Escape winter chill in the comfort of private listening room, cinema

As the cold settles in with daytime temperatures dropping down below 5 degrees Celsius across the country, many may be crossing last-minute fall foliage appreciation off their to-do lists to be replaced with cozier indoor options.

From unique cafes to large shopping complexes and the latest pop-up stores, Seoul has an abundance of indoor entertainment for spending time with friends and family.

Those in search of a calmer atmosphere or hoping to avoid crowds might enjoy the comfort and privacy offered by music listening rooms and private cinemas.

Baekjihwa

Many vinyl music bars with cozy interiors and high-quality sound systems may have become too crowded for your tastes, especially if they have gone viral online or been introduced on TV shows.

Baekjihwa, however, chooses not to pack its space with visitors.

This cozy listening room is located in the basement floor of a four-story building in Gangdong-gu, eastern Seoul. Open from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays, its weekend hours are 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. (with a 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. breaktime), restricting the number of guests to a maximum of nine.

Online reservations are required via Naver Booking. The use of the listening room is limited to five hours per guest.

Admission costs 10,000 won ($7.20) per hour.

A manager there runs a music program titled “Artist Special,” where he recommends some must-listens for the selected musician of the day.

British band Portishead and Japanese band Kirinji will be highlighted on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Visitors can write down requests of their favorite songs and hand them to the manager to enjoy them on Baekjihwa’s high-quality sound system.

If you are a fan of vinyl records, take your time to select an interesting album to play on the listening room’s record player for a cool music experience.

You can make a reservation for a private party to enjoy food and drinks with your friends as well.

The entire room can be rented for a minimum of two hours, which costs 140,000 won with each additional hour priced at 70,000 won.

Artist Special is not held for group reservations so that guests may enjoy listening to their music of choice.

Chillin the Cinema

Meanwhile, Chillin the Cinema is a private cinema located in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, where visitors can enjoy a year-end party with popular movies or watch the latest Netflix series without going to a packed theater.

Chillin the Cinema has a 120-inch screen for watching films, reality shows and dramas from your preferred streaming service, including Netflix, Disney+, Tving and Wavve.

Guests can bring their own food or snacks to munch on while watching a show.

The theater's ambient lighting and dark-toned walls create a serene atmosphere, making it the perfect place to enjoy quality time with friends or family while escaping the blistering cold outside.

Chillin the Cinema is open from 9 a.m. to midnight, and visitors can make reservations online for four hours.

Prices range from 50,000 won to 100,000 won depending on how long the cinema is used for and the date of the visit.

While the cheapest rate is charged for two guests using the cinema between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on weekdays and weekends, admission is 100,000 won on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Chillin the Cinema is an unmanned facility. Reservations are accepted via Naver Booking.