Shinsegae DNA Embedded in Jeong Yoo-kyung's 'Hotel Onoma', Weekend Reservations Already Fully Booked

193m Tower Features 171 Rooms, Swimming Pool, and Restaurant
Fitness Membership Pre-Reservations Also Close Early

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Jung Yoo-kyung, General Manager of Shinsegae Department Store, is making a comeback to the hotel business after 13 years by unveiling Shinsegae's first proprietary hotel brand.

Shinsegae Department Store announced on the 18th that on the 27th, coinciding with the opening of Daejeon Shinsegae Art & Science, the 'Hotel Onoma, Autograph Collection Hotels,' led by General Manager Jung, will open simultaneously.

General Manager Jung began her executive career in 1996 as Marketing Deputy General Manager at Chosun Hotel and led the hotel business until 2008. However, when the hotel division was incorporated into the Emart division, she effectively stepped away from the hotel business. Since then, through the subsidiary Shinsegae Central City, she has only managed the Seoul JW Marriott Hotel under consignment, and this is the first time she is launching an independent hotel brand.

Hotel Onoma has partnered with Marriott International, the world's largest hotel chain, and the interior design was handled by world-renowned architects including Rockwell, who designed New York's Hudson Yards, Manhattan Tower, and Roppongi Hills. The hotel occupies a total of 15 floors?5th to 7th and 26th to 37th floors?of the 193-meter-tall Shinsegae Expo Tower, with 171 rooms including 13 suites.

The name Onoma is derived from the ancient Greek word meaning reputation, name, and light. The hotel logo expresses the movement of energy circulating organically. It signifies offering joy so that guests can maintain an optimal balance of body, mind, and spirit.

Lobby bird's-eye view of Hotel Onoma

Since early this month, the hotel has started accepting reservations in advance through the official Marriott website and has already been so popular that weekends have been fully booked for a month after opening. The hotel explained that the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has increased the number of customers enjoying staycations, raising expectations for new luxury hotels. The fitness membership, limited to 300 people for pre-booking, also sold out quickly.

The hotel features a 400-pyeong (approx. 1,322 sq ft) high-rise swimming pool and fitness facilities with views of the cityscape, as well as a jacuzzi suitable for families with children, and the 'Townhouse' buffet restaurant offering a variety of menus. Food and beverage facilities include the 'Townhouse Bar' where guests can enjoy wine and signature cocktails, the 'Onoma Cafe' selling coffee and beverages, and the 'Onoma Lounge' featuring casual Italian dishes.

To celebrate its opening, Hotel Onoma has prepared packages such as the 'Onoma Morning Treat,' which allows guests to experience Townhouse breakfast, and the 'Love Your Essence, Rock Your Essence' package in collaboration with the cosmetic brand Onoma, providing products tailored to customers' skin types. For guests planning family staycations, packages including tickets to 'Sports Monster' and 'Daejeon Expo Aquarium,' where various contents of Daejeon Shinsegae Art & Science can be experienced, are also available.

Park Joo-hyung, CEO of Shinsegae Central City, said, "We have opened Hotel Onoma, which embodies Shinsegae's DNA, for the first time in the central region," adding, "We aim to establish it as a representative regional hotel that offers new experiences beyond gourmet food and leisure, including health and culture."