Hanwha Group has decided to hold a fireworks display in Yeouido, Seoul, for the first time in three years on the 8th of next month, and reservations are being made to hotels around Yeouido.
However, some hotels are only receiving waiting lists of guests without setting the price for the day of the fireworks. In the end, there are concerns that room prices could soar as the hotel calls them.
I’ll just take the waiting list…hotels weighing room prices
According to the hotel industry on the 2nd, Conrad Seoul and Fairmont Ambassador Seoul, a five-star hotel located in Yeouido, Seoul, are not accepting reservations online on the 8th of next month. Customers who want to make a reservation on that date can only put their names on the waiting list on the wire.
An official at the Conrad Hotel said earlier in the day, “Currently, if you make a reservation on the 8th of next month, you can receive waiting orders in the 60s to 70s,” adding, “The number of people waiting is likely to increase further during the weekend.”
Fairmont Seoul has started a card discount promotion that can be applied to reservations from September to October. However, any voucher or card discount cannot be applied only on the 8th of next month, and the name is on the waiting list for reservation.
For both hotels, the cost of accommodation on the day of the World Fireworks Festival is undecided at this time. Nevertheless, the reason for receiving the reservation waiting list is largely to determine the room price based on demand.
An official from the hotel industry said, “To receive a waiting list for reservations without revealing room prices online is to weigh accommodation costs according to demand,” adding, “If demand exceeds supply, room prices will naturally soar.”
The basic room price per night on Saturday next month, unveiled by Fairmont Ambassador Seoul, is around 500,000 won. However, on October 8, it is around 600,000 won, which is about 100,000 won more expensive. Compared to weekdays, it is already more than twice the amount.
The industry expects that even this will rise further if there is a strong demand to reserve a hotel to watch the fireworks.
In fact, the Conrad Seoul Hotel has caused controversy over the rip-off fee as it has more than tripled from 300,000 won to 400,000 won per night before the COVID-19 to a package product worth 1 million won per night during the fireworks festival.
Will you be able to see it well at the Yeouido Fireworks Hotel?
The reason why consumers buy Yeouido fireworks hotel packages even after paying expensive money is to comfortably watch fireworks in a confirmed view. This is why Conrad Seoul Hotel, which has been rumored to be a spot for fireworks, has “sold out” the package even at a price of 1 million won per night.
However, even if it is the same Han River view room, you cannot enjoy 100% of the fireworks, which can lead to complaints among customers.
For example, the Conrad Seoul Hotel was enthusiastic about marketing that it boasts the best view of the fireworks festival in 2018, but at that time, it was criticized for not being able to see the fireworks properly due to the building under construction in some rooms. As users said they would take legal action, they eventually had to give them a refund.
Park One, a building under construction at the time, has already been completed. It has become more difficult to predict the viewing rooms per spot for fireworks at the Conrad Seoul Hotel. 서울 호캉스
The same is true of the Fairmont Ambassador Hotel. Since it opened in 2021, it will be the first Yeouido fireworks display this year, so it is cautious in predicting the best spot.
An industry official said, “It will be difficult to receive ridiculously high prices from nearby hotels ahead of the Yeouido Fireworks Festival as hotels around Gijang have been criticized for making nearly 10 times more profiteering ahead of the recent BTS (BTS) concert in Busan.”
Another industry official said, “The Hyundai Department Store has recently opened in Yeouido, and the Han River Moonlight Night Market will be held in Yeouido from October,” adding, “We should also keep in mind the severe traffic congestion in the area.”