JW Marriott brings luxury into Dongdaemun
By Kang Seung-woo
When you think of Dongdaemun in Seoul, apart from its historical significance, the first impression characterizing the place may be the hustle and bustle of a textile and apparel wholesale market -- a perception that is distanced from luxury.
Still, it remains one of the nation's best shopping districts selling cheaper clothes and other products to visitors as well as locals.
Matthew Cooper, general manager of the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul
However, Matthew Cooper, the general manager of the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul, believes the concept of Dongdaemun is transforming into luxury as the Australian is seeking to deliver a truly luxury brand there through his property.
“That (the image of Dongdaemun as not luxury) is probably the biggest thing for the hotel to overcome,” Cooper said in an interview with The Korea Times.
“But I relate it to the meatpacking district of New York City. Twenty years ago, that area was where people killed animals to make meat and it did stink. Now, it is the chicest and hottest place by real estate in New York City.”
He added that since the hotel came there in February 2014 along with the arrival of Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in 2011, the value of Dongdaemun has been elevated, inviting high-profile brands to the area.
“Novotel is about to open over here. Hyundai has just opened the outlet mall here. Many global luxury brands like Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton and Balenciaga have presented collections at DDP,” he said.
“No longer the Apgujeong road is the house of fashion. It is DDP in this area.”
The hotel is the first international luxury hotel to open in the area as well as the first JW Marriott luxury boutique hotel in the entire Asia-Pacific region.
In order to live up to the billings, the JW Marriott is focused on providing unrivaled quality services customized to its guests, the general manger said.
“We want the hotel to be exclusive. We have 500 memberships. That's it. We could have 5,000. When you come to us, you don't wait for anything. If you want to use a treadmill and you want an isolated private workout room, it happens. If you want private therapy, it can happen. We have facilities to mange that. You pay for that luxury,” said Cooper.
“Lately, we pick up our guests off the tarmac at the private jet airport, so we send our limousine to the private jet airport in Gimpo, not Incheon. The airplane of our guests pulls up and people get off the plane, walk into the car, come to the hotel, go underneath and go through the private entrance and up to the room.
“So, no one even knows they are here. That's the hotel we want to be.”
Every guest of the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul can see Heunginjimun gate from their room. / Courtesy of JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul
Along with such hospitality, the hotel boasts of its “tailored services” he believes are similar to those of properties in the U.S. luxury hotel market.
“We have a rule in the hotel that no one is called by their room numbers. We know all the guests (by name),” he said.
“We treat this service in this hotel like it is all hotels in New York City. If you can afford to stay and eat here, you get amazing service. We really try to do tailored services, so we spend a lot of time on looking at every street of our guests, looking at their businesses, looking at their families and their purpose of travel. We are trying to tailor their stay around that.”
Currently, Cooper said the JW Marriott's tailored service is turning its focus on single travel guests.
“When we check you out of your room, we will see which side of the bed you sleep on. So when you come back in, we will turn down that side of the bed,” he said.
After spending two years at the JW Marriott Hotel Seoul, located in Gangnam-gu, he joined the current establishment in April 2016, contributing to the hotel emerging as one of the leading players in the industry.
And his two-year efforts recently paid off as he won this year's General Manager of the Year award last month. The prestigious annual award is given by the Hotelier Awards Asia.
It is the first time for a general manager from any Korea-based hotel to win the honor.
“The award itself represents the pride I have been working in Seoul and Korea and represents the Korean hotel industry,” he said.