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By Jun Ji-hyeAndaz launches Mini Break, Mighty Breakfast promotionAndaz Seoul Gangnam presents the Mini Break, Mighty Breakfast promotion until May 31 for guests planning a spring vacation. The promotion is an upgrade to the bed and breakfast package by adding an extra 10,000 won ($8) per adult based on the hotel's daily rate. The existing breakfast fee is 44,000 won per person. Due to the COVID-19 situation, the buffet-style breakfast has been changed to a set menu or a la carte breakfast, and menu choices will be served direct to the guest's table. Guests who have opted for the full breakfast package can order unlimited breakfast items from the menu.Package guests can enjoy a comfortable one-night stay in rooms equipped with Simmons Beautyrest Label mattresses and air purifiers. Also, guests can enjoy the indoor heated pool, jacuzzi, sauna and a 24-hour fitness center.The promotion is available through the official website of Andaz Seoul Gangnam, and advance reservations are required. The prices start from 305,000 won for two persons based on standard rooms. The 10 percent sales ta

Mar 18, 2020
Hotel Lobby

Enticing promotions, new menu offered in springtime

By Jun Ji-hyeSpring is right around the corner, and luxury hotels here have been busy preparing to help their guests to embrace the seasonal change, offering special promotions and delicious seasonal ingredients.L'Escape Hotel, the first stand-alone brand of Shinsegae Chosun Hotel, is showcasing its spring package until May 31 for guests who are planning to ring in the season early. L'Escape Hotel presents its spring package until May 31, offering various privileges to guests. / Courtesy of L'Escape HotelPackage guests can enjoy various privileges and appreciate the spring floral decorations created through a collaboration with Tony Marklew, a London-based “event imagineer.” Three room types ― standard, deluxe and suite ― are prepared for the package, with prices starting from 205,000 won ($172). As people tend to be reluctant to participate in outdoor activities due to air pollution caused by fine dust at this time of the year, the hotel developed its spring package which offers a floral tea set, rose-scented cosmetics and a Jane Packer flowerpot in addition to a chance

Mar 12, 2020By Jun Ji-hye
Enticing promotions, new menu offered in springtime

Jeju emerges as alternative honeymoon destination

A panorama view of The Shilla Jeju / Courtesy of The Shilla JejuBy Jun Ji-hyeAn increasing number of soon-to-be married couples are choosing the nation's southern resort island of Jeju as an alternative honeymoon destination as more than 100 countries around the world have imposed entry bans on people travelling from Korea over mounting fears of COVID-19, according to hotel industry officials Friday.Among the countries imposing entry bans on people travelling from Korea was Mauritius that has been recently popular among newlyweds.The Indian Ocean nation's entry ban was imposed after the government there denied entry of 17 Korean couples on their honeymoons, Feb. 23, citing coronavirus fears. The couples were put in isolation on arrival and opted to return home after being told they would have to remain in isolation for 14 days.In order to alleviate concerns of couples who have experienced inconvenience due to having wedding ceremonies in times of a public health crisis, Hotel Shilla on Jeju Island has released its suite honeymoon package, which runs until April 29.Officials from the

Mar 12, 2020
Jeju emerges as alternative honeymoon destination

'Chapaguri' emerging as quarantine food?

ChapaguriBy Jane HanSEATTLE -- As the rapidly spreading coronavirus forces more people into self-quarantine here in the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, toilet papers and hand sanitizers aren't the only items they're buying up.``Chapaguri,'' the signature noodle dish from Oscar-winning Korean film ``Parasite,'' is renewing its popularity as an ideal quarantine meal with COVID-19 preppers adding ingredients for the popular mash-up dish to their grocery list.On numerous online forums discussing self-quarantine tips and ideas, questions and answers went back and forth regarding the recipe for the popular combination of two Korean instant noodles Chapagetti and Neoguri.``Does it have to be Chapagetti?'' one user asked on a Facebook group comprised of residents in the Seattle-Tacoma area, the hardest hit region in the country from the coronavirus. ``I can't find the product in my local grocery store. Can I use Zha Wang instead?''Zha Wang, similar to Chapagetti, is another black bean noodle product based on a more rich and creamy sauce. For those who can't get a hold of the ingredients at a

Mar 11, 2020
'Chapaguri' emerging as quarantine food?

Las Vegas features more than just casinos

Gambling city offers various entertainment options By Kang Seung-wooLAS VEGAS ― The very first glimmering images of Las Vegas that spring to mind might be bright lights, enormous hotels and visitors flocking to busy casinos.However, for those uninterested in gambling, Las Vegas offers plenty of other options, living up to its nickname “The Entertainment Capital of the World.”Restaurants and bars Las Vegas is famous for its extensive collection of casual and fine-dining restaurants and bars. From brunch hotspots to upscale restaurants, it is easy to find something to meet every culinary need. CATCH at ARIA Resort & Casino / Courtesy of CATCHCATCH, located at the Aria Resort and Casino, is a great, Instagram-friendly restaurant featuring an amazing picturesque entryway and beautiful dining room with an olive tree in the center. However, the picture-perfect environment is not CATCH's lone bragging right. The go-to dining destination offers delectable Asian-inspired seafood such as the Truffle Sashimi dressed with caviar and the Hellfire Roll, a spicy tuna sushi roll with

