Relax with a deep drink of red ginseng at SPA 1899 DONGINBI

We all have moments when we just need rest. Our bodies may be signaling that we need to take better care of ourselves. In that situation, we need to find time to unwind and rest our body and mind, so that we can return to our daily routine. SPA 1899 DONGINBI offers such a place to restore our body and mind with therapies using red ginseng.

“Red ginseng helps prevent aging, lengthens life, and boosts energy.” That is what 『Donguibogam (Principles and Practice of Eastern Medicine)』, a treatise on traditional Korean medicine and a part of UNESCO’s Memory of the World register, says on the topic of red ginseng. Red ginseng is made by steaming, drying, and aging ginseng multiple times, which creates its red color. The production process creates beneficial materials like saponin, which in turn is said to help boost immunity, relieve fatigue, prevent cancer and aging, and improve memory.

Red ginseng therapy programs for your five senses

What happens when six-year-old red ginseng and high-end spa experience come together? SPA 1899 DONGINBI is a place where you can experience everything from spa to Cheong Kwan Jang, a red ginseng brand offering supplements, and DONGINBI, a cosmetics brand that utilizes the benefits of red ginseng. Its therapy programs, which allow you to take in red ginseng’s benefits with your entire body, have been received very positively.
Its signature program, Red Ginseng Energy Circulation Therapy™, brings the benefits of red ginseng to the five senses. First, the red ginseng welcome tea helps to reduce the tension that’s has built on the body and mind. The six-year-old red ginseng concentrate is mixed with honey, so even those who are not familiar with red ginseng’s bitterness can enjoy it. Afterwards, change into comfortable clothes for a foot bath in warm water. The water will look red due to the added red ginseng concentrate.

The therapy starts with red ginseng oil aromatherapy, which helps you breathe comfortably, followed by sessions utilizing cosmetics from DONGINBI. After the therapy, you can unwind with some red ginseng tea and traditional tea snacks.
The most popular program is the Full Peeling program, which covers everything from face to body, foot, and hair management. This 180-minute-long program is notable for including a full body bath. Other programs include single-care programs like Facial Focus, Body Focus, and Foot Focus Programs, which are ideal for focusing on specific areas, and multi-care programs that offer balanced management, such as Slow Aging, Purifying, and Balancing programs.

Services and facilities fit for a premium spa

SPA 1899 DONGINBI has a returning customer rate of 70%. Reviews say that its facilities and services are on par with those at resort spas, with excellent price-performance ratios. Another benefit is that SPA 1899 DONGINBI offers multilingual services in English, Chinese, and Japanese, thanks to the large number of international visitors.
Services are 100% by appointment only. After confirming the appointment the day before, and after finishing the therapy, if needed, the spa will call a taxi for you to take to your next destination. Reservations are taken every hour, so you can take your time getting ready after the therapy ends. Its firm priority on customers has led to great customer satisfaction and almost no customer complaints in the last 13 years of its operations.

The facilities are excellent as well. There are five rooms in total, four single rooms and a couples room. Each room has its own changing station and shower booth. They are stocked with personal wardrobe and shampoo, conditioner, cleansing foam, and body wash from DONGINBI. You can also purchase the products used in the treatment at a 10% discount. International visitors are eligible for tax-free services as well. Product purchase rates are almost at 40%, reflecting the satisfaction that customers have with the treatment.

Wellness Program

There are seven types of treatment programs at SPA 1899. Among the single care programs, the Facial Focus is all about the face. Body Focus has two varieties, oil or dry. Foot Focus is ideal for mitigating foot fatigue. Multi-care programs like Slow Aging, Purifying, and Balancing can allow you to choose your preferred focus, from face and whole body to face and upper body, whole body and foot, and whole body and hair.
Full Peeling, which involves whole body, face, foot, and hair management, is a steady-seller of SPA 1899 with popularity across all ages and gender.

NOTE

▪ Address: (B2F, KT&G Tower), 416 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
▪ Inquiries: +82-507-1424-8030
▪ Operating Hours: 10:00-22:00
▪ Website: spa1899.co.kr
▪ Fees
① Full Peeling whole body 180 minutes, KRW 350,000
② Single Care Facial Focus 60 minutes, KRW 150,000 / Body Focus whole body 60 minutes KRW 150,000 / Foot Focus 60 minutes KRW 150,000
③ Multi Care Slow Aging: Face & upper body or Whole body & feet 120 minutes KRW 250,000, Face & whole body 150 minutes KRW 300,000 / Purifying: Face & upper body 120 minutes KRW 250,000, Face & whole body 150
minutes KRW 300,000 / Balancing: Face & hair or whole body & hair 120 minutes KRW 250,000, Face & whole body 150 minutes KRW 300,000

Transportation
▪ [Subway] Walk for approx. 511 m from Exit 2 of Samseong Station (Seoul Subway Line 2), takes about 9 minutes
• Free parking

Recommended Tourist Sites

A restful art experience in the heart of the city, S. J. Cho Korean Paper Art Gallery

S. J. Cho Korean Paper Art Gallery is located at the center of Samseong-dong, a place full of skyscrapers in the heart of Seoul. Despite it being located in a very hectic neighborhood, you can feel a sense of peace and rest here. The gallery also functions as a cafe, so you can take a break and enjoy the art with some beverages. In fact, the gallery is quite famous for its selection of traditional tea. Its signature menu is the Medicinal Herb Tea (ssanghwacha), developed in conjunction with a doctor of traditional Korean medicine. Other menu items include ginger tea, quince tea, omija tea with lotus leaf and root, matcha, omija juice, as well as snacks like rice cakes, honey cookies, and dried ginger. Each set menu comes with beautiful live flowers, so it has become quite popular among the younger generations. You can also make a reservation to take part in hanji (traditional paper) drawing experiences. There’s even regular classes on hanji drawing, for beginner, intermediate, and expert levels.

NOTE

▪ Address: (12F, Donguri Building), 14 Teheran-ro 92-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
▪ Inquiries: +82-2-501-1505
▪ Website: www.instagram.com/sjhanjigrim/
▪ Wellness Program: Traditional tea experience, hanji drawing experience

A 1000-year-old temple that soothes your mind, Bongeunsa Temple

Bongeunsa Temple is one of the most famous Buddhist temples in Seoul with a thousand-year history. The temple is situated on a 5.95 ha-wide park, so you can rest here to your content. After enjoying a walk on the grounds, you can have a warm bowl of noodles in the temple’s kitchen, prepared with only Korean ingredients and without any chemical flavoring. The menu consists of noodles, such as Spicy Noodles, Banquet Noodles, Buckwheat Noodles, and Japchae Mandu. If you want to experience the life in a Buddhist temple in Korea, you can also stay at Bongeunsa Temple through its Templestay program. The Templestay program includes a variety of experience programs like rites, temple tours, tea ceremony, communal cleaning, 108 prostration, and temple cooking. You can also opt for a Templelife program, which provides a shorter window into the life in a Buddhist temple through a 1 to 2-hour program.

NOTE

▪ Address: 531 Bongeunsa-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
▪ Inquiries: +82-507-1429-4800
▪ Website: www.bongeunsa.org/
▪ Wellness: Program Templestay, Templelife