[Report] "It Took Three Hours Just to Look Around"... Visiting the Mega Complex Resort 'Inspire'

Soft Opening Media Event on the 13th
Introducing Aurora, Rotunda, and Arena
Gradual Opening Until Q2 Next Year

"Our goal is to develop this into the top resort representing Asia. Currently, only about a quarter of the resort is open, but next year we plan to showcase a much more grandiose appearance."

On the afternoon of the 13th, Chen Xi, President of Mohigan Inspire, spoke with confidence at the Inspire 'Soft Opening Media Day' event held on Yeongjongdo Island, Incheon. Inspire Resort is a complex resort that temporarily opened on the 30th of last month in Unseo-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon, after more than four years of construction. Currently, only some facilities are open in a soft opening state, with most major facilities scheduled to open sequentially by the second quarter of next year.

[Report] "It Took Three Hours Just to Look Around"... Visiting the Mega Complex Resort 'Inspire'

Inspire Digital Street 'Aurora'
Photo by Seohee Lee

During the media tour that day, Inspire Resort lived up to its description as a 'mega complex resort,' boasting a magnificent scale. It took about three hours just to tour the main facilities once. The first area revealed was the digital street 'Aurora.' With a ceiling height of 25 meters and a length of 125 meters, the LED screens surrounding all sides displayed vivid digital images themed around a forest. Aurora is a space created through a collaboration between Hyundai Futurenet, which developed the Arte Museum, and Inspire.

Going a bit further inside, the 'Rotunda,' a circular hall connecting all facilities within the resort, appeared. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling, measuring 30 meters in diameter and 20 meters in height, was composed of multiple small LED panels, each moving independently to enhance the brilliance of the visuals. A media video show using the panels was also held every hour at 45 minutes past the hour.

Inspire 'Rotunda'
Photo by Lee Seohui

The three hotels?Forest Tower, Sun Tower, and Ocean Tower?each with different concepts, were also unveiled. While typical resort suites are sized to fit two single beds, Inspire's rooms boast relatively spacious areas that can accommodate two queen-size beds. Upon taking the elevator down, the 'Horizon Lounge,' where all three hotel buildings converge, appeared immediately. This is the main hotel lobby where all room check-ins occur, featuring a high ceiling and a grand main sculpture that caught the eye.

The highlight of the tour was the country's first arena, the 'Inspire Arena.' Since its opening in February this year, Inspire Arena has already secured major performance contracts through next year. It is a mega concert hall with a capacity of 15,000, featuring impressive seat elevation designed for optimal audience sightlines. While typical concert halls have seat elevation differences of about 15 to 18 cm between rows, Inspire Arena applies a 25 cm elevation difference between the first and second floors and 45 cm on the third floor, minimizing visual obstruction even in such a large venue. The arena also supports a simultaneous load capacity of 100 tons, allowing for various equipment installations, and uses front sound-absorbing materials to provide clearer sound.

Jang Hyun-gil, Executive Director in charge of the arena, said, "The target revenue for Inspire Arena is 50 billion KRW. Considering the domestic performance market size is 1 trillion KRW, Inspire will immediately capture one-twentieth of the entire domestic performance market." He added, "The biggest concern, traffic issues, can be sufficiently resolved with a parking space for 5,600 cars and free shuttle buses."

Inspire plans to sequentially open all facilities by the first half of next year. Following the unveiling of the hotel composed of three towers with different concepts (1,275 rooms), the largest hotel ballroom in the country for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions), the country's first performance-specialized arena, the digital entertainment street Aurora, and various directly operated restaurants, the first quarter of next year will see the opening of the 'Inspire Mall,' a complex cultural space combining shopping, dining, and entertainment, as well as a casino exclusively for foreigners.

In the second quarter of next year, the outdoor experiential entertainment facility 'Discovery Park' and the year-round indoor waterpark with a glass dome design, 'Splash Bay,' are scheduled to fully open. Alongside these, a uniquely themed mega international food court, the country's largest immersive content exhibition hall, and indoor children's play facilities will also open.