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| Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel staff demonstrate WeChat payment which went into service on July 1. / Courtesy of Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel |
By Kim Se-jeong
Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel has begun accepting payment through Chinese mobile messenger application WeChat from July 1, marking the first hotel in Korea to do so.
WeChat like KakaoTalk, is a free mobile messaging app with features like chat rooms and a "gifting platform. The popular app is used by 80 percent of Chinese mobile phone users.
The hotel said the initiative aims to attract more Chinese travelers.
"We recently add new payment channel ‘WeChat Pay' for Chinese guests. It may sound unfamiliar to us but WeChat Pay is one of the most popular payment methods in China. Now Chinese traveler can pay through WeChat Pay at the hotel. It will contribute to overall hotel satisfaction because it is convenient and fast way to make a payment at restaurants, spa and rooms of hotel. Also, Chinese guests can perceive benefits such as avoiding currency exchange and commission fee." said Han Hee-jin, the hotel's marketing communication manager.
To use the payment option, guests need to download WeChat on their phones and add their bank information. The hotel, including its concierge, restaurant and fitness center, has a barcode scanner that can read the WeChat barcode on the guests' phone. With this convenient payment option, guests do not have to worry about exchange rates, commissions and other transactional fees.
By adding WeChat to its payment options, Sheraton Seoul D Cube can capitalize on the ever-growing number of Chinese tourists in Korea. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, out of the 13.2 million tourists who visit the country in 2015, 11.7 million came from China, including Taiwan.
Yet, attracting Chinese tourists can be a challenge for Sheraton because Chinese tourists prefer budget accommodation. In addition, many travel in groups, with their itineraries and budget accommodations arranged by Korean tour agencies.
Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel is located in the southwestern part of Seoul. The hotel entrance is connected to Shindorim Station on subway line Nos.1 and 2. For more information and reservations, call (02) 2211-2000.
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