[Travel bits]

Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival　Hwacheon in Gangwon Province, known for its rivers, lake trout, and natural scenery, is holding the “Sancheoneo (mountain trout) Ice Festival” this month. 　The festival features sancheoneo experiences such as ice fishing, lure fishing, and fishing with bare hands. 　Those who catch sancheoneo can ask to have it grilled or sliced into sashimi at the festival’s food centers.　State-run rail operator KORAIL is providing day-trip packages for this festival until Jan. 3

Jan. 15, 2016

L7 lifestyle hotel to operate as ‘non-Lotte brand’: CEO

Lotte Hotels & Resorts’ new concept lifestyle hotel L7 Myeongdong seeks to promote itself as “hip, fun and trendy,” targeting mostly young female tourists in their 20s and 30s. Hotel Lotte CEO Song Yong-deok speaks during a press conference at L7 Myeongdong in Seoul on Monday. (Hotel Lotte)“We basically want L7 to run as a non-Lotte brand ― a totally new hotel ― and move away from our existing image,” said Hotel Lotte president & CEO Song Yong-deok at a press conference at L7 Myeongdong on Monda

Jan. 12, 2016

Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul, urban oasis in the heart of city

Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul, urban oasis in the heart of city Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul is an award-winning urban resort located in the heart of South Korea’s capital. Overlooking the lush greenery of the Mount Namsan, it is the ultimate place to fully enjoy the serenity and privacy offered by the resort. The 21-story hotel is designed to offer relaxation and comfort with only four guest rooms on each floor. Each guest room is equipped with the hotel’s signature Relaxation Pool and other lux

Dec. 29, 2015

[Best Brand] The Ritz-Carlton Seoul -- height of luxury

The Ritz-Carlton Seoul offers guests a unique city experience with its private balconies overlooking Korea’s capital.　Located in the heart of the buzzing Gangnam area, the Ritz-Carlton Seoul boasts easy accessibility while setting itself apart from the busy cityscape, allowing guests to find a moment of quiet and luxurious retreat. 　In addition to its private guest room balconies -- provided by no other hotel in Seoul -- the Ritz-Carlton Seoul’s all-day fine dining restaurant also features an ou

Dec. 28, 2015

[Best Brand] Banyan Tree Club and Spa Seoul, urban oasis in the heart of Seoul

Banyan Tree Club and Spa Seoul is an award-winning urban resort located in the heart of South Korea’s capital. 　Overlooking the lush greenery of the Mount Namsan, it is the ultimate place to fully enjoy the serenity and privacy offered by the resort. 　The 21-story hotel is designed to offer relaxation and comfort with only four guest rooms on each floor. Each guest room is equipped with the hotel’s signature Relaxation Pool and other luxurious amenities. 　The hotel also offers diverse indoor and

Dec. 28, 2015

[Best Brand] Fraser Suites downtown leads serviced apartment business

Located just minutes away from central of Seoul, Fraser Suites Insadong offers all its guest a rich cultural experience with palaces, traditional markets and museums all within walking distance.　Fraser Suites has 213 fully furnished suites from a single up to four bedrooms, along with its penthouse suite. The luxury apartment hotel also features a heated indoor swimming pool, with a separate children’s pool, and a fully-equipped gym to ensure its guests stay fit during their stay. 　As a leading

Dec. 28, 2015

[Best Brand] Grand InterContinental Seoul honored for service quality

Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas has achieved a series of outstanding recognitions both in Korea and abroad this year.　It has gained the five-star hotel status this year as the first foreign luxury hotel chain in Korea. Also, the hotel has earned the ISO 22000 certification for its excellence in food safety management system.　Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas topped the country’s Korean Standard-Service Quality Index, which measures companies’ quality of services, for seven consecutive year

Dec. 28, 2015

[Travel Bits] K-Travel Bus connects Seoul, countryside

K-Travel Bus connects Seoul, countryside　A bus service connecting Seoul with other provincial areas has commenced, the Visit Korea Committee said.　The so-called “K-Travel Bus” is available for foreigners who wish to visit notable sites outside the capital, including those in Gangwon, Chungcheong, Jeolla and Gyeongsang Provinces. 　An overnight package is also available. After its tentative run this year, the bus will start operating on a regular basis in 2016 in time for the PyeongChang Winter Ol

Dec. 18, 2015

Top 3 places to avoid during Christmas in Seoul

With Christmas just around the corner, people are wondering where and how to spend some quality holiday time with their loved ones. Some of you may get some ideas from Korean dramas in which couples watch the ball drop at a hotel party or walk on streets aglow with the Christmas spirit.But try that in real life, and there’s a good chance that you won’t be able to recover by the New Year, getting shoved and bumped by the huge crowds. So, if you happen to be in Seoul during the holiday season, for

