Grand Ambassador celebrates 60th anniversary with museum

Grand Ambassador Seoul’s museum is located behind the hotel building in Jangchung-dong, Seoul. / Courtesy of Grand Ambassador Seoul

By Kim Se-jeong

In celebration of its 60th anniversary, Grand Ambassador Seoul has opened a museum that revisits the hotel company’s history.

The museum is located behind the hotel building in Jangchung-dong, Seoul. The hotel group’s founder, Suh Sang-cheon, who passed away in 1992, used to reside in the building. The idea of turning the historic house into a museum was conceived almost a decade ago, and renovation began two years ago.

“This is a great occasion for us to look back to how far we have come,” according to the hotel’s statement. “We would like to share this auspicious occasion with our guests.”

The second floor of the museum has a small library.

The two-story building is open to visitors and is accessible through a curvy, steep and narrow corridor behind the hotel property. Traditional soy sauce crocks welcome guests as they enter the gate, ushering them into the museum.

The museum is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. between Tuesday and Friday for free. The museum has a library on the second floor and serves free coffee on the rooftop.

The museum houses photos, documents clothing and other artifacts that give an account of the hotel and its founder and his management style.

Suh was the son of a weightlifting father. He founded the 19-room Hotel Keumsoochang on Oct. 1, 1955 at the current location. In 1965, the hotel built a new building and changed its name to Ambassador Hotel. In 1987, the hotel signed a joint venture agreement with the French AccorHotels Group, paving the way for exponential growth.

The museum offers a glimpse into 60 years of the hotel.

In 1993, Novotel Ambassador Gangnam opened, the first joint project by the two hotel companies. Since then, 17 Accor hotel brands have opened in six cities in Korea.

Ambassador Group achieved a couple of firsts in the Korean hotel industry. In 1977, it opened “Kings,” buffet restaurant, the first such restaurant in a hotel. Grand Ambassador also became the first hotel to appoint a foreign-born general manager in 1973. General Manager Milo David brought service innovations to the hotel, and consequently, many in the hotel management industry began calling the Ambassador as a hotelier incubator.

In addition to opening the museum, the hotel is offering several promotional packages in celebration of its anniversary.

Until Oct. 31, the hotel’s restaurant “The Kings” is offering discounts to guests born in 1955. These guests can avail lunch or dinner for only 60,000 won ― lunch usually costs 77,000 won and 80,000 won for dinner.

The hotel’s international restaurant “Café de Chef” also has an anniversary menu, and will charge 66,000 won per person, including tax.

Between Oct. 1 and Nov. 29, guests who reserve a room through the hotel’s website www.ambatel.com will received a 6,000-won discount.

For more information or reservation, call the hotel at (02)2270-3101.