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Hotels partner with medical clinics

 The Imperial Palace Seoul’s medical center is located on the third floor, which is connected to an outdoor area resembling a traditional garden where recovering patients can rest. / Courtesy of the Imperial Palace Seoul By Kim Se-jeong The words “hotel” and “hospital” have the same root word: “host,” which in turn, comes from the Latin word “hospes,” meaning “guest.”One hotel that remembers its roots is the Imperial Palace Seoul.Since 2009, the hotel ― located in the Garosu-gil area within the city’s upscale Gangnam District ― has been the site of a medical center that includes a dental clinic, a dermatology clinic, an aesthetic center and a stem cell clinic.The majority of patients are Koreans, who are drawn to the center by three things: service, privacy and convenience.The dental clinic at the Imperial Palace Seoul’s medical center has garnered positive reviews from local patients for privacy, convenience and excellent service. / Korea Times photos by Kim Se-jeong&ldqu

Sep 18, 2014
Hotels partner with medical clinics

Boosting domestic tourism

Byun Choo-suk, CEO of the state-run Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), speaks during a Sept. 2 ceremony to announce “2014 Autumn Tourism Week,” which will run from Sept. 25 through Oct. 5, at the Jeongdong Theater in downtown Seoul. During the 11-day campaign, KORAIL, bus operators, hotels, restaurants and other tourism-related businesses will offer discounts and other benefits to encourage people to travel domestically. / Courtesy of KTO‘Autumn Tourism Week’ will begin on Sept. 25 and last through Oct. 5By Lee Hyo-sikA nationwide campaign will run from Sept. 25 through Oct. 5 to encourage more Koreans to travel domestically and revitalize the economy in doing so.According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), 3,745 bus companies, hotels, restaurants and other tourism-related businesses across the country will participate in the 11-day sales event.Dubbed “2014 Autumn Tourism Week,” the domestic tourism promotion campaign was first suggested during a meeting chaired by Presi

Sep 11, 2014By Lee Hyo-sik
Boosting domestic tourism

Ananti hosts autumn 'glamping'

A tent is set up at Ananti Club Seoul in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, for the “2014 Autumn in Ananti Glamping.” / Courtesy of Ananti Club SeoulBy Lee Hyo-sikAnanti Club Seoul, Korea’s first family oriented golf resort, has organized “glamping,” or glamorous camping, for families and couples eager to spend a day in a luxurious setting while surrounded by nature.The “2014 Autumn in Ananti Glamping” event kicked off on Sept. 1 and will continue through Nov. 2 at the resort in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province. Ananti said this year’s glamping is better than last year’s, stressing that the resort offers more diverse outdoor activity programs at the same price.“We attract many families and couples seeking to spend quiet time in nature every year,” an Ananti spokeswoman said. “We have set up 10 tents equipped with a bed, sofa, table, barbecue grill and other amenities. We place each tent far apart from one another so our guests can enjoy privacy.”The operating hours are from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and all guest

Sep 11, 2014By Lee Hyo-sik
Ananti hosts autumn 'glamping'

Finnair offers shortest flight to Europe

Kim Dong-hwan, Finnair’s country sales manager in KoreaHelsinki Airport offers fast, efficient connections to European citiesBy Lee Hyo-sikFinnair, Finland’s flagship carrier, has been attracting large numbers of Korean business and leisure travelers heading to Europe by offering the shortest and most convenient flight to the continent.The carrier continues to enjoy a sales boom since launching the Incheon-Helsinki route in June 2008 on the back of its competitive pricing, customer-friendly in-flight services and efficient connecting flights at Helsinki International Airport, according to the head of its operation here.“Finnair, established in 1912, is one of the most reliable and safest airlines in Europe,” Kim Dong-hwan, Finnair’s country sales manager in Korea, said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. “By riding high on this reputation and its safety track record, the carrier has been very successful in Korea.”Finnair operates a daily flight between Incheon and Helsinki with an Airbus 330-300 plane capable of accommodating 297 pass

Sep 11, 2014By Lee Hyo-sik
Finnair offers shortest flight to Europe

Hotels offer autumn packages

As autumn nears, hotels are putting out seasonal packages filled with a variety of amenities. Imperial Palace SeoulSept. 1 to Nov. 30 The “Flavor of Autumn Package” includes a one-night stay in an antique and comfortable room, free access to a fitness center and a swimming pool, and a Stress Relief Body Lotion & Body Wash Set from premium natural skin care brand Aveeno.Guests can choose Cafe Amiga’s breakfast, Italian restaurant Verona’s lunch set menu (consisting of today’s soup, pasta, and coffee) or Verona’s lunch course menu (consisting of today’s soup, salad, steak, dessert, and coffee). Guests who choose the lunch set or the course menu, then return to Verona within a month and order a course menu, will receive a delicious pizza for free. The package starts at 278,300 won (including the tax and service charge).For reservations and inquiries, please call:  (02) 3440-8000 / www.imperialpalace.co.kr Renaissance Seoul HotelSept. 7 to Nov. 30 Three different packages are available to suit the needs of different g

