Hi, it’s Solyn. This time we stayed at Hyewon Ian Pension.
Finding the right place for a big group trip is harder than the trip itself. I came here with five friends, and within an hour of arriving, the stress of all that planning felt like it belonged to a different week.
The pension sits in a quiet part of Yongin, ringed by mountains on every side. The air smells of pine and cool earth — nothing like the city air you’ve been breathing all month.
Getting there
The address is 7 Ijongmuro 57beon-gil, Suji-gu, Yongin, and the road leading in is narrow and lined with trees. Watch for the CU convenience store right at the entrance path — it’s just two minutes’ walk from the front door, and you’ll pass it every time you come and go.
Driving is the easiest option for a group. If you’re coming without a car, a taxi from the nearby area gets you there without much hassle.
The space
The first thing I noticed walking in was the size — this is not a small guesthouse. There’s a full living room, a kitchen downstairs, a separate second floor, and a rooftop. Photos don’t quite do the scale justice.
The living room has a sofa, a dining area, and a large TV on laminate wood flooring that creaks softly underfoot. It’s comfortable in that worn-in, unpretentious way. The ceilings are high and the windows are big, so even with six of us and all our bags, it never felt crowded.
Rooms & amenities
The second floor is a wide open sleeping area with futons (요), blankets, and pillows already laid out. We were five and everyone had room to stretch out — looking at the floor space, I’d say ten people could sleep here without anyone feeling cramped.
There is exactly one real bed in the whole pension, up on the second floor. If someone in your group has a strong preference for a proper mattress, call it early — everyone else takes the floor, which worked fine for us.
The kitchen on the first floor has room to prep food, and we used it to get everything ready before heading up to the roof. It’s functional rather than fully stocked, so bring your own ingredients if you have specific cooking plans.
The rooftop BBQ was the highlight of the whole trip. We laid the meat and sides out to prep first — and honestly, half the fun is the setup.
The grill is wide enough for several people to cook at once; I could smell the charcoal from the living room before anything even hit the grate. It’s not a dedicated BBQ-resort setup — the equipment is basic and the experience depends on what you bring — but as a rooftop space with a working grill, it’s all you actually need. At night the view up there is dark and still, no streetlights, just the shapes of the mountains and the distant sound of cicadas.
There are two bathrooms, which mattered more than I expected — this is the one off the living area. With five people, two bathrooms meant mornings ran smoothly with nobody waiting.
The pension also has a jokgu court (족구장) and a few outdoor facilities. We didn’t get to use them, but they’re there if your group wants to stay active.
The setting
A small mountain stream runs right in front of the pension. Sitting outside after dinner, I could hear the steady sound of water moving over rocks — soft and constant, like white noise that actually relaxes you.
In the morning I walked down and touched the stream, but the water was sharp and icy even in early June, cold enough to make me pull my hand back immediately. I stayed on the bank and watched instead; the owner can point you toward a good spot to wade in if you ask.
The space is the whole point. For five or more people, there’s genuinely room to spread out — the open sleeping floor, the big living room, the rooftop — without anyone tripping over each other.
The rooftop BBQ, the charcoal smell drifting down while dinner cooks, the icy stream out front, the cool mountain air when you step outside at seven in the morning — those are the things that stay with you a few days after you’re home. And the CU two minutes away quietly makes the whole stay more relaxed.
The TV doesn’t support Netflix or YouTube — genuinely the biggest downside of the stay. After dinner we wanted to put something on to wind down and couldn’t, so bring a tablet if that matters to you.
Beyond that: the BBQ gear is basic (bring your own everything), there’s only one real bed, and the whole place is built for noise and groups. If you’re after a quiet romantic getaway for two, this isn’t it.
- Capacity: Comfortably sleeps around 10 on the open second floor.
- Beds: One real bed; everyone else is on futons. Call ahead if the bed matters.
- Kitchen: Usable for prep but not fully stocked — bring your own ingredients.
- BBQ: Rooftop grill works, but bring your own meat, charcoal setup expectations, and sides.
- TV: No Netflix or YouTube — bring a tablet for evening viewing.
- Extras: Two bathrooms, a jokgu court, and a CU store two minutes away on foot.
- Booking: Book direct on the official Hyewon Ian Pension site for group rates.
Would I go back?
Yes — with a group. This isn’t a couples’ spot; it’s built for late nights on the rooftop and the kind of trip where everyone wakes up slowly, no plans before noon.
For five or more friends who want to get out of the city without driving three hours, this is that place. Quiet mountains, a cold stream, charcoal on the roof, and enough room that nobody’s in anyone’s way. I’d do it again.
— Solyn