CLEVELAND—A 15-floor, 307-room Value Hotel Worldwide will be built in the newly created city of Sejong, South Korea. The new construction hotel is expected to open in May next year and is the first Value Hotel Worldwide in South Korea.
In December, Vantage Hospitality Group announced that, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Van Asia (Korea) Limited, it had entered into a master license agreement with Service Legend Inc., to introduce the Value Inn Worldwide and Value Hotel Worldwide brands to South Korea.
Value Hotel Worldwide Sejong will provide a full-service experience for both business and leisure travelers. In addition to three underground floors of parking, 14 separate areas on the first three above-ground floors will be designated for restaurants and retail. The fourth floor will contain the lobby, reception area, and business center. Guests will enjoy complimentary shuttle service throughout the city, a multilingual staff, an onsite health club and sauna facility, an executive lounge, as well as special events and in-house socials for guests.
Staff training and personalized service will be the hallmarks of the Value Hotel in Sejong. Through the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), each staff member will undergo extensive skill and cross-training. Promotions will be partly based on certifications and ongoing training obtained by managers and supervisors; while key executives will be expected to be specially trained and certified within their own departments.
According to Joon Park, the CEO of Service Legend and a principal of the master licensee for AHLEI in South Korea, this is a very exciting time to be involved in the birth of Sejong. “New construction happens all the time, but new construction of entire cities is unheard of. We are very honored to be intricately involved in the beginning stages, and to bring the Value Hotel Worldwide brand to Sejong to be a part of what will surely be a thriving community and city.”
The Value Inns and Value Hotels will operate in the international markets of the upscale and upper midscale international segments, according to Bill Hanley, group president of Lexington by Vantage and managing director of international development for Vantage Hospitality. The typical Value Inn will be a 100- to 130-room, select-service property providing Wi-Fi throughout the property, a meeting room, an exercise facility, and a complimentary breakfast. Value Hotels will be full-service hotels of 150 rooms or more featuring restaurants, lounges, meeting and conference facilities, and the latest technology.
