U.S. Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secur ...
- owned
hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...
in
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. It is co-located with and is a part of the
Yongsan Garrison
Yongsan Garrison ( ko, 용산기지; Hanja: ), meaning "dragon hill garrison," is an area located in the Yongsan District of central Seoul, South Korea. The site served as the headquarters for U.S. military forces stationed in South Korea, known ...
(which means "Dragon Mountain" in Korean) military community.
The Lodge is an
Armed Forces Recreation Center
Armed Forces Recreation Centers (AFRCs) are a chain of Joint Service Facility resorts hotels owned by the United States Department of Defense to provide rest and relaxation in the form of lodging and outdoor recreation for United States military s ...
(AFRC) resort hotel and serves thousands of guests each year, all of whom are required to be active or retired military, DOD employees, or their family members. The Lodge was built completely with soldier-dollars with no congressional funding support. Rates are determined by the rank of the guest as well as the guest's reason for visiting. Guests traveling on business are charged a higher rate.
History
The facilities that now comprise the Lodge have their origins during the first year of the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
when a mess hall opened as a recreational facility for general officers known as Hartell House. This mess opened in Busan, Korea on 7 July 1950, as the Commanding General's Mess, Eighth Army. It was moved several times from Daegu, to Seoul, back to Daegu and returning to Seoul again during the course of the Korean War. The Hartell House settled in several locations to include a location on the old Seoul National University campus before moving to its present building in 1952. Since 1978 the mess has served the Commanding Generals of
United Nations Command
United Nations Command (UNC or UN Command) is the multinational military force established to support the South Korea, Republic of Korea (South Korea) during and after the Korean War. It was the first international unified command in history, an ...
, ROK/US Combined Forces,
United States Forces Korea
United States Forces Korea (USFK) is a Unified Combatant Command#Subordinate Unified Command, sub-unified command of United States Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). USFK is the joint headquarters for U.S. combat-re ...