“Airbnb’s core brand value is experience. We want to make the intangible side of K-pop tangible and show that this is the special experience we offer.”At the unveiling of CORTIS’s Seoul Secret Space — a collaboration between Airbnb and K-pop group CORTIS in Seongsu-dong, Seoul — Kim Seong-jun, head of communications for Airbnb Korea, explained the idea.
Airbnb presented the project as an immersive travel experience designed to convert K-culture fandom into real-life stays in Korea. The activation was produced under Airbnb’s exclusive Originals category, which pairs the company with iconic global creators.
Discover · Collaborate · Experience — Distinct zones
The secret space was inspired by CORTIS’s second mini album GREENGREEN and its title track REDRED.The venue is divided into five zones: a check-in area, a mailroom, a stay room, a canvas wall (paint zone), and a meet-up zone. A bold red-and-green palette runs through the space, echoing the album’s visual language.
Guests collect merch like key cards and keycap holders at check-in, then begin exploring. Completing missions in each zone earns them keycaps to build a custom keychain — a design that nudges visitors toward active participation rather than passive viewing.
The mailroom invites visitors to open lockers filled with items that reflect the members’ tastes — everything from lizards to ghost figures to parachutes. Using a bingo card picked up at check-in, guests stamp green if an item matches their taste or red if it doesn’t, a playful way to compare personal preferences with the artists’.
The stay room reproduces CORTIS’s studio across two levels and functions as an actual overnight space. Easter eggs are tucked throughout — a commemorative uniform marking the group’s first headline slot in the NBA crossover concert series, and the numbers 2·4·5 that hint at the mini album’s official release date (May 4). A UV lantern reveals hidden clues, adding another layer to the adventure.At the canvas wall, visitors throw red and green paintballs at a white T‑shirt mounted on the wall to create one-of-a-kind patterns, then take the shirt home as a keepsake. Every activity is designed to draw guests deeper into CORTIS’s creative world.
An Airbnb representative said, “This goes beyond a simple activity — visitors co-create something with CORTIS and leave with a tangible memory.”
The meet-up zone was the centerpiece: members teamed up with guests for casual block-stacking (Jenga) matches. On April 28, 30 selected fans joined CORTIS for relaxed, informal interactions — a deliberate shift from passive fan events to shared, in-person experiences.The secret space rolled out in three phases — experiences, stays, and a pop-up. From May 1–7 it operated as a pop-up store for more than 1,000 visitors; reservations are sold out.
Airbnb: Expanding stay-driven tourism through K-culture collaborations
This isn’t Airbnb’s first foray into K-culture. The company’s past collaborations include the 2022 “BTS in the Forest” stay, a 2024 recreation of spaces from SEVENTEEN music videos, and a 2025 experience celebrating SEVENTEEN’s 10th anniversary — now followed by the CORTIS project.Airbnb continues these partnerships because they deliver measurable impact. The company reports that K-culture–motivated travelers spend an average of $435 (about 640,000 won) more per person than typical visitors, and 88% of them stay three nights or longer — making them particularly valuable guests.
Airbnb says it will keep turning K-culture interest into real visits to Korea.
Seo Ga‑yeon, country manager for Airbnb Korea, said, “We’ll keep developing distinctive content so curiosity about Korea becomes more than a momentary buzz. Our goal is to encourage longer stays, spread visits across local neighborhoods, and help travelers form deeper connections with Korean culture.”
