[Gaboni] Smiles All Over Dogs' Faces... A 'Heaven' for Doggy Travel

Sonopet Club & Resort Vivaldi Park
Premium Pet-Friendly Complex Cultural Space Open for 4 Years
Operates 2,000-Pyeong Playground and Pet-Friendly Restaurants
Safety and Consideration Concept Achieves 60% Revisit Rate

Sono Pet Club & Resort Vivaldi Park in Hongcheon-gun, Gangwon Province, is about a 1 hour and 30 minute drive from downtown Seoul. When visiting on the 6th, after a brief shower, the sun shone brightly as companion dogs enjoyed a pleasant time with their owners along the wide lawn. The expressions of several dogs of similar size playing together showed bright smiles.

Just after lunchtime, with the peak summer vacation season underway, the club lobby was bustling with family customers waiting to check in with their companion dogs ranging from small to large breeds. Shin Jin-wook, team leader of the Pet Marketing Team at Sono International Hotels & Resorts, said, "Usually, weekend room reservations are fully booked, and weekday reservation rates are maintained at around 40-50%. With the summer peak season, currently both weekdays and weekends are fully booked."

At the playground operated by Sonopet Club & Resort Vivaldi Park, companion dogs are enjoying a fun time with their owners.

Companion Dogs’ Five Senses Satisfied, Winning with Details

Sono Pet Club & Resort is a premium pet complex cultural space first launched by Daemyung Sono Group’s Sono International on July 10, 2020. It opened simultaneously in two locations nationwide: Hongcheon and Goyang. The facilities, including accommodations, restaurants, and play areas, were newly arranged so that owners could enjoy comfortable trips with their pets. The idea came from Sono International Chairman Seo Jun-hyuk, who is very interested in pets. To create related facilities, a task force (TF) was formed in 2017, and after three years of preparation, a dedicated brand was established. Team leader Shin explained, "We benchmarked systems in countries with large pet markets such as the U.S., Europe, and Japan, but it was difficult to find a system at the desired level. The TF team conducted market research independently and considered what pet owners needed, building a unique infrastructure."

Among the two pet-exclusive facilities, the larger Sono Pet Vivaldi Park shows meticulous consideration for pets from the start to the end of the trip. First, the road from the Sono Pet-exclusive parking area to the facility entrance is painted with a light gray heat-reflective paint called 'Cooling Road.' This lowers the ground temperature by about 2-3 degrees Celsius to protect pets’ paws, which have sweat and breathing pores and are sensitive to stimuli, from the heated asphalt in summer.

A pet dog is receiving guidance from a professional trainer at Sonopet Club & Resort Vivaldi Park.
[Photo by Sonopet Club & Resort]

The differentiated facility at Sono Pet Vivaldi Park is the playground. It is a pet play area of about 6,612㎡ (2,000 pyeong) covered with lush ryegrass all year round. Fences are separated by size to allow access for small dogs under 15 kg, medium dogs under 25 kg, large dogs under 35 kg, and extra-large dogs under 45 kg. Considering prior reservations, the designated zones where dogs can enter change daily to reduce congestion in specific areas. There is also a separate zone for dogs that hesitate to mingle with others. Except for the five major dangerous breeds (Dosa dogs, Rottweilers, American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, and American Staffordshire Bull Terriers) and dogs without major vaccinations or those with contagious diseases, all guests staying in rooms can use these zones free of charge.

Sono Pet Club & Resort has 15 professional pet trainers on site. They enter the playground with the dogs, observe their play, and can ask dogs to leave if they cause discomfort or problems to other visitors. Team leader Shin said, "Most pet owners value etiquette and follow the rules carefully, hoping that pet-exclusive facilities like this are well maintained."

Sono Pet Vivaldi Park also operates 'Thinking Dog,' a restaurant and caf? where pets and owners can dine together. Healthy menu items developed by a pet-specialized chef, such as chicken breast sandwiches and layered salmon and beef dishes, can be ordered together. Additionally, there is a 'Pet Boarding' service where owners using the ski and water park during winter and summer seasons can safely leave their pets, as well as a 24-hour 'Self Pet Wash Facility' that offers pet spa, whirlpool, and hydro bath services all at once.

Cheerful sports days with pets, music, art culture, and movie viewing experience programs are also offered regularly. Furthermore, in collaboration with an animal hospital in Chuncheon City, Gangwon Province, located 30 minutes away, emergency medical care is provided for pets in need. A visitor accompanied by a Golden Retriever said, "There are inevitably many restrictions on activities with pets at home. Here, there is a well-equipped space and exclusive facilities where (my dog) can run freely without worrying about safety or others’ eyes, so I visit about 2-3 times a year." The company estimates a customer revisit rate of about 60%.

Sonopet Club & Resort Vivaldi Park Gold Suite Room

Soundproofing, Deodorization, and Antibacterial: The Perfect Trio for Comfortable Rest

Sono Pet Vivaldi Park has a total of 157 rooms. There are five types of structures: Family, Suite, Silver Suite, Gold Suite, and Presidential Suite, with sizes of 40 pyeong, 80 pyeong, and 90 pyeong. The number and size of pets allowed vary depending on the room grade. Walking along the corridor to tour the duplex Presidential Suite, the impression was that the interior was very dark. This is to lower the lighting considering pets’ eye health, as their motion vision is about four times better than humans and they are sensitive to light. Lead hooks are installed throughout the facility, including the entrance door and shoe rack, so owners can hang their dogs’ leashes conveniently while moving luggage or attending to tasks. Soundproof inner doors are also installed at the living room entrances of all rooms.

Upon entering, I focused my sense of smell to check if there would be odors from previous dogs’ excrement or body scent, but this was unfounded. Each room is equipped with an individual heat exchange ventilation system that circulates outdoor air with strong suction power to remove pet odors, fine dust, and harmful gases, maintaining a pleasant environment with a subtle air freshener.

Basic amenities include pet feeding sets and tables, waste pads, towels, adhesive tape, and deodorants. To prevent joint injuries in pets, the flooring is made of non-slip marble material, and the wooden porch height is lowered to about 50 cm for easy movement. Chairs and cushions for pets’ rest use a rough-textured fabric called Linolux, which is a material operated by Daemyung Sono Group itself, featuring excellent far-infrared, antibacterial, and deodorizing functions. These are replaced during room maintenance.

Sonopet Club & Resort Vivaldi Park Presidential Suite Room

For safety, electrical outlets are installed high or covered, and owners’ tableware and kitchen utensils are stored out of sight. Team leader Shin emphasized, "We manage the rooms with deodorization, soundproofing, and safety as the most important factors. Experienced staff with over 20 years of experience handle pet room cleaning and organization, spending more than twice the time compared to regular rooms."

Earlier, Sono Pet Club & Resort conducted an internal survey of 722 people, including visitors to the pet industry exhibition held at KINTEX in May and guests staying at Sono Pet Vivaldi Park. 73% of owners responded that they had experience traveling with pets. 50% preferred travel times within 2 hours, and important factors when considering accommodation were playgrounds (21%), pet-friendly restaurants (20%), and admission criteria (14%). Travel expenses ranked highest at 300,000 KRW (47%) and 500,000 KRW (27%). Sono Pet Club & Resort room prices, excluding peak seasons, range from 200,000 to 400,000 KRW on weekdays and 300,000 to 500,000 KRW on weekends, depending on the grade.

Team leader Shin said, "We plan to improve and supplement facility operations based on the survey results. We are also considering expanding the Sono Pet brand to other locations and increasing play facilities for companion cats."