Lee Hae-rin is a City Desk reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues, tourism and taekwondo. She is passionate about speaking up for the rights of minorities, including women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and animals as well as discovering the latest makgeolli trend in town. Feel free to reach her at lhr@koreatimes.co.kr.
Saipan resort accommodates families, young golfers and partygoers
Travelers enjoy the evening pool party at Coral Ocean Resort Saipan's Beach Club in this undated provided photo. Courtesy of MRI
By Lee Hae-rin
By Lee Hae-rin
Coral Ocean Resort Saipan seeks to expand the island's traveler target from families to young golfers and partygoers with a wide range of sports and entertainment facilities to revitalize its pandemic-hit tourism.
Established in 1988, the resort was acquired by the E-land group's overseas corporation MRI in 2011. Since its reopening in 2013, it went through another round of renovation when the super typhoon Yutu devastated most of its infrastructure in 2018.
Before the second renovation, the resort was “an ordinary old-fashioned golf resort” that offered little originality, according to the resort's general manager Park Eun-pyung.
Thus, the resort took the chance to differentiate itself from other resorts by expanding its target market to include visitors younger than traditionally associated with traveling to the island, which according to Park and his colleagues, “choose to stay unmarried and childless and have heavy interests in golf and gastronomy.”
According to the resort, most of its visitors before the pandemic were middle-aged travelers who stay about a month to play golf. However, the resort's visitor range has grown younger, as over half of the resort's visitors are now people in their 20s and 30s.
This undated provided photo shows an aerial view of the seashore golf course at Coral Ocean Resort in Saipan, CNMI. Courtesy of MRI
The resort offers an LPGA standard golf course with plenty of rounding time for beginners and amateurs.
Designed by champion golfer Larry Nelson, the resort's golf course maintains quality grass condition with a professional course manager from Korea who formerly managed PGA golf courses.
Also, the resort offers a six-hour rounding of 18 holes ― longer than an average of 4.5 hours ― to unburden the visitors from time pressure and allow amateur players to enjoy the seashore view. The golf course presents a picturesque panoramic ocean view toward Saipan's neighboring Tinian Island.
The resort also has Saipan's first beach club-themed swimming pool to target young travelers. Park and his staff benchmarked the clubs in Bali and created a trendy and photogenic party venue.
Pool parties are held every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, with unlimited champagne and finger foods. The event has grown popular among other resort's visitors and local islanders.
The resort's team of chefs from Korea's five-star hotels presents a contemporary casual dining experience ranging from Mediterranean dishes to modern Korean cuisine and signature steaks.
“Since the renovation, the resort has seen a growing number of photo reviews on social media by young visitors who travel with their friends of the same age and sex,” Park said.