On the 21st, Blueground, a global full-furnished housing rental corporation for medium to long-term residents, officially entered Seoul by opening its first location.
Blueground, which is headquartered in New York, operates approximately 15,000 units directly in 48 cities worldwide. The total number of service users has reached 120,000, with more than 5,000 partner property owners.
Blueground has signed an operating contract for 24 units of the high-end officetel 'Asti Nonhyeon' near Gangnam-gu Office Station on Subway Line 7, and has begun taking reservations and services in earnest.
Blueground promotes the core value of 'a place where you can arrive with just your belongings and stay comfortably and safely like at home.' Rooms and living areas must be separated, and bedrooms must have windows. All units are equipped with everything needed for daily life, including furniture and appliances, as well as bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, cooking utensils, tableware, and washing machines.
In the first location in Seoul, high-end living appliances and finishing materials were installed as standard, including the Italian Modulnova kitchen system, German Miele refrigerator, Italian Fantini faucet, Florim tiles, and French Tarkett flooring.
It is possible to cook and do laundry like at home, and it is quieter and more comfortable than a busy hotel. The expense is also 20-30% cheaper than hotels. The actual average length of stay for global users is 4.5 months, and there are many customers who stay for over a year.
A representative from Blueground Korea noted, 'We have formalized every detail from location selection, appropriate area, bed and furniture placement, the type and quantity of cooking utensils, to the location and quantity of frames so that business travelers who frequently move around the world can feel comfortable no matter which city they are in, maintaining the same quality.'
Customers can easily utilize the entire process, from reservation to move-in, payment, cleaning, and other services, through the website or app. Blueground is responsible for the direct operation of accommodations and after-sales service. There are no brokerage fees, and there is no anxiety about misleading photos or complex contract structures.
Blueground is only placed in transportation hubs or business centers. In fact, Blueground Korea is expanding its network into key business areas like Hannam, Yongsan, and Mapo, planning to showcase various types and price ranges of units.
Blueground Korea assessed that there is a lack of premium long-term rental accommodations in Seoul compared to global cities. Starting with 150 units this year, it plans to expand to 2,000 units in the future.
Meanwhile, Blueground, which began its service in Athens, Greece, in 2013, expanded to the U.S. market starting in New York in 2016 and has grown rapidly after the COVID-19 pandemic. It is considered a unicorn corporation valued at over 1 trillion won.
By the end of this year, Blueground aims to operate in 50 cities and 40,000 units, having recently intensified its expansion in the Asia-Pacific region. After establishing a base in Tokyo last year, it has chosen Seoul this year.