Wesin Chosun Seoul selected best business hotel in Korea

Financial Asia, a Hong Kong-based financial magazine, recently named the five-star Westin Chosun Seoul as the “Best Business Hotel in Seoul” for the fourth consecutive year.

General Manager Roh Sang-duk

By Kim Se-jeong

Financial Asia, a Hong Kong-based financial magazine, recently named the five-star Westin Chosun Seoul as the “Best Business Hotel in Seoul” for the fourth consecutive year. The hotel’s general manager says the honor is a product of more than just luck.

“We are constantly asking ourselves what we can do to make our guests feel more special,” General Manager Roh Sang-duk said during an interview with The Korea Times.

The hotel caters to both leisure and business travelers, but it focuses its services on business travelers from abroad, who account for a big portion of the guests. According to the hotel’s data, half of its business travelers are regulars, spending at least 25 nights in the hotel per year.

The Airport One Stop Service is only one example of Western Chosun’s exceptional services for its core guests. The service allows guests to check in to the hotel as they arrive at the airport, and they receive the keys to their rooms there, eliminating the need to wait in line for check-in.

The Personal Touch of Chosun Service is also superb. The hotel keeps towels, bed sheets, slippers and bed robes, as well as other belongings, including furniture, for the regular guests when they’re gone.

The Airport One Stop Service is only one example of Western Chosun Seoul’s exceptional services for its core guests. / Courtesy of Western Chosun Seoul

The Executive Club Lounge on the 20th floor assists business travelers with work-related needs. The lounge’s meeting room, desktop PC with free Wi-Fi and printer, as well as snacks and beverages, are available to suit room guests and VIPs.

The general manager said the hotel’s exceptional services would have been impossible without tradition and history. The Westin Chosun Seoul has been around for more than 100 years and is the oldest hotel in Korea.

“It is not just about manuals. We have always had traditional services and this traditional spirit and practice are passed down from one generation of staff to another,” Roh said.

The century-old facilities also make Westin Chosun attractive. Guests can play music in their rooms from an analog-style audio system rather than from their iPod.

In addition, while many hotels no longer provide toothbrushes to guests, Westin Chosun continues to do so for its guests’ convenience.

To better help guests get a good night’s sleep, the hotel also offers guests a choice from six special pillows, including a Korean wooden pillow, a traditional Japanese pillow, a British latex pillow and an American long pillow.

The hotel’s ideal location is another one of its most appealing points. Located in the heart of the old city, the hotel is walking distance to Gwanghwamun, Gyeongbok Palace, Deoksu Palace, Myeong-dong and Namdaemun Market.

The hotel also has its own fine dining restaurants, including Sushi Cho, the best Japanese restaurant in town, as well as Ninth Gate Grille, The Circle, Hong Yuan, Aria, Vecchia e Nuovo and the Menagerie.

The hotel has a furnished gym, a swimming pool and a sauna, where guests can relax and rejuvenate.

The general manager said the hotel is expecting a renovation in the foreseeable future to win more guests in the fiercely competitive hotel market in Korea.

For more information and reservations, call(02) 771-0500 or visit www.westin.com/seoul.