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Best Hotel

 W Seoul-WalkerhillLuxury HotelW Seoul-Walkerhill’s luxury lies in style What makes W Seoul-Walkerhill luxurious is its distinctively upscale decor. Each room, the lobby (Living Room), the bar (WooBar), fitness center (FIT), swimming pool (WET) and sauna (Water Zone) are decorated in a distinctive style.As winner of The Korea Times best hotel brand in luxury hotel category, the hotel has colorful rooms ― with red and white ― creating sumptuous and attractive feel. The sauna and swimming pool show a palette of different colors, creating an exotic atmosphere.The lobby and the rest of the lobby floor are enhanced with wood, including wooden sculptures and a wooden installation. W Seoul-Walkerhill was art collaboration as a whole. The world’s prominent architects and interior designers have worked together to create what it is today. Among them were artists from the Bitform Gallery of New York, Farmboy Fine Art of Canada, Etkin Fitzgerald Studio and Lee Hae-hyo.W Seoul-Walkerhill has 252 rooms including 24 suites. The rooms were designed by Studio GAIA fro

Dec 28, 2015By Kim Se-jeong

Winter gateways

Viva Ski and K-Food Festival will be held beginning this month through February targeting tourists from Chinese-speaking countries and Southeast Asian countries at Vivaldi Park’s Ski World in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province. / Courtesy of Vivaldi ParkSki resorts beckon foreignersBy Chung Ah-youngJust shopping or sightseeing is no longer as attractive as it used to be for foreign tourists. They are hunting for more dynamic adventures in different places from tourist routines in urban hot spots.To cater to their desires for excitement, ski resorts are vying to attract more foreign skiers and snowboarders this season.The ski resorts are constantly upgrading their facilities to keep up with the increasing popularity of snowboarding as well as skiing.Skiing and snowboarding facilities at the resorts are usually operated from mid-November or early December to March.High 1 Resort recruits participants from Singapore, Hong Kong and China for Go-Go Ski Festival through travel agencies. / Korea Times fileDwindling local visitors and rising foreign touristsSkiing and snowboardi

Dec 24, 2015
Winter gateways

Festivals to enjoy on Christmas

Trout-themed lanterns light up the streets of Hwacheon County, Gangwon Province, Dec. 17, ahead of the Hwacheon Sancheoneo (mountain trout) Ice Festival. The festival will take place until Jan. 31. / YonhapBy Baek Byung-yeulThis year’s Christmas may not be covered with snow, but Santa Claus certainly won’t need Rudolph’s bright nose to guide his sleigh, as the sky will be lit up with a full moon on Christmas, for the first time in 38 years.And to greet the new season, various regional festivals will be held throughout the country.Outdoor skating rinksOne of the major winter trends nowadays is to set up outdoor skating rinks at the country’s major domestic hubs.An outdoor rink at Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall is one of the country’s most popular places for skating. Since opening on Dec. 17, the outdoor rink has seen some 25,000 visitors.On the occasion of the holidays, the ice rink will extend its operating hours to 3:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Dec. 31. Various kinds of Christmas events including a choir concert, a carol singing

Dec 24, 2015
Festivals to enjoy on Christmas

Holiday suggestions from a wine guru

James Suckling / Courtesy of James SucklingBy Yun Suh-youngIt’s that time of the year when we are booked with year-end parties and meetings with friends, family and business clients.Not to be missed on the dinner table is wine, a mandatory item for celebrating the year’s end.But for the average Joe, finding a perfect wine for the occasion is a big difficulty, especially when all you know are the basic differences between red, white, rose wine and champagne.James Suckling, a renowned wine critic who now operates his own wine website (jamessuckling.com), gave advice for selecting wines for year-end celebrations upon his recent visit to Seoul. Suckling worked for 30 years as a wine journalist for the Wine Spectator, the largest-circulation wine publication in the United States.  Wine by occasionChampagneBillecart-Salmon BrutReserve (93 points)“You have to have lots of Champagnefor the holidays. This is dryand refined.”Laurent-PerrierBrut Rose(92 points)“Pink Champagne is alwaysfestive and works with food.It’s fruity and delicious.”Erra

Dec 22, 2015
Holiday suggestions from a wine guru

Sokcho, where mountain views and seascapes merge

Sokcho Tourist & Fishery MarketWatch the sunrise by the beach and reach new heights at Mt. SeorakBy Lee Hyo-wonDriving through Sokcho, Gangwon Province is a sight to behold, as dramatic mountain ranges frame corn fields before an expansive seascape overtakes the view. Here, Mt. Seorak dramatically tapers off into the horizon of the East Sea, exemplifying the unique topography of the Korean Peninsula. It is, moreover, the ultimate destination for the greedy traveler who can savor everything from strolling along the beach to mountain hiking while experiencingeclecticepicurean excursions in between. First Sunrise on the Peninsula With December around the corner, the autumn days are growing ever shorter — so get a head start in Sokcho. The sunrises in this eastern coastal city about seven minutes faster than Seoul, and the numerous beachside resorts, condos and hotels boast spectacular views. For this reason, Sokcho and other neighboring cities/towns are top destinations for watching the New Year sunrise.Some of the most interesting seascapes often unfold, however, at

