Rolls-Royce & helicopter dropoff, birthday fireworks, butlers mark Villa Kosmos trip
A trip to an island resort starts with a Rolls-Royce pickup and a helicopter ride.
That’s how Villa Kosmos -- a two-floor residence with four rooms for up to eight people -- is serving an exclusive clientele seeking a secluded retreat on Ulleungdo. The island off the east coast of South Korea, together with Dokdo, forms the country’s easternmost group of islands.
“A trip to Ulleungdo has never given our upscale clientele a single headache for the past eight years,” said Cho Hyun-jai, a chief manager at Kolon Corporation -- a Korean chemical and textile conglomerate that runs the villa complex through its affiliate, Kosmos Ulleungdo.
“There aren’t and can’t be any complaints because butlers take care of everything from start to finish,” Cho said, referring to the assistants assigned to the guests once they complete a reservation by phone, preferably at least two months ahead.
The butlers then get to work, first studying the clients’ preferences for transportation, meals and programs they want to join while on the island.
A Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van picks up clients at a place of their designation and drives them to Pohang, a city north of Busan where they hop on a ferry headed to Ulleungdo.
“But of course there are exceptions to this routine,” Cho said.
Rolls-Royce, helicopter pickup
Cho recalled reaching out to a Kolon BMW dealership to procure a Rolls-Royce to replace the Mercedes van -- a 1.9-meter-tall box on wheels that’s popular with celebrities, because of its spacious interior with luxury amenities like massage seats.
Cho was acting on “the advice of one of the loyal regulars” frequenting Kosmos.
According to Cho, the 60-something client, a Mercedes-Maybach owner, suggested a smoother ride. “He liked the Rolls-Royce and continues to this day to be our Rolls-Royce guest,” Cho noted, saying every other guest still relies on a Mercedes van.
Opting for a Rolls-Royce does not cost extra but other changes do, Cho explained, referring to a helicopter option instead of a ferry for the last leg of the trip to Ulleungdo.
“Those who get seasick easily usually opt for that,” Cho said. “Or people just wanting quicker travel to the island ask for the change.” It takes six-and-a-half hours to reach Ulleungdo from Pohang via ferry; the helicopter ride, which takes off at Yeongdeok, near Pohang, is about an hour long.
The switch to a helicopter alone costs 18 million won ($12,000) -- given everything else in the basic travel plan stays the same.
The all-inclusive plan starts at 36 million won for four guests to stay two nights at a four-bedroom villa complete with a Jacuzzi, sauna and terrace.
Up to eight people can stay at the two-story space touting floor-to-ceiling windows that offer unparalleled views of the sea and pink sunsets.
Fireworks, classical music concert
But taking in stunning views or trying different cuisines prepared by world-class chefs isn’t all there is to do at Kosmos.
“The best part of Kosmos travel is that guests can ask for anything,” Cho said. “I mean as long as it’s not a completely random or impossible request, which has never happened as far as I know.”
The biggest guest event he remembers having helped organize so far, Cho recalled, was fireworks to celebrate a guest’s birthday. This was not part of regular programs offered at Kosmos but looked doable, according to Cho.
Last year, a father threw a surprise birthday party for a young child that led to Ulleungdo residents being treated to a fireworks extravaganza.
Dazzling light displays aren’t commonplace on the island with a tiny population of around 9,000, Cho said of that day. “The father was very impressed and wanted a second show. So we organized it the next time he visited,” Cho added.
The father spent 30 million won for each event.
One of the popular programs that Kosmos offers regularly at an extra cost is a music concert. The villa invites the musicians the guests have asked for. What famous names have performed on the island? The villa declined to reveal the musicians’ names, citing privacy concerns.
Other programs include scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing and yoga.
This year will see Kosmos expanding. Starting May 1, Villa Sommet will be up and running next to Kosmos. The 10-room Villa Sommet will be a more affordable option at 2 million won a night per room. The daily rate at the eight-room Villa Terre -- the entry-level residence in the resort compound -- runs up to 600,000 won per room.
This series looks at the latest lifestyles of the ultrarich. -- Ed.
