Changgwang Guesthouse

Introduction
Location
Exterior
Interior
Visiting Tips

Introduction

Could the Changgwang Guesthouse be the most little-known hotel in North Korea? 

It’s commonly believed in the world outside the DPRK that Pyongyang has only one or two hotels that tourists can use.

In fact, there are more than a dozen, and every so often new opportunities are added to the list;

There are the towering giants of the Yanggakdo and Koryo Hotel, the quirky and retro Sosan, Chongnyon, and Changwangsan Hotels, and even some almost-boutique spots such as the Moranbong Hotel.

Perhaps the single most obscure and un-used of all the hotels in Pyongyang though is the little-known but very centrally-located Changgwang Inn (sometimes known as Changgwang Guesthouse).

Confusingly, this hotel has a very similar name to the Changgwangsan Hotel but it is a very different place.

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Location

The Changgwang Guesthouse is located opposite the Koryo Hotel.

It is down a small side street behind a building which has been partly used for resident foreign businesspeople.

This place is hard to find - even if you’re standing just a few yards from it!

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Exterior

The outside of the Changgwang Guesthouse allows for parking and is situated behind a small side street off a main road. 

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Interior

The lobby area of the Changgwang Guesthouse and rooms were renovated with the current North Korean aesthetic of light wood and shiny surfaces in around 2015.

Rooms, of which there are very few, (only around 10) are spacious and well-heated, bright although somewhat sparse.

There isn’t much in the way of leisure facilities beyond a basic coffee bar/seating area in the lobby, but the Koryo Hotel is literally just a minute’s walk away and is blessed with activities such as billiards, karaoke, beer bars, etc.

Those staying at the Changgwang will not be completely marooned from evening entertainment options.

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Visiting Tips

Almost no tourists stay in the Changgwang Guesthouse. 

This is mainly because it is a bit small, obscure, and not always available (it fills up easily if a local or foreign delegation takes rooms).

However, it is an option for anyone looking to stay somewhere even their DPRK-visiting friends have likely never been, and possibly never even heard of!

Changgwang Inn had a very brief moment of note in 2015 when it was the first place in the country (outside of the airport) to have an ATM installed.

Do not try to use this ATM in North Korea! It doesn’t accept any cards and it is fair to say that it is still waiting to become completely operational!

Make sure to read up about what currency you should bring to North Korea, and make sure you have enough! 

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