Holding up your mobile phone while lying in bed, you watch in awe as the biggest K-pop stars walk down the red carpet at a prestigious music show. As they strike poses while greeted by deafening cheers and blinding camera flashes, you utter to yourself, "Wow. I wonder what it's like to be one of them." 

If you have found yourself in such a situation before, you are definitely not alone. For most of us, the fascinating world of K-pop is one that we've only been able to observe from a distance — more often than not through our screens. This is why getting a taste of K-pop stardom has existed in our heads as a fun imaginary scenario rather than something that we believe could actually happen.

This changed with the launch of The Ultimate K-pop Experience, a special vacation package created by online travel agency Booking.com alongside South Korean singer-songwriter KANGDANIEL. Held in Seoul from 31 August to 2 September, it gave two lucky fans a once-in-a-lifetime chance to live out their K-pop dreams for just USD 25.07.

In the lead-up to 31 August, I had the opportunity to fly over to Seoul to preview the space that The Ultimate K-pop Experience's guests would call home and the itinerary that had been curated for them. What awaited me was an immersive experience that would have delighted any K-pop enthusiast.

Home suite home

Upon checking in at the Hongdae district's RYSE, Autograph Collection, I was directed to the Director Suite, my assigned room for the media preview of The Ultimate K-pop Experience (no, it's not the one in the picture above). After laying eyes on the huge vanity mirrors in the bathroom, the large floor space, and the magnificent view outside the window, I said to myself, "This is pretty luxurious."

Little did I know then that my definition of the word "luxurious" would be challenged during a tour of the Executive Producer Suite just hours later. 

Tucked away on the 20th floor of the hotel, the swanky suite was where The Ultimate K-pop Experience's guests would reside for the duration of their stay. I was told that the suite could only be booked by VIPs, meaning that the pair would join South Korean rapper Zico and British singer-songwriter Sam Smith on its star-studded list of residents — talk about exclusivity.

The Executive Producer Suite before it was re-themed (Credit: RYSE, Autograph Collection)

The Executive Producer Suite after it was re-themed 

To transform the suite into a haven for K-pop lovers, the curators of The Ultimate K-pop Experience injected it with a fresh personality through the use of eye-catching Y2K-inspired liveries and wall decals. Images of KANGDANIEL, as well as his insignia, were also plastered on walls around the suite, making it seem as if one were renting the space from a superstar host (more on that in just a bit).

One of the biggest highlights of the re-themed Executive Producer Suite was, without a doubt, its noraebang (Korean for "karaoke") section. Having been to a noraebang in Seoul before, I was impressed by the attention to detail that went into recreating the look and feel of one that you would find along the streets of Seoul. From neon lights to an inflatable chair and disco balls, the area was designed to make it difficult to resist grabbing a microphone and singing along to your favourite K-pop tunes.

At the time of my visit, BTS' Jung Kook's 'seven' was playing on the karaoke system, something that I did not know was a foreshadowing of what I would experience in the later part of my trip.

As part of the stay, there was a full K-pop makeover handled by hair stylists and make-up artists who had previously worked with big-name acts such as IU, Girls' Generation, and Kep1er. While this was an activity that I did not get to experience, I was able to check out the area of the suite created for the makeover — the Beauty Room.

Fitted with bright lights, heart-shaped vanity mirrors, and a full-body mirror with a sticker that read "You look like a K-pop star", this little makeover studio was designed to make you feel good about yourself. 

Superstar treatment from a superstar host

If you have ever received a nice welcome note or little treats from the host of your overseas accommodation, you would know how welcome such a gesture can make you feel, especially if you are checking in after a long flight.

While KANGDANIEL may not have been around to receive me (or the two lucky fans), his hospitality could be strongly felt as I made my way around the suite. Take the KANGDANIEL Treasure Trove, for example. In it, I found a counter decorated with albums and a variety of collectibles — such as banners, a lightstick, a hairclip, a keychain, and a portable fan — that were selected by KANGDANIEL himself. 

And right next to the merchandise counter was a rack from which recognisable pieces of clothing that KANGDANIEL wore while filming the Mad Max-esque music video for his 2023 track 'SOS'. It was truly surreal seeing them right in front of me, and I could only imagine how ecstatic the suite's guests would be to be within proximity of these iconic items during their stay. 

As an additional gesture, KANGDANIEL also left an autographed welcome note, limited edition autographed albums, and a personalised fan video for The Ultimate K-pop Experience's guests, who, to me, seemed more like friends than fans of the 'PARANOIA' act at this point.

Another section of the suite where the pair of guests could get closer to KANGDANIEL was the kitchen. Not only was it well-stocked with delectable Korean snacks, such as Pepero sticks and choco pies, but it was also a space where one could learn to make ramen the KANGDANIEL way using a special Spicy Chicken Black Bean Ramen recipe that the singer had created. 

Together, these KANGDANIEL-themed additions to the suite did a wonderful job of knocking down barriers between KANGDANIEL and his fans. 

Ahead of the guests' stay, KANGDANIEL explained what he had hoped to achieve through co-curating The Ultimate K-pop Experience: "I hope that the guests will get to experience K-pop like never before and fully immerse themselves in the once-in-a-lifetime experiences that Booking.com has planned for them. I hope they also grow to love K-pop more and discover how exciting this genre of music is and how passionate K-pop artists are in breaking new ground and bringing their best to fans."

An immersive itinerary

Credit: YN Company

Complementing the stay in the Executive Producer Suite was an itinerary that took The Ultimate K-pop Experience's guests's immersion in the world of K-pop to another level. 

One activity that I got to experience was a K-pop dance class at YN Company, an activity that is also available for booking on Booking.com. Remember me telling you that Jung Kook's 'seven' foreshadowed a later experience earlier in this article? Now is the time for that story.

On the morning of the dance class, I, along with three other media friends, were picked up from our hotel by a smartly dressed gentleman in a vehicle resembling the ones used to transport K-pop artists. One of my peers even joked that we looked like a four-piece K-pop band. 

Upon arrival at YN Company, we were greeted by our friendly dance teacher, Anastasia, and a professional cameraman who promptly began documenting our K-pop dance journey. After doing some warm-up exercises, we began learning a small portion of the choreography of the song that had been selected for us — none other than 'seven'. 

Credit: YN Company

Being someone with terrible coordination, I was the slowest of the lot to pick up and combine the different hand gestures and leg movements, but I pushed on nonetheless, determined to put on a decent performance at the end of the class at the very least.

Just when I thought I was getting the hang of things while learning the choreography to a slowed-down version of 'seven', Anastasia decided it was time for us to try dancing to its original version. 

"Wait. This song is so much faster than I recall," I thought to myself as I struggled to get the different parts of my body to cooperate with me. 

After about an hour of learning to dance to the song's chorus, the cameraman entered the room to film dance videos of us as a full unit before dividing us into sub-units. There were also solo stages, which I opted out of in order to preserve my dignity. 

Credit: YN Company

What I really appreciated about the class was how safe and welcoming of an environment it was for beginners, or completely clueless individuals like myself, to learn to dance along to their favourite K-pop tracks. As Anastasia reminded us at the end, what was more important was "being confident in your own body". 

Through the class, I also gained a much deeper respect for actual K-pop artists who pour in hours of hard work daily to ensure that they show us nothing but their best when they are on stage.