Inter-Burgo Ansan aims to help revitalize city

Hotel Inter-Burgo Ansan has 203 rooms. Above is the Royal Suite. / Courtesy of Hotel Inter-Burgo Ansan

By Kim Se-jeong

A brand-new hotel may seem out of place in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province.

The industrial city, located south of Seoul, is home to working class families and more than 10,000 small- and medium-sized companies.

The city was also recently devastated by the Sewol ferry disaster in April, in which almost 300 students from the local high school lost their lives in a capsizing passenger ferry.

Nevertheless, Hotel Inter-Burgo Ansan opened last week, and made a commitment to help revitalize the city.

“We have realities that are not so favorable at the moment, but we are working to become a landmark in the local community,” Yoon June-shik from Hotel Inter-Burgo said. He refused to disclose his title.

A computer rendering of the hotel’s exterior

His optimism comes from a number of factors.

One is government support. The hotel’s opening is a part of a government-driven project that aims to attract young job seekers to the industrial complex.

To that end, the central government is making efforts to attract companies that require highly-skilled workers to the industrial complex.

It is also overhauling the surrounding neighborhoods by constructing a hotel, Hotel Inter-Burgo Ansan; a shopping center; a residential complex; and entertainment facilities.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is a crucial investor in the project, and Hotel Inter-Burgo is responsible for the management of the hotel.

The 203-room business hotel stands at the foot of a hill looking down the Ansan Smart Hub, formerly known as Banwol Industrial Complex.

The hotel’s restaurant, “Evergreen,” on the first floor, is decorated with colorful paintings by Jesus Soler, a Spanish painter. It has eight conventional halls, which can host banquets and weddings. Hotel weddings are very popular among Korean couples.

Works by Spanish painter Jesus Soler decorate a wall of the hotel restaurant “Evergreen.”

The hotel representative said while the hotel will target businesspeople going to and coming from the industrial complex, it will also cater leisure visitors and local residents.

The city is not well known as a tourist destination, making many wonder if it would be able to attract travelers. But Yoon, who has been reading up a lot about the city, said it has potential.

In particular, he sees the potential in the city’s long artistic history.

The 19th-century painter Kim Hong-do is from Ansan. The renowned painter, and his works appear in school textbooks.

Kim is also known by his nickname, “Danwon,” after which one city district and a high school were named — a majority of the Sewol ferry tragedy victims were from Danwon High School.

The city also houses the Seoul Institute of the Arts, Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, and hosts the annual Danwon Art festival.

The hotel is also targeting the significant number of immigrants and their families in the city.

Ansan has the biggest immigrant population in the country, home to almost 69,000 foreign nationals from 46 countries.

“Come to think of it, we can offer a decent venue for weddings and cultural festivals,” Yoon said. He added the hotel restaurant’s menu can accommodate the cultural diversity of the community.

A home-grown hotel chain, Hotel Inter-Burgo views its Ansan business as a small step toward a big goal to become a hospitality company specializing in management.

Traditionally, hotel chains in Korea both owned and managed hotels, and doing management only is a new trend.

Hotel Inter-Burgo has been operating since 1986. It owns and runs three properties in Korea — Hotel Inter-Burgo Daegu, Hotel Inter-Burgo EXCO in Daegu and Hotel Inter-Burgo Wonju. Hotel Marinha is in Luanda, Angola.

Visit www.ibansan.com or call (031)490-2000 for inquiries and reservations.