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By Jun Ji-hyeGrand InterContinental Seoul Parnas presents 'All for Picnic' packageThe Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas is presenting its “All for Picnic” package until the end of May to allow guests to relish both a spring stay and outdoor picnic. The package provides the guests with a chance to maximize their relaxation, offering everything required for an outdoor picnic after a leisurely stay at the hotel. To create an Instagrammable picnic, each of the French-style picnic sets offer a picnic mat and a wine chiller bag designed by the hotel, a bottle of white wine, and to-go menu to be paired with wines available at Grand Deli.Grand Deli's to-go menu offers a premium pairing developed by the hotel sommelier and the chef. Guests purchasing the package will be provided with the “Charcuterie Box” containing an assortment of cheese, ham, fruits and nuts. Additional dishes will be available for separate purchase at the Grand Deli located on the hotel's first floor, such as salad with salmon that was smoked for 24 hours with beech wood, and caprese salad, featu

May 4, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
Hotel Lobby

5 out-of-this-world stays for tourists seeking fantasy

By Jun Ji-hyeFor those who have always dreamed of being able to travel into space, the news that a space hotel will open to the world in 2027 means that this fantasy will soon turn into a reality. The Gateway Foundation, based in California, has recently announced its plan to open the first hotel in space, named 'Voyager Station.' The planet-orbiting hotel is set to be constructed by Orbital Assembly Corp., which calls itself “the world's first large-scale space construction company,” beginning from 2026.The company said that the ring-shaped hotel is expected to accommodate up to 440 people, and possesses gravity equivalent to one-sixth of the Earth's.According to a Booking.com survey of around 22,000 travelers around the world, including 1,000 Koreans, almost half of them ― 42 percent of Korean travelers and 41 percent of global tourists ― have expressed excitement about the prospect of space travel. To celebrate this exciting milestone in space travel, the global online travel agency has picked five “out-of-this-world” accommodations that will allow traveler

May 4, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
5 out-of-this-world stays for tourists seeking fantasy

Hilton Garden Inn to open in Seoul's Gangnam District this summer

By Jun Ji-hyeThe Hilton Garden Inn Seoul Gangnam is set to open this summer to meet the diverse needs of both domestic and international travelers in Seoul.Hilton Garden Inn Seoul Gangnam / Courtesy of HiltonHilton said it had signed a management agreement with Joon Tower for the Hilton Garden Inn Seoul Gangnam earlier this month, to boost its presence in Korea. When it opens, the new hotel will provide an upscale and affordable accommodation option to travelers through its 208 guest rooms, full-service restaurant and bar, conference facilities, an outdoor pool and a fitness room, as well as a shop selling snacks, beverages and coffee 24 hours a day.“In 2019, Korea saw a record number of around 17.5 million inbound visitors. We see Korea as a high-potential tourist destination once the pandemic eases,” said Guy Phillips, Hilton's senior vice president, development, Asia and Australasia. Located in the center of Gangnam District, southern Seoul, the Hilton Garden Inn Seoul Gangnam is 30 kilometers from Gimpo International Airport and 65 kilometers from Incheon Internationa

Apr 28, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
Hilton Garden Inn to open in Seoul's Gangnam District this summer

Luxury hotels roll out various promotions for 'family month' of May

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul presents the “Miffy's Day at JW” package to celebrate the “family month” of May that includes Children's Day. Courtesy of JW Marriott Hotel SeoulBy Jun Ji-hyeAs the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic around the world has driven up demand for domestic travel, luxury hotels here have launched a variety of promotions to mark May, which is called “family month” in Korea, to offer guests safe and comfortable family getaways. May holds four important days: Children's Day on May 5, Parents' Day on May 8, Teachers' Day on May 15 and Husband and Wife's Day on May 21.JW Marriott Hotel Seoul is celebrating May by offering special family accommodation packages and dining promotions. The “Miffy's Day at JW” package features a deluxe room with a tepee and mat installed, creating a unique space for children to play, as well as a variety of gifts featuring Miffy, the fictional rabbit appearing in a series of picture books drawn and written by Dutch author Dick Bruna, including soft toys, framed pictures and coloring books. Flavors, the

Apr 28, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
Luxury hotels roll out various promotions for 'family month' of May

Hotel Lobby

By Jun Ji-hyeJW Marriott Hotel Seoul welcomes soon-to-be mothersThe JW Marriott Hotel Seoul is presenting the “Nice to Meet You Baby” package, a promotion designed for soon-to-be mothers who are preparing to embrace one of the most precious moments of life. Available throughout the year, the package features a choice of a Griffin Suite, or deluxe room accommodation, plus a variety of benefits aimed at offering soon-to-be mothers an unforgettable luxury hotel experience with their unborn child, at a time when they have been unable to travel abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Crafted in collaboration with leading luxury baby brands, the promotion includes gifts of a premium cozy cotton baby top by Bluedog Baby, a bib, spoon and fork set, as well as a baby cup and canvas bag by Babybjorn, the premium Swedish baby brand boasting 59 years of tradition. Gallery 7 at Fairmont Ambassador Seoul presents private dining promotionThe Fairmont Ambassador Seoul is offering a “Taste of Spring” seasonal promotion introducing private dining experiences in the elegant event s

