Lotte opens 7th premium business hotel in Seoul

Near the shopping district of Myeong-dong, cultural street of Insa-dong and Gwanghwamun in downtown Seoul, Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong seeks to “kill two birds with one stone.”

Launched as Lotte Hotels & Resorts’ biggest Lotte City Hotel brand hotel in Myeong-dong Jan. 6, the “premium business hotel” aims to attract both business travelers and foreign tourists to Seoul’s well-known travel sites.

With 430 rooms, including 140 Superior Double-Bed rooms and 70 Standard Double-Bed rooms, the hotel is the seventh Lotte City Hotel and 18th hotel across all brands of the Lotte Group. Simmons Bedding Company provided the beds. The average size of its rooms is 26 square meters, similar to other standard business hotels in the market.

Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong general manager Hong Sung-jun said besides its scale, the hotel will strive to provide the most courteous and friendly service among the Lotte hotels.

“Our focus will be on accommodating our guests with the best hospitality and the utmost respect,” Hong said at a press conference Tuesday.

“The ‘Greeting Man” sculpture by Korean artist Yoo Young-ho in front of the hotel is the symbol of our service.”

Yoo’s 6-meter “Greeting Man,” bowing in a Korean greeting gesture, is well known for its meaning -- “modesty and understanding” -- both at home and abroad. 

The 27-floor business hotel is also the country’s first hotel with a “smart system” developed in partnership with LG Electronics, the country’s second-largest consumer technology giant. All rooms feature LG Electronics’ smart TVs, which allow guests to request services such as room-cleaning or obtain travel information with the TV’s remote control or their smartphones. Guests can also control room temperature and lighting using the “smart system.”

Guests can check in and check out using a mobile app and once they have checked out, guests’ records and histories will be automatically deleted. This is part of the company’s efforts to make the hotel paperless and efficient.

“This marks the first smart system adopted by any Lotte hotel. This system will be introduced at other Lotte hotels in the near future,” said an official of Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong.

“We plan to introduce more customized content on Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong’s smart solution.”

By Park Hyong-ki (hkp@heraldcorp.com)