
"People increasingly viewed motels as social vice and banks and lenders pushed
to collect debts from motel owners," said Lee Gil-won, a motel consultant who
runs a reservation and review Web site on motels around the country.
"Motels had to find a way to survive in the business," he said.
A growing number of the urban recreational space opening all night also threatened
the budget lodging industry.
Video-bang, a closed room for viewing movies in private, or PC-bang, a public
space with multiple computers for playing computer games or surfing the internet,
and Jjimjil-bang, a public bath and sauna, attracted clients constantly looking
for new leisure options.
While motels like the Seoul Mate try to distance themselves from the stigma of
the old love shacks, they also try to stay as affordable as possible.
Several hours at the Crux motel cost 25,000 won (US$20) while an overnight stay
runs for 45,000 won. Considering the entertainment options offered, the total is
far less than a night spent hopping from bars to Internet cafes and eventually a
hotel.
Rooms at the Jelly, another motel in southern Seoul, feature billiard tables, as
well as two wide-screen TVs, a four-person bath tub and an extensive DVD
selection starting at 280,000 won a night. The owners insist that while the price
is high, the rewards are worth the cost.
"Our guests book this room for parties, which are not allowed at motels," said
Lee Min-sub, a manager at the Jelly. "With so many motels, we tried to find a new
way to make more money."
Embracing functions that are not traditionally offered at other bed and breakfast
arrangement, these motels are tapping into the tech-savvy young Koreans looking
to have fun in private and in style -- but not in a place known as a seedy sex
shack.
"I don't have any hesitation about using motels," said a 24-year-old college
student, surnamed Park, who said he frequents motels with his girlfriend. "Room
decorations are refreshing and a personal space comes at a relatively cheap
price."
For others, motels are not strictly a sexual getaway.
"Motels used to be a place I go at night, have sex, and wake up in the morning,"
said an 28-year-old office worker who identified himself only by his last name
Lee. "But now I go there also during the daytime with my girlfriend watching
movies, playing games, or just lying in bed together listening to music."
Unlike in the United States, South Korean children usually stay with their
parents until they marry. The office worker is one of them.
Some motel owners are concerned that their push for renovation might be running
out of imagination.
"With a swimming pool fixed in the motel room, we ask what could be the next new
thing for motels," said Jin Dong-gu, an owner of Shill Motel in central Seoul.
"Maybe there's nothing new left."
Adding to the concern is that only about a 10th of the industry is edging towards
changes, while the industry at large continues to proliferate the shady
reputation.
"If more motels openly publicize their rooms on Web sites and accept
reservations, owners will begin to manage their motels with a clear direction,"
said the consultant, Lee. "But I think the name motel would disappear in the end
... It is still hard to change people's preconception."