LOOK: Vacationers are choosing to stay in 'prison' hotels
These are not prisons that have been transformed into luxurious holiday accommodation...
When you think about a relaxing vacation or a weekend break you probably don't think about spending your time away in a jail cell.
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If a prison-like experience sounds more up your alley, then this hotel in South Korea is perfect for you!
The Prison Inside Me hotel is a mock correctional facility that has become extremely popular amongst South Korean workers and students.
The hotel focuses on helping participants release any stress and distractions present in their daily lives through isolation and immersion in silence.
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They offer 24- and 48-hour stays at the facility, and since opening in 2013, they have hosted over 2,000 "inmates".
A 24-hour session in a private cell will cost you about R1,600 ($90), but what does it include?
Upon arrival, participants had to hand over their cell phones and watches, instead receiving a blue prison uniform, a yoga mat to sleep on, and a tea set.
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The guest rooms at Prison Inside Me look eerily similar to actual prison cells and accommodations are modest.
While rooms are small, they all are equipped with toilets but no mirrors.
After receiving their uniforms and supplies, the "inmates" go for a walk outside and a group meditation session before being "locked up".
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The meals are simple, one example being a steamed sweet potato and banana milkshake.
They also eat all meals independently, and their empty trays are pushed through slots to minimise human interaction.
Participants are not allowed to talk to each other while "locked up", and silence is a significant reason why people go to Prison Inside Me.
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"Inmates" pass the time through meditation, writing letters and other low-stress activities.
While it doesn't sound as intense as prison, it doesn't sound like a picnic.
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So why are so many South Koreans opting to be "locked up" voluntarily?
According to Business Insider: "The ultra-competitive culture among students and employees in South Korea is in part to blame for the country's high rates of stress, sleep disorders, and suicide. Prison Inside Me cofounder Noh Ji-Hyang opened the facility to offer a way for people to completely disconnect from their stressful daily lives, if only for a day or two."
South Koreans suffering from this amount of stress and pressure from competitive academics and workplace culture are looking for new ways to cope.
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Co-founder Noh Ji-Hyang even said that her husband's 100-hour work week inspired her to provide resources for those struggling.
In an interview 28-year-old Park Hye-Ri, startup business program manager, said she visited the facility to take a break from her heavy workload.
I shouldn't be here right now, given the work I need to do.
The work culture in South Korea has been so worrying that the government has had to limit working hours, minimising it from 68 to 52.
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Many might be sceptical about the Prison In Me hotel but Noh says that it is certainly making a positive impact on the participants
After a stay in the prison, people say, ‘This is not a prison, the real prison is where we return to'.
This might not be the ideal vacation for everyone, but it might be the dream even for introverts.
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Main image courtesy of Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters