Seoul City to open 'hotel' on river bridge

A rendered image of a lodging facility on the Hangang Bridge, which is set to open in July (Courtesy of the Seoul Metropolitan Government)

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Sunday unveiled plans to open a detached, private lodging facility on a bridge of Han River that will offer guests stunning views of the river and city skyline through its windows.

According to the municipal government, the planned structure, referred to as a "scenic hotel," is slated to open in July and will claim the title of the world's first lodging facility built on a river bridge.

Inside the self-contained structure, which used to be a coffee shop called "Nodeul Jiknyeo Cafe" and has now been refurbished, there will be a 144-square-meter suite with Han River views through five glass walls in the living room, bedroom and ceiling. The structure lies on the 840-meter-long Hangang Bridge, which runs over the Nodeulseom artificial islet.

An exterior view of a lodging facility on the Hangang Bridge, which is set to open in July (Courtesy of the Seoul Metropolitan Government)

The municipal government plans to make the accommodation service available to the public in mid-July. The Seoul city government will offer one group a free night's stay there on July 16. The group will be selected on May 28 from applicants who submit their personal stories through Wednesday.

According to the municipal government, bookings will be made available starting July 17 through the US-based accommodation platform, Airbnb. Per night, the accommodation will cost between 340,000 won ($250) and 500,000 won, the government added. Airbnb also carried out the interior design of the facility.

By Son Ji-hyoung(consnow@heraldcorp.com)