PYEONGTAEK, South Korea — The Army’s hotel at Camp Henry, once the only one it had in the Daegu region, will close Oct. 1 in a cost-cutting move.
The Army also will close Camp Long’s five-room lodge Sept. 17, said Jake Sparks, lodging program manager with the Army’s Installation Management Agency-Korea Region Office.
Those seeking temporary lodging in Daegu still can use Camp Walker’s 60-room Army lodge and the 24-room Walker lodge annex.
“Our occupancy in the Daegu area has only been 62 percent, where for a ‘green’ status, 80 percent is what they like to see for Army lodging,” Sparks said.
For the entire peninsula, the rate has been running at about 72 percent, he said.
A variety of factors have led to the occupancy decline, he said.
As the Army has moved certain units out of South Korea, there are fewer troops needing temporary lodging. And with U.S. Forces Korea’s Assignment Incentive Pay, or AIP, some soldiers stay in South Korea longer, thus reducing the number of soldiers needing temporary lodging on their way to a new duty station.
In addition, South Korea’s new high-speed KTX train service has meant some travelers can finish their business in Daegu with a same-day round-trip.
And the government’s overall fiscal constraints have cut down on temporary official travel, Sparks said.
“We have to be able to streamline our operations to break even and to improve what buildings we do have,” he said.
Even without financial limitations and the occupancy decrease, Sparks said the Army had planned to build new lodges and eventually “get rid of things that have been around for years,” including the Henry lodge.
The Army plans to open a new 50-room lodge at Camp Carroll, about 40 minutes north of Daegu, by November. It also is adding a new wing to its lodge at Camp Humphreys, bringing to 156 the number of rooms there.
As of Sept. 30, those seeking Army lodging in Daegu can call the Walker Army Lodge at DSN 764-5536.
