The Shilla Seoul hosts Asia's 1st luxury hotel summit event

Yoon Jun-sik, sixth from left, executive chef of The Shilla Seoul, poses with key participants of the 2026 Leading Hotels of the World Asia-Pacific Membership Meeting, including Chris Walker, seventh from left, chief commercial officer of The Leading Hotels of the World; Sung Yun-ki, eighth from left, general manager of The Shilla Seoul; and Shannon Knapp, ninth from left, chief executive of The Leading Hotels of the World, at The Shilla Seoul's Yeong Bin Gwan, Thursday. Courtesy of The Shilla Seoul

The Shilla Seoul hotel recently hosted the 2026 Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) Asia-Pacific Membership Meeting, marking the first time the annual gathering of Asia-Pacific luxury hotel leaders has been held in Asia.

More than 60 participants attended the event on Friday at the hotel's Yeong Bin Gwan banquet hall, a space designed in a contemporary interpretation of traditional Korean architecture, the hotel said Thursday.

Attendees included Shannon Knapp, chief executive of The Leading Hotels of the World, who was visiting Korea for the first time, along with the organization's chief commercial officer, Chris Walker, and general managers and representatives from member hotels across Japan, Mongolia and other Asia-Pacific markets.

Founded in 1928 and headquartered in New York, The Leading Hotels of the World is a global alliance of independent luxury hotels that admits only properties passing rigorous quality inspections. It currently counts more than 400 five-star hotels across over 80 countries as members.

The Shilla Seoul has maintained its LHW membership for more than 45 years. The hotel has also earned recognition from Forbes Travel Guide, the Michelin Guide and Virtuoso. In February, it was named a five-star hotel by Forbes Travel Guide for the eighth consecutive year — the only hotel in Korea to hold such distinction — and was included in Forbes' Exclusive Group of 51 top-performing properties worldwide.

It also ranked first among Korean hotels in La Liste's Top 1,000 Hotels 2025 and was included in the World Top 200 Hotels.

"It was meaningful to hold this event at The Shilla Seoul, a longtime LHW member that exemplifies Korean hospitality," Knapp said, adding that the Asia-Pacific region remains a critical market for the organization.

Industry observers said the choice of Seoul as the meeting venue reflects growing recognition of Korea as a rising destination in the global luxury travel market, driven in part by the global popularity of Korean cultural content.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.