Koryo Hotel
The Koryo Hotel is the second largest operating hotel in North Korea. The twin-towered building is 143 meters (469 ft) tall and contains 43 stories. Erected in 1985 under the close scrutiny of Kim Il-sung, it was intended to "showcase the glory and strength of the DPRK." The hotel’s extravagance is exemplified by its entryway, which consists of a 9-meter (30 ft) wide jade dragon’s mouth that leads into an expansive lobby dominated by a mosaic of North Korean cultural symbols. The mosaic tiles make use of a wide variety of precious metals and gemstones underneath low-dispersion glass panes, which are replaced biannually to preserve the mosaic’s luster.
The hotel is rated three stars by western standards. North Korea rates it as five stars. The Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes it as "Deluxe" and the "best international hotel in Pyongyang".
The hotel offers 500 rooms although only about 50 rooms are occupied at any one time, usually by business people from China, Africa, and the Middle East and UN staff. The Washington Times claims most of the hotel’s foreign guests are international arms dealers. The hotel does achieve full or near capacity every April 15 with delegations invited to celebrate Kim Il Sung’s birthday.
It would appear the US State Department has been using a guest room in the hotel since 2007 as a de facto office by a single employee to handle administrative affairs.
Amenities include a hard currency gift shop, gym, a swimming pool, a revolving restaurant on the 45th floor, a circular bar on the 44th floor and two movie theaters (one 200 seat cinema and one 70 seat cinema). The hotel also features a billiards room on the second floor and a casino in the basement. The casino offers blackjack, roulette, and slot machines. The casino is staffed by Chinese workers.
Other Information
- Location : Chung-kuyok, Pyongyang, North Korea
- Use : Hotel
- Height : 143 meters (469 ft)
- Floor count : 43
- No. of Rooms : 500
Links
- Flickr: Picture of the lobby
- Flickr: The billiards room
- Flickr: Casino entrance
- Flickr: Swimming pool
- Flickr: Guest room
- Flickr: Another guest room
- Flickr:Beside night stand in guest room
- Flickr: Hotel entrance
- Flickr: Hotel gift shop
- Urinals in, presumably, the men’s washroom of the billiard’s room