A 6 Star Hotel in Gwanghwamun?

If Korean Air's ambitious 7-Star 'hanokish' hotel near Anguk* remains on hold, Mirae Asset's project for a 6-Star hotel at Gwanghwamun Station seems back on tracks.

As we saw earlier, many office buildings are to be delivered over the next few months and years in this area, and across the capital, some projects are already being partly converted into hotel rooms because the boom in tourism is expected to continue as Seoul catches up with rival world magnets. No wonder Jongno-gu wanted developpers to come up with something different than the office space initially planned at this prestigious address (Gwanghwamun Naegeori or the Saemunan-ro / Sejongdae-ro intersection).

We first heard about the project last March but today, more details were released in the media: 26 floors, 316 to 348 rooms, and an inauguration scheduled for 2016. To operate the hotel, Mirae would love to deal with Four Seasons. The franchise usually settles for buildings with a long history but here, the location is loaded with culture and history : in Shinmunro, between Gwanghwamun Square and Gyeonghuigung, just opposite Cheonggyecheon, and halfway between Gyeongbokgung/Seochon and Deoksugung/City Hall**. Bonus: a relatively low competitive pressure (not far from the Koreana Hotel, but clearly in a different area than the Westin or the Plaza).

Hankyung (Korea Economic Daily) published an update of the tourist hotels under construction in Seoul (""외국인 관광객 잡아라" 서울 도심 호텔 6000실 '공사중'"): a total of 6,000 rooms, and a few other Jongno-gu projects (JW Marriot in Jongno 6-ga, Waterfront in Gwansu-dong, and Ibis Ambassador in Ikseon-dong).

I hope the sketch presented in that article as the future Gwanghwamun landmark is just a first draft.

Seoul Village 2012
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*"Korean Air Grounded : Seoul 7 Star Hotel Delayed"
** and don't forget Baekundongcheon ("Baekundongcheon / Gwanghwamun-gil - A River Runs Through It")!

Eric Kayser

July 14th, 2010, the French Embassy. All eyes converge towards Dominique Strauss-Kahn, head of the FMI and a favorite for 2012 presidential elections.

Not mine : I've already seen DSK at the same place 18 years ago, but it's the first time for Eric Kayser products to make a public appearance in Korea, and they taste absolutely delicious. If some bakers can be good in tradition or innovation, this one scores pretty well on both.

Bastille Day teasing was followed by the inauguration of the first branch in Yeouido (63City B1), and the brand is spreading like butter on a fresh from the oven baguette : The Plaza downtown, Lotte Department Store Cheongnyangni, and soon a restaurant in Samcheong-dong, plus the Galleria Centercity in Cheonan.

Kayser contributes to a spectacular boom in French bakeries (see recently Guillaume or Paul), but let's not forget local competition : Patisserie B just started making very nice Opera cakes.

Eric Kayser Korea
The Plaza (02.310.7500)
63City Yeouido (02.789.5687)
Lotte Dept Store Cheongnyangni (02.3707.1976)
Galleria Centercity, Cheonan (041.410.9779)

Seoul Village 2011

Seoul Plaza Hotel joins the renovation frenzy

From May 3rd, the Seoul Plaza Hotel will be closed for renovations. It should reopen 6 month later, about 10 days before the G20 Summit (November 2010). Will remain open for business during the renovation : the Grand Ballroom banquet and wedding facilities, the spa and fitness, and the hotel's restaurants with a direct access from the outside.

The 34 year old hotel will change its white dress for a metal-bronze look, and a new positioning as a "European boutique hotel". The number of guest rooms will be cut from 445 down to 400 to accomodate more suites. The Westin Chosun and Hotel Shilla have also been recently improved, but this one moves after the downturn, a clear sign of optimism from hospitality businesses in Korea. Tourism and logistics infrastructures are among the sectors where Foreign Direct Investment is booming, and Seoul keeps gaining momentum as a major touristic as well as business / convention destination.

On the other side of Seoul Plaza, another landmark is undergoing a total relooking : the new Seoul City Hall just completed its basement levels, so the big wave should start bulging anytime soon*. Meanwhile, you can visit the small exhibition about that major (indeed) project, including images from the propositions that were turned down**.

While I'm at it : Sejongno and Taepyeongno will soon be called "Sejongdaero" or Sejong Avenue. I guess it doesn't change anything as far as the "dongs" are concerned but for the road itself, it means one single name between Gwanghwamun and Sungnyemun, and its confirmation as the spine of downtown Seoul.


Seoul Village 2010

* I can't help but see a tsunami there (see "Business for the Environment Global Summit 2010 in Seoul")
** Today, the square was not really festive, hosting a ceremony to mourn Cheonan victims