Apr 25, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
Hotel Lobby

Chef Kang Min-koo expands possibilities of Korean food

By Jun Ji-hyeChef Kang Min-koo has recently received the Inedit Damm Chefs' Choice Award, voted for by the other chefs on the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list, in recognition of his contributions to the Asian culinary scene for expanding the possibilities of Korean dishes.Chef Kang Min-koo / Courtesy of chef Kang Min-kooAsia's 50 Best Restaurants, which was launched in 2013, is published by U.K.-based William Reed Business Media that also publishes the World's 50 Best Restaurants and Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants.Chef Kang opened his flagship restaurant, Mingles, in Seoul in 2014 and brought his innovative interpretation of Korean cuisine overseas for the first time with the opening of Hansik Goo in Hong Kong last year. “I was honored. It was impressive and thanks to all the chefs we've worked with,” Kang said in an interview with The Korea Times, regarding his winning of this year's peer-voted award.Kang started thinking 15 years ago when he was living abroad about opening a restaurant introducing Korean food, as he realized that, though the charms and possibilities

Apr 22, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
Chef Kang Min-koo expands possibilities of Korean food

Jeju Olle Route 7 among hikers' most popular courses

A scene from Route 7 of the Jeju Olle Trail on Jeju Island / Courtesy of the Jeju Olle FoundationIsland's walking trail listed among top 10 best coastal walks by UK magazine By Jun Ji-hyeHiking and walking trips have become one of the trending activities during the continued COVID-19 pandemic. According to a survey conducted by the World Trail Network, with respondents in 10 countries, 75 percent of the trails that responded have seen an increase in new trail users, such as families and young people, during the various stages of lockdowns. Some trails in North America have observed a 200 to 500 percent increase in the number of users. In a recent survey conducted by the Korea Tourism Organization, walking trails were selected as the safest travel destination as well, chosen by 50.4 percent of respondents. Walking trips have become more popular not only because the trips offer a chance to marvel at breathtaking scenery, but also because people tend to prefer quiet and less crowded destinations amid the prolonged public health crisis.The country's southern island of Jeju boasts the Jej

Apr 21, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
Jeju Olle Route 7 among hikers' most popular courses

6 local accommodation recommendations for 'forest bathers'

By Jun Ji-hyeAn increasing number of tourists are seeking to enjoy “forest bathing” ― or simply being in nature ― to relax at quiet and less-crowded spots amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.In the Future of Travel survey conducted by Booking.com on 1,000 Korean travelers last year, 56 percent of the respondents said they are seeking out more rural, off-the-beaten-track experiences for their upcoming vacations.With the expectation that the number of travelers longing for activities in nature will continue to grow, the online travel platform recommended six local accommodations, based on the destinations most endorsed for “nature” among Korean travelers.WE Hotel JejuWE Hotel Jeju / Courtesy of Booking.comFor those who want to immerse themselves in the forest, the five-star WE Hotel Jeju, located in the middle of Mount Halla on the country's southern island of Jeju, is a perfect place to stay. The resort complex includes the WE Hotel Jeju and the WE Hospital, operated by the Halla Medical Foundation, pioneering a new accommodation category as the nation's first

Apr 14, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
6 local accommodation recommendations for 'forest bathers'

Hotels prepare for ban on use of disposable products next year

Local hotels are moving to change single-use bathroom amenities to multi-use pump bottles in preparation for the government's ban on use of disposable products next year. gettyimagesbankBy Jun Ji-hyeLocal hotels are rushing to make preparations for the Ministry of Environment's regulation that will ban accommodations with more than 50 guest rooms from offering disposable products to guests, beginning next year. Most hotels here seem to agree with the need to reduce the use of single-use plastic products, given that hotel amenities made of and packaged in plastic contribute to environmental problems. But the question now is how hotels can change their strategies, as they have until now given their guests the chance to experience shampoo, hair conditioner and shower gel produced by luxury brands and packaged in tiny plastic bottles.Luxury hotels are moving to introduce such products in large-capacity bottles to their three-star and four-star hotel brands first. Josun Hotels & Resorts furnished the guest rooms of the Gravity Seoul Pangyo, Autograph Collection, which opened in Decemb

Apr 13, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
Hotels prepare for ban on use of disposable products next year

Jeju stuck in dilemma over tourism recovery, spread of COVID-19

An Asiana Airline flight takes off Jeju International Airport, April 9. Korea Times fileA rapid growth in tourist numbers is bringing joy to and causing concern among residents of Jeju, the southern holiday island increasingly favored by locals as an alternative to overseas travel amid the COVID-19 outbreaks.Tourist arrivals on Jeju Island have rapidly recovered to pre-coronavirus levels in recent months to the delight of its tourism sector, but residents are concerned about growing COVID-19 cases among visitors.According to Jeju provincial authorities on Sunday, the number of tourists who visited Jeju last month was 880,000, nearly double from 470,000 in the same month of last year.The latest monthly tally also represented 85 percent of the pre-COVID-19 level of 1.03 million recorded for the same month in 2019. Provincial officials say Jeju's tourist arrivals were rapidly recovering to pre-pandemic levels.At the same time, however, unknown numbers of coronavirus carriers among tourists are posing a headache to both Jeju residents and quarantine officials.Eleven of 12 COVID-19 cases

Apr 11, 2021
Jeju stuck in dilemma over tourism recovery, spread of COVID-19
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