Sep 4, 2014By Kim Se-jeong
Hotels offer autumn packages

Hotel Lobby

Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas and InterContinental Seoul COEX have become the first of the country’s five-star hotels to be certified with ISO 22000, an international system for food safety management. The ISO 22000, which the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) co-developed with ISO member nations, the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), is an international food safety management system with purpose of effectively managing and controlling all harmful risks that can occur during the process of food production and manufacturing process. Since ISO 22000 includes all the provisions required in Korea’s food hygiene management system known as “Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP),” it is also being used as a standard for comprehensive food safety standard in Korea, too. HACCP was established to prevent food from being mixed or polluted by harmful elements biologically, chemically or physically before reaching the stage of consumption.Moreover, the two hotels, in

Sep 4, 2014By Kim Se-jeong
Hotel Lobby

Stuttgart, a city of cars and culture

A view of the city from one of the vineyards in Stuttgart/ Courtesy of Rachel Sang-hee HanBy Rachel Sang-hee HanStuttgart, GERMANY — The biggest difference between Seoul and Stuttgart is not the number of parks, the food, the drinks or the people. It’s the pace of life.Stuttgart, compared to Seoul, runs at a slower pace. Sometimes it can get a bit annoying, for instance all the paperwork, the stack of mail at the end of the week and the same restaurants, bars and cafes. But sometimes it’s nice to step back a bit and enjoy a break.So as a short break from the usual travel column, this time I’ve arranged a simple introduction of the place that started my journey as a Europe-based Korean journalist.Drinking wine at a wine cabin is quite an experience. It’s like a ski lodge in warm weather and wine. Courtesy of Stuttgart-Marketing GmbHFestivals for every season Stuttgart has quite a long, cold winter and as soon as the weather starts to feel warmer, the city transforms itself into a festival hub. The most famous would be the Volksfest, which is Stu

Aug 28, 2014
Stuttgart, a city of cars and culture

American Airlines rides high on travel boom

Timothy Ahern, third from left, vice president of American Airlines, cuts a ribbon with Park Yoon-kyung, right, the U.S. carrier’s commercial manager in Korea, and other dignitaries during a ceremony at Incheon International Airport to mark American Airlines’ first flight between Incheon and Dallas/Fort Worth on May 10, 2013. The U.S. carrier operates non-stop daily flights on this route.US carrier plans to connect Incheon with another US city after DallasPark Yoon-kyung, American Airlines’ commercial manager in KoreaBy Lee Hyo-sikAmerican Airlines (AA), the world’s largest carrier, has been challenging Korean Air since May 2013 when it launched non-stop daily flights between Incheon and Dallas, Texas.The decision to break Korean Air’s two-decade-long monopoly on the Incheon-Dallas route has been quite successful for the U.S. carrier. It has seen a steady increase in the number of both business and leisure travelers using its latest Boeing 777-200 aircraft with 245 seats to one of the largest cities in the Southern U.S.An increasing number

Aug 28, 2014By Lee Hyo-sik
American Airlines rides high on travel boom

HOTEL LOBBY

  Renaissance Seoul Hotel’s weekday “Afternoon Delight” invites anyone who’s interested in sweets and cherries.Served from Monday to Friday between 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., the buffet presents soft donuts, pound cake, muffins, macaroons and other desserts featuring cherries.The buffet costs 30,000 won for a selection of coffee or tea and a cup of cherries per person. Single servings are available at various prices.The ongoing event lasts until June 30, and the venue is the Trevi Lounge. Call (02) 2222-8666 for more information. The Plaza Hotel Seoul hosts the world’s renowned new age singer Steve Barakatt for a concert “Rainbow Bridge Story” on Friday evening in the top floor lounge “Xystum House.”He will sing “Rainbow Bridge,” one of his hits, especially beloved by Koreans, and will also play “The Whistler’s song,” “Flying” and “Day by Day.”A VIP ticket is 150,000 won and an R seat, 100,000 won. VIP ticket holders will also be served a six-course meal prepared by

May 29, 2014By Kim Se-jeong
HOTEL LOBBY

Global curry dishes featured at Grand Ambassador

Twenty-two curry dishes from 13 countries are featured at Grand Ambassador Seoul’s “World of Curry” festival./ Korea Times photo by Kim Se-jeongBy Kim Se-jeong At The Kings, a restaurant in the Grand Ambassador Seoul, you can see how far curry has traveled across the world over the centuries.An ongoing “World of Curry” presents 22 curry dishes enjoyed in 13 different countries, ranging from masala curry with baked cheese and eggs from India, green prawn curry, mulligatawny soup from the United Kingdom, and lamb stew Cape Malay from South Africa.“We wanted to respond to our guests’ growing interest in spicy food. But we wanted the new dishes to be healthy and various in taste,” the Grand Ambassador Seoul’s executive chef Shim Chang-sik told The Korea Times. The chef added his recipes came from books, the Internet and his international working experience.If this makes you wonder about the quality of the food, Dheerendra Tiwara, an Indian dance teacher at the Indian Cultural Center who recently arrived in Seoul, said n

May 29, 2014By Kim Se-jeong
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