Major Luxury Hotels Raise December Buffet Prices by 20,000 to 40,000 Won Targeting Year-End Demand
Due to Rising Raw Material Costs... Difference Must Be Paid When Using Buffet Vouchers Purchased Before Price Increase
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lee Gyehwa] According to the hotel industry, major domestic luxury hotels such as Lotte and Shilla Hotels are raising buffet prices again in December to capitalize on the year-end peak season.
The buffet La Seine in Sogong-dong at Lotte Hotel Seoul will increase the weekend dinner buffet price per adult from the current 150,000 KRW to 180,000 KRW, a 20% hike. During the Christmas holidays from December 23 to 25, the price will be 190,000 KRW, which is 40,000 KRW more than the usual dinner price. At the end of January this year, La Seine raised weekend and weekday dinner prices from 129,000 KRW to 150,000 KRW (16.3%) and weekday lunch prices from 105,000 KRW to 135,000 KRW (28.6%). Lotte Hotel plans to offer special menus such as lobster and sparkling wine from the evening of December 23 to 25, when prices will peak at 190,000 KRW.
The Parkview buffet at Shilla Hotel will also raise prices in December. For The Parkview, dinner is divided into two sessions: from December 1 to 11, the price will be 175,000 KRW, and from December 12 to 31, it will be 185,000 KRW, representing increases of 12.9% and 19.3%, respectively. Shilla Hotel stated, "The price increase is due to menu enhancements," adding, "We have introduced differentiated menus for customers holding year-end gatherings, including unlimited wine benefits during dinner, lobster, and oxtail stew."
Earlier, major luxury hotels raised buffet prices from the beginning of this year, citing rising raw material costs. Based on dinner buffet prices, La Seine increased from 129,000 KRW to 150,000 KRW (16.3%), and The Parkview from 129,000 KRW to 155,000 KRW (20.2%).
At each hotel, if buffet vouchers purchased before the price increase are used in December, customers must pay the difference. Lotte Hotel Seoul set the voucher price at 150,000 KRW. For Westin Chosun Hotel, the amount of paper vouchers varies depending on the issue date, so the exact price can be checked via the unique voucher number.
Buffet vouchers can be used even after the expiration date, but if the period is too short and the voucher cannot be used within that time, refunds are not available. A buffet user at one hotel said, "As soon as December buffet reservations opened, hundreds of calls were made to the hotel from early morning to barely secure a year-end reservation," adding, "Since buffet prices have risen, we have to pay the difference, but I’m not sure if the buffet will be worth the increased price."
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