Lifestyle - The Korea Times

HOTEL LOBBY

 The Grand Hilton Seoul has started a new shuttle bus service from Hongik University subway station to the hotel from April 1. The shuttle bus leaves from exit No. 3 and stops in front of Olive Young at the LG Palace Building outside exit No. 9, before heading to the hotel. The bus runs from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. at one-hour intervals. For more information about the shuttle schedule, call (02)3216-5656.  The Renaissance Seoul Hotel presents three “Spring Weekend” packages until May 31. All three packages include the use of the indoor swimming pool, Renaissance Recreation Center and a 50-percent discount for a sauna. The “One-Fine Day” package includes a one-night stay in a deluxe room with common benefits. The package costs 180,000 won (tax excluded). The “One-Sweet Day” package includes a one-night stay in a deluxe room, breakfast for two at Café Elysee, free Wi-Fi and two tickets to Changkyung Palace on top of common benefits. The package costs 230,000 won. The “One-Beautiful Day” package includes a one-night st

Apr 9, 2015By Kim Se-jeong

Enjoy cherry blossom season at hotels

Grand Hyatt Seoul is near Mt. Nam which is famous among cherry blossom enthusiasts. / Courtesy of Grand Hyatt SeoulBy Kim Se-jeongCherry blossom trees in Seoul are in full bloom this week and for the next 10 to 12 days, according to experts.The Korea Times has chosen Yeouido, Mt. Nam and Mt. Acha as best spots to enjoy the shower of cherry blossoms from the capital. The annual Cherry Blossom Festival is currently under way in Yeouido until April 15. Meanwhile, Mt. Nam’s cherry blossom trees are attracting tourists who also enjoy mountain hikes and smelling other spring buds. Mt. Acha in the eastern part of the city is relatively unknown compared to Yeouido and Mt. Nam, but its natural beauty at this time of the year is nothing less than those of the other two, according to local residents. To cater to tourists and locals during this season, hotels close to these three places are offering room packages, take-out lunch boxes, restaurant promotion and a street festival. YeouidoConrad Seoul’s “Luxury Moment” package includes a one-night stay in a room with vi

Apr 9, 2015By Kim Se-jeong

Calabria: Toe of Italy and home to natural life

By Kim Jae-heunIn 1983, at Christie’s auction house in London, a painting was sold for a record $604,672 (660 million won). The piece was called “A Man in Korean Costume,” and its title was later changed to “Korean Man” at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. The man in the picture is believed to be Antonio Corea, who is allegedly the very first Korean man to set foot on European soil in a small village called Albi in Calabria, Italy. Today, there are total of 197 Italians with surname Corea living in the “Country of the Boot,” and 108 among them reside in Calabria. A regional myth says they are the descendants of an East Asian man who came to the region around 417 years ago. However, nobody knows for sure if the person in the drawing was Korean, or whether Calabria was really his first stop in Europe. People have forgotten about Calabria since people have lost interest in myth. The region came fresh and original to The Korea Times during its week-long tripBelieve it or not, Antonio Corea has decided to spend rest of his life in Calabria. The reg

Apr 9, 2015By Kim Jae-heun

Calabria: Toe of Italy and home to natural life

Exporting Jeju Olle to the world

A blue and red-colored ribbons hang on a tree to show directions on the Kyushu Olle trail’s Ureshino Course./ Korea Times photos by Baek Byung-yeul Kyushu Olle opens 15th trekking courseBy Baek Byung-yeulREIHOKU, Japan — When a series of trekking courses called “Olle Trails” were opened on Korea’s southern island of Jeju in 2007, many tilted their heads, asking themselves: “Who would visit there just for walking?”Local residents and Korean travelers walk along the Kyushu Olle’s 15th trail Amakusa-Reihoku Course in Reihoku, Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan on Feb. 28.Travelers walk on mountain path in the Kyushu Olle’s Ureshino Course. Dispelling those worries, however, more people began realizing the hidden charms of hiking around the volcanic island and the Olle Trails sent “shockwaves” to many Koreans who thought touring somewhere means just another relentless schedule of golfing or wandering here and there. Nowadays more than a million people visit the island annually just to walk along the trekking route

Apr 2, 2015

Learning traditional culture from masters

Trips to find craftsmen’s masterpieces will enrich cultural experiences. A lacquer dining table inlaid with mother-of-pearl made by master Lee Hyeong-man in Wonju, Gangwon Province./ Courtesy of Korea Tourism OrganizationKTO recommends six places to visit in AprilBy Kim RahnThe spring breeze gets people raring to hit the road. For those who have not yet decided where to go, the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) recommends six locations across the country where they can experience traditional culture created by master craftsmen in different fields.Healthful, tasty rice cake in JindoOn Jindo Island in South Jeolla Province, Kim Young-suk, who was designated as one of the nation’s food masters, makes “bongnyeongjohwago,” a type of “tteok” (rice cake).“Bongnyeong” is a kind of mushroom that grows on the roots of dead pine trees. It is widely used in Oriental medicine for its effectiveness in diuresis and vitality.Various rice cake shapes made of “bongnyeong,” a kind of mushroom, by master Kim Young-suk on Jindo Isl

