Korea’s major tour operator Hana Tour opened a business hotel in Insa-dong, Jongno, one of the most popular tourist areas in Seoul, on Monday.

Center Mark is the first four-star hotel to combine Hana Tour’s travel programs with hotel services.

It aims to target the increasing number of foreign tourists, mostly coming from Japan and China. 

The former headquarters of McDonald’s now features 250 rooms, including suites, and outsourced food and beverage outlets. The hotel has a McDonald’s on the first floor and Korean, Japanese and buffet restaurants on the basement floors. It also has a fitness center, and a coin laundry room for business travelers staying for long periods. Room rates range from 150,000 won ($138) to 600,000 won.

“Jongno is both the major tourist attraction as well as the business district for major companies and we needed a hotel that can serve a wide range of guests from foreign tourists to business travelers,” said Simon Ahn, general manager of Center Mark at the press conference on Monday. “We expect foreign guests will make up more than 95 percent. Most of them will come on arranged group tours or individually,” Ahn added.

The hotel expects to offer diverse travel programs such as city sightseeing and various cultural events. It promotes “The Phantom of the Opera” travel package for the musical to run in Seoul from December to March.

Starting with Center Mark, Hana Tour said it plans to operate four more hotels in central Seoul, offering more than 1,000 rooms by 2015. The second hotel is expected to open next August in Chungmuro, central Seoul.

By Lee Woo-young  (wylee@heraldcorp.com)