Dec 18, 2015
Sokcho, where mountain views and seascapes merge

HOTEL LOBBY

  Shilla Stay Gwanghwamun will celebrate its grand opening on Dec. 22. With 339 rooms in a 19-story building overlooking Gwanghwamun, Jogye Temple and the street of Samcheong-dong in Seoul, this is Shilla Stay’s seventh property to open.The accommodation is close to three stations _ less than 10 minutes by foot from Jonggak, Gwanghwamun and Anguk stations. Shilla Stay will offer a special room rate for its grand opening between Dec. 22 and Jan. 31, 2016, with the starting price at 181,000 won. Taxes and service charges are not included. For more information and reservations, call (02)2230-3000 or visit www.shillastay.com.  Renaissance Seoul Hotel’s two winter packages offer guests a chance to help children in need during the holiday season.The hotel will donate 10 percent of its room package profits to the Purme Foundation, a local NGO helping children. In return, all the package guests will receive a Ssamin Block toy as a gift.The first package includes a one-night stay in a deluxe room, complimen

Dec 17, 2015
HOTEL LOBBY

The Ritz-Carlton, Seoul offers special holiday experience

The Ritz-Carlton, Seoul is offering four Christmas packages until Dec. 31. /  Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton, Seoul By Kim Se-jeongThe Ritz-Carlton, Seoul is offering four Christmas packages until Dec. 31.Ritz Kids-Mas is the perfect package for families with children. It includes a one-night stay in a Corner Deluxe room, as well as special treats for children — Christmas cookies, hot chocolate or milk, a mini-Christmas tree and a Ritz-Carlton lion toy.Families are invited to make their own tree decoration with materials given by the hotel, take a photo of it and upload the photo on Instagram — the family whose photo has the most “like” will receive a certificate for two adults and two children at Oksan Buffet. The Ritz Kidz-Mas package is priced at 350,000 won, not including tax and service charges.Sweet Celebration, a package available only for Christmas Eve, includes a one-night stay in a Superior Deluxe room, a special Christmas cake and Moet & Chandon champagne served in-room for an intimate, romantic celebration. The

Dec 17, 2015
The Ritz-Carlton, Seoul offers special holiday experience

Hotels offer Christmas dining options

 By Kim Se-jeong In Korea, it has become common for friends and families to dine out on Christmas and Christmas Eve, and many hotels are catering to this demand. Millennium Seoul Hilton’s Japanese restaurant, Genji, is welcoming guests with an eight-course Christmas meal, which includes abalone, shishamo, salmon, swellfish soup, hamachi, halibut, sea bream and salmon sashimi, grilled black cod, fresh eel and assorted sushi.Japanese Christmas dinner at Millennium Seoul Hilton Courtesy of Millennium Seoul HiltonThe dinner which is available on Dec. 24 costs 120,000 won, including tax and service charge. For more information, call the restaurant at (02) 317-3240. Park Hyatt Seoul’s Christmas dinner is available on Dec. 24 and 25 at three of its restaurants.Cornerstone is serving a five-course meal, including a glass of champagne and a special gift. The dinner costs 195,000 won per person. For the same price, the restaurant is also offering a special brunch on Christmas Day, featuring lobster, foie gras specialties, oyster, turkey and an assortment of

Dec 17, 2015
Hotels offer Christmas dining options

Exploring between existence and illusion

Kim Chang-kyum’s video installation “Water Shadow Four Season 2” (2013-14) / Courtesy of the artistThis is the 18th in a series of interviews with notable artists recommended by the Korean Artist Project, an online platform promoting Korean art. ― ED.Kim Chang-kyumBy Kwon Mee-yoo Fish swim in a stone mortar, water sloshing from side to side. Falling cherry blossom petals are reflected on the surface of the water, but the image changes in the blink of an eye to water lilies, accompanied by the sound of a cicada. Seasons constantly change in the world reflected on water, as if blurring the border between reality and delusion. This is Korean artist Kim Chang-kyum's media art titled "Water Shadow."As many artists who defy genre conventions nowadays, Kim majored in painting at Sejong University, Korea, went to Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara in Italy to study sculpture and later studied at Kunstakademie Dusseldorf in Germany."But I didn't encounter media art when I studied abroad,” Kim said. “I was deeply into Italian marble at Carrara and worked

Dec 17, 2015
Exploring between existence and illusion

Jamon, a food product-turned tourism item

The hind legs of Iberian pigs, used to produce jamon, are hung in a drying chamber for curing at the jamon producing company Julian Martin, located northwest of Madrid, Spain. / Korea Times photo by Yun Suh-youngSpain's wine, artichoke, and jamon have successfully established their global reputation by combining tourism with primary production and secondary processing industries. This is the second of a two-part series on Spain's senary industries. ― ED.By Yun Suh-young MADRID, Spain ― Jamon and wine are two items that cannot be missing from a Spanish dining table.Jamon, which refers to sliced ham made from the hind legs of pigs, is an essential part of Spanish diet. It is said that the Spanish cannot dine without jamon on the table.The quality of jamon that ends up on the table, however, differs depending on the type of the pig and the forage they are fed on.Jamon goes through a salting process to get rid of moisture. / Korea Times photo by Yun Suh-youngThe highest of quality comes from Iberico pigs which are black, active and slim. Of that made from Iberico

Dec 13, 2015
Jamon, a food product-turned tourism item
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