Koffee & Kpop

Last month, my two friends and I rented an AirBnB for Friday and Saturday night in Busan, about a block from Gwangalli Beach.

I’ve got tons of photos from the Gamcheon Culture Village I need to edit, as well as from a solo trip to the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, aka the “water temple,” but thought I’d quickly whip up an entry on our accommodations.

It cost approximately 400,000 won ($289.43 USD) for two nights. The cost was a little higher than your average AirBnB in Busan because we were so close to the beach, but because we went in May, when the beaches are closed, my friend easily made the reservation. My friends and I checked in at around midnight Friday night, and checked out at 11 am Sunday. Checking in was more of a “figure out how to open the complex’s complicated main door to the elevator” process than a regular check in process. No physical key was needed, as most apartment buildings and officetels use electronic door codes rather than physical key.

I don’t actually think I’ve ever stayed in an AirBnB, so this was my first time both in Korea and in general. The apartment was really something to be envious of–it had lots of natural light, built-in storage closets all around, a hidden fridge, a built-in microwave/oven combo, and lots of counter space. The apartment was next to Podium Dive, a cultural space that included a coffee shop and a bookstore. Then and currently, there is an art exhibition by Jim Avignon, a German pop-art painter and performance artist, on site.

Between the three of us, one friend volunteered to sleep on the couch, and my other friend and I got to choose between the two rooms with actual beds. Since one room had a bed with a frame and a shelf beside it, I was graciously given that room so I would have somewhere to sit my CPAP machine, and my friend took the room where the bed was on the floor. The only drawback was that my room had to be walked through in order to access the bathroom, but I’m a deep sleeper so I didn’t mind.

Towels and toiletries were provided just like in a hotel. There were trash bags provided, but we had to take them out and put them in the designated area when we left. We also had to wash any dishes that we used, which I think ended up being precisely one glass.

I think the only thing that would have made the stay better would have been if the apartment had a bathtub, not that I would have found much time for a bubble bath during the weekend. (Being able to soak my poor, sore feet would have been a blessing, though.)

Enjoy photos from the apartment I would have if I lived in a k-drama where my partner’s disapproving mother gave me a billion won to stay away from her precious child.