Dec. 14, 2015

Travel bits

Record tourists to GermanyThe German National Tourist Board said that it had a record number of days inbound tourists stayed in Germany as of the end of the third quarter.Statistics show a total of 62 million overnight stays at accommodation facilities of at least 10 beds from January-September, up about 5.3 percent from a year ago. In 2014, Koreans stayed in Germany for an average of 500,000 days, and the number is expected to grow to 600,000 days in 2020, the German tourism board noted.Germany

Dec. 11, 2015

[Travel Bits] Korea to see increase in cruise tour

　Jecheon, Muju, Tongyeong -- 2016 travel destinations　Korea has chosen Jecheon City in North Chungcheong Province, Muju County in North Jeolla Province and Tongyeong City in South Gyeongsang Province as the country’s main travel destinations in 2016.　The Korea Tourism Organization said that it will work with the two cities and the county to develop and promote tourism programs for local and overseas tourists.　The move is in line with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s efforts to boost

Dec. 4, 2015

Travel bits

Ride on Korail’s Oriental ExpressKorail Tourism Development is launching a package featuring the luxurious “Eastern & Oriental Express,” a train that runs on the 1,943 kilometer-long international railway.The rail ride will pass through Bangkok, Penang and Singapore, boasting a spectacular view of Southeast Asia.Trains will be departing on Dec. 25, Jan. 3 and 26 and Feb 7, 16, and 25. Visitors will depart from the Incheon International Airport via airplane and arrive at the Bangkok International

Nov. 27, 2015

Relive Korean dramas at Yongin theme park

YONGIN, Gyeonggi Province – In the middle of nowhere surrounded by hills and fields in Cheoin-gu, the largest district in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, stands a large complex of outdoor sets with replicated royal palaces, houses and castles. The set of Hwagidogam, or the Gunpowder Weapon Center where Joseon King Gwang-hae (played by Cha Seung-won) inspected weapons before delivery in “Hwa Jung,” stands in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. (Park Hyong-ki/The Korea Herald)This was where the Korean Wave, or

Nov. 25, 2015

[Around the Hotels] Winter at W Seoul-Walkerhill

　W Seoul-Walkerhill launches winter package 　W Seoul-Walkerhill in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, is launching its winter package series “Stop the Clock” to electrify the year-end celebrations for trendsetters. 　“Stop the Clock” has been meticulously planned by W Seoul-Walkerhill under the concept of “having fun to the point of being oblivious to the passing of time,” with an ambitious goal to provide the guests of W Seoul the most fabulous, fun-filled and heartwarming winter thus far. 　The package is read

Nov. 20, 2015

[Travel Bits] Hilton Namhae wins best hotel awards

Hilton Namhae Golf & Spa ResortHilton Namhae Golf & Spa Resort said it has won two recognitions at the prestigious World Golf Awards.The luxury resort won in the categories of Asia’s Best Golf Hotel and South Korea’s Best Golf Hotel.The World Golf Awards is an annual award event that rewards hotels, golf courses and tour operators for their excellence in golf tourism. The World Golf Awards is part of the World Travel Awards, which is considered “the Oscars of Travel.”“I am honored and sincerely

Nov. 20, 2015

[Travel Bits]

Dubai opens Korea tourism office Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing said that it has opened its Korean tourism office aimed at promoting tourism to the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates.In a launching event with the local media and tourism industries, Dubai Corporation said that the city aims to attract 20 million tourists by 2020 when Dubai will be holding the Expo 2020 under the theme of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.”Its Korea office is its 21st oversea

Nov. 13, 2015

Xian, city where modern and ancient China meets

SHAANXI PROVINCE, China -- Many cities in China epitomize the country’s economic prosperity and rich history. Shanghai’s skyscraper-lined Pudong district displays Western-style modernity, while Gulin’s picturesque mountain villages demonstrate its ancient beauty. But Xian in China’s northwest has withstood the test of time as the juncture where ancient and modern China intersect.Filled with tourist attractions boasting China’s cultural diversity, Xian has arguably withstood the test of time. Its

Nov. 6, 2015

[Travel bits] Yeongnam Alps, Kensington Jeju Hotel

Ride train, hike up Yeongnam AlpsWith the autumn season almost over, KORAIL is recommending tourists to visit Ulsan by train and hike through the beautiful scenery of Yeongnam Alps.Yeongnam Alps, which takes its name after the European Alps, consists of several mountains at over 1,000 meters above sea level stretching over 255 square kilometers.The mountainous region with many peaks reaches Miryang in South Gyeongsang Province and Ulsan. Its best hiking course is Baram-gil, or Wind Trail, surrou

Nov. 6, 2015