ÖÖD House is taking its mirror cabins to Asia, starting with a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in South Korea.
If you did not know already, in recent years, Estonia has established itself as a big player in the modular housing sector, with prefabricated buildings ranking as its 8th most traded product and reaching an export value of €403M in 2025. Now the numbers might get another push, thanks to new markets opening.
This May, Estonian design and hospitality company ÖÖD House has signed its first memorandum of understanding (MoU) in South Korea, partnering with local hospitality concept Dear Cabin to explore a nature-focused wellness retreat in the Pyeongchang region. This deal marks the company’s first foothold in Asia, after already setting up shop in European and North American markets, spanning over 25 countries.
In Estonia, the company operates two hotel locations. ÖÖD Hotels Lohusalu features two mirrored cabins that share a sauna, situated in a peaceful seaside pine forest with access to a white-sand beach on the Gulf of Finland. ÖÖD Laheranna site is positioned on the coast of Ihasalu Bay, surrounded by a pine forest and near hiking trails, sandy beaches, and the Jägala waterfall.
ÖÖD House in Asia
The project under discussion, provisionally named Dear Cabin Pyeongchang, is envisioned as a boutique retreat near Geumdangsan Mountain in Gangwon Province, featuring ÖÖD’s signature mirror houses set into the surrounding landscape, alongside shared wellness spaces built around slow living and guest privacy. The Pyeongchang area was chosen for its accessibility from Seoul, year-round tourism infrastructure, and natural mountain setting – best known internationally as the host of the 2018 Winter Olympics.
The relationship grew out of a trade visit to South Korea in February 2026, organised through Enterprise Estonia (EIS), the country’s national export and investment agency. “That trip, facilitated through the EIS delegation and local advisors, really helped us better understand the market and connect with the right people on the ground,” said Daniel Fanselow, Head of Development at ÖÖD House.
The MoU establishes a framework for ongoing collaboration. At the same time, both parties work through feasibility, permitting, and technical questions —including how ÖÖD’s modular hospitality model would need to adapt to Korean building regulations, winter climate performance, and local guest expectations.
For ÖÖD, which has built its reputation on glass-and-steel mirror cabins designed to sit unobtrusively within natural settings, it’s another step forward towards international expansion. “South Korea is an incredibly sophisticated market from both a design and hospitality perspective,” said Fanselow. “This is less about a single project and more about building long-term relationships and understanding how ÖÖD can fit into the region thoughtfully and sustainably.”
EIS South Korea advisers Soonhee Bae and Soyoung Im noted that the outcome reflects how international market development typically works: long-term groundwork, relationship building, and local facilitation gradually opening the door to larger opportunities.
The project remains at an early stage, with technical and commercial discussions continuing alongside local consultants. Subject to feasibility and regulatory approvals, it would represent ÖÖD’s first project in Asia.
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