Mar 5, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Las Vegas features more than just casinos

Paradise hires actor Lee Byung-hun as new model

Actor Lee Byung-hun has been chosen as a new model for Paradise Group's integrated resort complex Paradise City and foreigner-only casinos. / Courtesy of Paradise Group By Jun Ji-hyeParadise Group said Tuesday that it had chosen actor Lee Byung-hun to promote the company as part of a business strategy to utilize top hallyu, or Korean wave, stars to make its integrated resort complex Paradise City known worldwide and to attract more foreign guests.The group, which operates hotels and casinos here, opened Paradise City in April 2017, in partnership with global companies such as Sega Sammy of Japan, on a 330,000-square-meter block of land on Yeongjong Island near Incheon International Airport. Paradise City is the first global integrated resort in Northeast Asia.The resort complex includes a five-star luxury hotel, casino, convention center, theme park, art gallery, spa and club.Actor Lee, who made his debut in the 1990s, has appeared in dozens of Korean films and dram

Mar 3, 2020
Paradise hires actor Lee Byung-hun as new model

Veteran butler pursues perfection throughout VIPs' stay

By Jun Ji-hyeHong Jong-koo, room service outlet manager at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, has been working as a VIP butler at the luxury hotel for three decades, fulfilling the role of personal assistant for a number of VIP guests visiting Korea, including U.S. presidents, prestigious royal families, world-famous sports stars and heads of international organizations.Hong Jong-koo / Courtesy of Grand Hyatt SeoulVIP butlers at hotels act as a key point of contact for guests throughout their stay, providing tailored service and assistance with an exceptional eye for detail. Grand Hyatt Seoul began to operate its presidential suite and VIP butler services in 1992, when only a few hotels offered such options in Korea. Hong, who joined Grand Hyatt Seoul in 1986, became one of the hotel's first butlers, having handled VIP guests with care from their arrival to departure.“A hotel butler should provide thoughtful, discreet and perfect services throughout the stay of VIP guests, satisfying all needs, including those they are not even aware of,” Hong said in an interview. “A week befo

Feb 28, 2020
Veteran butler pursues perfection throughout VIPs' stay

'Parasite' neighborhood embraces Oscar triumph

Pig Rice Supermarket, which goes by the name Woori Supermarket in “Parasite” / Korea Times photo by Park Hyung-giBut not all people are happyBy Kwak Yeon-soo“Parasite” locations have been crowded with tourists since the film won four Oscars at the 92nd Academy Awards earlier this month. But the popularity of the venues is proving to be unwelcome to some inhabitants of the neighborhood as they have to deal with the fallout, such as traffic congestion.Some of them complain that hundreds of camera-wielding visitors is bringing inconvenience and delaying redevelopment of the area.Much of the film was shot on purpose-built sets in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, but the Kim family's semi basement home and shabby streets were inspired by or set in real neighborhoods in Seoul.“Parasite” is a story of two economically polarized families, one poor and one wealthy. The story develops as the son of the impoverished family, with the help of his sister, fabricates his educational background and begins to work as a tutor for the daughter of the wealthy family.Recentl

Feb 27, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Parasite' neighborhood embraces Oscar triumph

Hotel Lobby

By Jun Ji-hyeMillennium Hilton Seoul's Il Ponte unveils new menuMillennium Hilton Seoul's popular Italian trattoria Il Ponte has unveiled its new menu. Long-acclaimed for its authentic Italian pizzas and homemade pastas, Il Ponte has added tempting new ones to its culinary repertoire starting from March 2.The new items will include a signature pasta of Il Ponte, which will feature handmade pasta. Il Ponte will continue to make its authentic Italian pizzas ― hand tossed and thin-crusted ― with more gourmet toppings such as Pizza Vesuvio with salami, mozzarella, basil and garlic that is priced at 25,000 won ($21). Pizza Verde with basil pesto, ricotta, pistachio cream is priced at 28,000 won. Other debut main dishes include Tagliolini with black truffle and parmesan cheese, and Cotoletta Alla Milanese with breaded veal chop.There will also be new dessert additions including mascarpone tiramisu with strawberries, cannoli with sweet ricotta and pistachio, and Amalfi which includes lemon cake, sherbet and limoncello.The new menu items pick up on current culinary trends in Italian cuisine

Feb 27, 2020

Government to create 'smart' tourist city

By Jun Ji-hyeThe Korean government has kicked off a 4 billion won ($3.3 million) project to create a “smart” tourist city that will incorporate the latest advances in information and communication technologies to improve the convenience of tourists and offer distinguished experiences, officials said Thursday. Through the project, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, together with the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), is aiming to create a space in which innovative travel startups can expand their future business by combining tourism with Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). The project will also contribute to raising the competitiveness of regional tourism, officials said.The ministry will receive applications for the project from consortia consisting of municipalities and private organizations, such as enterprises and universities, from April 27 to May 8. After evaluating their proposals, the ministry will select three consortia in May, and offer 150 million won in support ― plus strategy and risk consulting ― to each. T

Feb 27, 2020
Government to create 'smart' tourist city
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