Grand Hyatt Seoul to launch mobile app

Grand Hyatt Seoul’s brand recognition relies on its facilities and services. Its outdoor swimming pool is one of the most famous summer destinations for families in Seoul. / Courtesy of Grand Hyatt Seoul

Adrian Slater, Grand Hyatt Seoul’s general manager

By Kim Se-jeong

Grand Hyatt Seoul is launching a mobile application on Sept. 1, and it will not just be for people who wish to book a room or to find special promotions.

“It is a lifestyle app,” Adrian Slater, the hotel’s new general manager said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.

Besides providing information about the hotel, the app, called Grand Hyatt Seoul, will have information on major tourist attractions, galleries, museums, restaurants and bars in Seoul.

“It will be a city guide advising you on which shops to go to or where to visit in the neighborhood,” Slater said.

Grand Hyatt Seoul’s new mobile application

It will also offer other useful information, such as the nearest supermarket, drug store or a hair dresser in your neighborhood, using a map.

“What makes our information different is that all these places are recommended by the hotel’s concierges. So it is quality information,” said Olive Sheen from the hotel in charge of the app development.

The app is available in Korean and English.

The app is a strategic move by the hotel to attract new guests.

“People are trying to communicate with in-house guests. But how about other guests who come to our weddings and to J.J. Mahoney’s? How are we talking to these people?” the general manager said.

Thanks to its name value and recognition in Korea, Grand Hyatt Seoul has many returning guests. However, the increasingly competitive market in Korea requires hotels to cultivate new guests.

This is a new initiative by the Hyatt among hotels in Korea. No other international brand in Korea has a similar application. Some local hotel brands have their own app, but the information is limited. Grand Hyatt Seoul’s app will be a model for other Hyatt properties in Korea.

Given the hotel’s strong brand recognition here, Slater is confident that the app will be a success.

The general manager was part of the team that helped build the hotel’s strong brand recognition in Korea.

He arrived in Korea recently from Dubai, but has previously worked at Hyatt hotels in Korea.

He has worked a total of seven-and-a-half years in Korea and was the general manager at Park Hyatt Seoul and Hyatt Regency Jeju as well as being part of the planning team for Hyatt Regency Incheon.

Among the four Hyatt properties in the country, Grand Hyatt is the oldest and has the most recognition. Located near Mt. Nam, the hotel is itself a landmark with its 601 rooms coveted by many who live in and visit the city.

Its outdoor swimming pool and deck overlooking the Han River is a famous summer destination for families and couples. Sun beds and tables are available to guests on a first-come-first-served basis, free of charge. A hotel staff member said the pool is always packed during summer.

The hotel underwent a major renovation of its rooms in 2007 and is planning another major renovation, this time of its restaurants. Grand Hyatt Seoul has 10 restaurants and bars, including The Paris Grill, Akasaka, Tenkai, The Terrace, Lobby Lounge and J.J. Mahoney’s.

“We are looking at enhancing guest experiences in food/beverages,” Slater said. The renovation will change not just the interior design, but also menu items to accommodate customers’ fast-changing, increasingly sophisticated tastes, he said. Through these changes the hotel hopes to maintain, if not improve, the food and service quality.

“We want people to come back because they know what will they get — good quality food and service,” he added.

Born in New Zealand, Slater has been in the hotel business for almost three decades. He started out as a waiter at Hyatt Regency Auckland.

He has worked at Hyatt properties around the world, including Hyatt Regency Dubai, Hyatt Regency Perth, Hyatt Regency Saipan and Hyatt Regency Guam.