Apr 2, 2015By Kim Rahn

Learning traditional culture from masters

Capturing the irony of divided Korea

Noh Sun-tag’s “String-pulling theory; An excellent mystery of the Container-Barricades made by 2MegaByte #89” / Courtesy of the artistThis is the ninth in a series of interviews with notable artists recommended by the Korean Artist Project, an online platform promoting Korean art. — ED.By Kwon Mee-yooA mysterious white sphere appears in a series of photos in a rural village in Korea. In the photo, it looks like the moon appearing through the trees or maybe a golf ball when placed next to a farmer swinging his pitchfork. The sphere looks down as local residents protest against the expansion of U.S. military facilities. The sphere is omnipresent over the town of Daechu-ri, Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, and was captured through the lens of photographer Noh Sun-tag in his "The strAnge ball" series (2004-2007).Born in 1971 in Seoul, Noh studied politics at Konkuk University and participated in his school newspaper, where he raised awareness of the power of journalism and photography."As a politics major, I was interested in social issues as I was exposed to the sc

Mar 26, 2015By Kwon Mee-yoo

HOTEL LOBBY

Hotels to join Earth HourTwenty hotels in Korea are participating in Earth Hour, a global environmental movement to turn off lights for an hour, Saturday.The movement is organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature, also known as WWF.The list of participating hotels are Conrad Seoul, W Seoul-Walkerhill, Grand Hyatt Seoul, Novotel Ambassador Gangnam, The Westin Chosun Seoul, Grand Hilton Seoul, Millennium Hilton Seoul, THE PLAZA, Lotte Hotel Seoul, The Ritz-Carlton, Seoul, The Palace Hotel Seoul, Ibis Ambassador Seoul Insadong, JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul, Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel, Sheraton Grand Walkerhill, Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Pangyo, Grand Hyatt Incheon, Grand Ambassador Seoul, Holiday Inn Incheon Songdo and Hyatt Regency Jeju.Launched in 2007, Earth Hour encourages individuals, communities and businesses around the world to turn off non-essential lights between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on the last Saturday in March.Some hotels offer Earth Hour events — check out their websites for details.    Hanwha Hotels & Resorts has appointed

Mar 26, 2015By Kim Se-jeong

Hyatt presents lobster special

Lobster claw tortellini / Courtesy of Grand Hyatt SeoulBy Kim Se-jeong The rise of lobsters as food is remarkable.Until they became popular among New Yorkers and Bostonians in the mid-19th century, lobsters were a symbol of poverty. They were food for the working classes. They were also served to prison inmates and used as fish bait.Right now, lobsters enjoy their reputation as one of the most coveted dishes in Europe and North America. Cooking is diverse, ranging from steamed lobsters to lobster roll. Lobster roll was chosen by the Huffington Post, an online news blog based in the United States, as one of 25 dishes you should eat in your life time last year.For those who love lobsters in Korea, the Grand Hyatt Seoul’s Paris Grill is presenting a lobster special.The special began Wednesday and will run until April 4. A renowned chef, Marco Mehr, from Switzerland was invited for the occasion.Chef Mehr presents three course meals which include Atlantic lobster tartar, herb sauteed lobster tail, baked lobster gratin, cognac scented lobster bisque and lobster claw tortellini,

Mar 26, 2015By Kim Se-jeong

Soothe your tired muscle at hotel spas

Pevonia Spa at The Ritz-Carlton, Seoul opened in February last year. / Courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton, SeoulBy Kim Se-jeong Looking for a place in the city where you can get a quick massage to relax your stiff muscles and rejuvenate your skin, which is covered with the seasonal yellow dust?Spas in Seoul hotels offer just what you are looking for. Spas have become a must facility for many hotels, especially so for luxury hotels.Hotels often contract with a spa management company. The spas are open to hotel clientele and walk-in customers.Being located in a well-known hotel can boost a spa’s reputation and vice versa. A reputable spa brand can be a plus for a hotel. Spas are trying to lure customers with effective body treatments and skin care programs, massage oil ingredients and other skin care products.Lotte Hotel Seoul’s Sulwhasoo Spa Pevonia Spa at The Ritz-Carlton, Seoul is one of the most coveted ones in the city.Since it first opened in February last year, Pevonia has made a name among customers of all ages and genders. Pevonia is an international skin care

Mar 26, 2015By Kim Se-jeong

Around the world in 8 months

Yoon jumps in front of the Volcan de Agua in Antigua, Guatemala./ Courtesy of Yoon Jie-minDiscovering “real” tourism on a solo 260-day journey across world By Yun Suh-young May 16, 2014Ten months ago, an aspiring "professional traveler," Yoon Jie-min, 28, sat in front of the reporter on the terrace of a pizza place in Jongno, central Seoul, explaining her plans for an upcoming 240-day trip around the world. It was two weeks before her departure.She had pledged to backpack around 70 cities in 25 countries for eight months, showing the reporter her ambitious plans neatly presented in a PowerPoint presentation on a printed handout. It was then that she was asked to regularly contribute her travel stories to W, a biweekly lifestyle magazine published by the Korea Times. Since then, she has written about the cities she has visited for the magazine every time she moved from one place to another. March 16, 2015Ten months later, back in Seoul, the same two people sat face to face on a sunny Monday afternoon, on the terrace of a coffee shop in the middle of Seoul. T

Mar 19, 2015

Travel & Food

HOTEL LOBBY

Enjoy cherry blossom season at hotels

Calabria: Toe of Italy and home to natural life

Exporting Jeju Olle to the world

Learning traditional culture from masters

Capturing the irony of divided Korea

HOTEL LOBBY

Hyatt presents lobster special

Soothe your tired muscle at hotel spas

Around the world in 8 months

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