Hotels Boost Services for Businessmen
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Many associate a stay at a big hotel with fine food and wine in fancy restaurants and top-notch leisure activities. It also includes swimming and tanning by the pool and tasting gourmet foods prepared by skilled chefs.
However, hotels are also a great place to make a deal. Many of central Seoul's top hotels are trying to attract more business clients by offering a variety of packages for meetings.
With large halls redecorated as seminar or convention halls, hotels are considered one of the best places for discussing business strategies, making proposals and signing contracts.
Unlike tourists or holidaymakers who visit hotels on rare occasions, businessmen are regular customers who provide a stable amount of income.
``Meeting Package''
The meeting package is one of the most popular offers. The package provides a discrete meeting room, video projector, stationary and other devices, as well as lunch, coffee and snacks at low prices.
The Grand Hilton offers this package for groups of less than 40 from 75,000 to 85,000 won.
Imperial Palace offers a 50 percent discount for convention hall rentals and an additional 30 percent discount for bedroom reservations.
Hotel Shilla is set to launch its own meeting package for groups of more than 15 people. Those who also rent bedrooms will get a discount, with Superior rooms at 250,000 won and Executive Deluxe rooms for 310,000 won.
Hilton Namhae Golf and Spa Resort's ``Meeting for Free'' package gives groups a free convention room, lunch and snacks if they book rooms for business purposes.
Jean-Philippe Jacopin, the general manager of the resort said, ``Due to soaring foreign currency rates, more companies are giving up overseas seminars or workshops. It is a good opportunity for the resort to help them make business communication here at a relatively bargain price.''
Grand Intercontinental Seoul's business center is wide open for groups of more than five. The hotel has seven meeting rooms in various sizes and those who book meetings rooms for five hours get a sixth hour free. Price varies from 70,000 won to 300,000 won per hour, depending on the size of the room.
The hotel's business center manager Choi Jung-ok said, ``The high standard of the small meeting rooms will offer convenient services that are required for successful business meeting. And our service assisted by professional staff and exceptional amenities will exceed any businessman's expectation.''
No Charge for Cancellation
JW Marriott's ``Seamless Meetings'' is targeting large conventions and seminars that require not only convention halls but also bedrooms.
For those who book more than 100 guest rooms, the hotel requests no cancellation fee ― a rarity for hotels which can sometimes charge up to 100 percent for last-minute cancellations.
Contact Companies
Millennium Seoul Hilton has contracts with several companies on an annual basis, and provides breakfast, airport pick-up service, food and beverage discounts and more.