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FTC probes top hotels over wedding business


By Kim So-hyun


The Fair Trade Commission is looking into five-star hotel wedding halls’ tie-in sales practices in which they make the bride and groom pay for flowers and other expenses worth millions of won.

The probe began late last year amid constant complaints that hotels charge exorbitantly for wedding ceremonies and coerce customers into buying expensive meals, stage decor and flower decorations.

The antitrust watchdog secured relevant data from the 21 five-star hotels in Seoul last week for the first-ever investigation into unfair trade practices by hotel wedding halls since they started business in 1999.

The FTC inquiry is focused on whether the hotels compelled customers to purchase certain ceremonial products.

“It wouldn’t be a big problem if they simply offered a full-package and selective products, but if they forced the full-package on customers, it can be considered an unfair trade practice,” said an FTC official

Depending on the results, the FTC may file a complaint with the prosecution against the hotels for violation of fair trade law.

It costs at least 66 million won to host a wedding inviting 500 guests at a five-star hotel in Seoul.

Most hotels charge a minimum flower decoration fee of between 3.8 million won and 20 million won. All the flowers must come from a florist designated by the hotel, and families of the bride and groom cannot bring their own flowers.

Eighteen of the 21 hotels sell wine as a mandatory part of the wedding package; 11 make the customers use the “pyebaek” room for a traditional ceremony after the wedding; and four do not offer their least expensive menus on Saturdays, when most weddings are held. Stage décor fees of up to 3.85 million won are compulsory at 13 hotels.

(sophie@heraldcorp.com)