[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] As the year-end approaches, the hotel industry’s Christmas cake battle has begun. Despite the expensive prices ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of won, consumer response to purchasing luxury hotel Christmas cakes is enthusiastic.
According to the hotel industry on the 3rd, Shilla Hotel is introducing three types of limited-edition Christmas cakes. In particular, the ‘Alluring Winter’ cake, which is shaped like flowers blooming in winter, is priced at 250,000 won. Because it is a premium cake that requires a lot of handiwork, it is sold in limited quantities only. A Shilla Hotel official said, “Since it is a product that requires a lot of effort, it cannot be mass-produced, so it is offered in limited quantities, which seems to make it more popular,” adding, “All ingredients, including chocolate, are of the highest quality.”
Chosun Palace also released a 250,000 won ‘White Tree Special’ cake. The White Tree cake, designed with white snow resting on a Christmas tree, uses French Valrhona white chocolate as the main ingredient, and the patissier personally crafted each leaf to enhance the detail. Additionally, the cake sheet uses three types of ganache?dark, milk, and white?to create a six-layer chocolate sheet, characterized by a deep and rich chocolate flavor.
InterContinental Parnas is presenting 11 types of cakes inspired by winter fairy tales. Among them, the most expensive cake is the ‘Merry-Go-Round’ cake, which recreates a carousel from a fairy tale, priced at 200,000 won. This chocolate art cake is completed by a chocolatier’s handwork over more than eight hours, featuring deer decorations made from Valrhona’s 100th anniversary chocolate and various flavored chocolate bonbons beneath red macarons.
Despite the high prices, consumer demand continues unabated. At Westin Chosun Seoul, Christmas cake reservations are already fully booked. It is also reported that phone calls to purchase Shilla Hotel’s cakes flooded in as soon as reservations opened.
The industry views Christmas cakes as fulfilling consumers’ desire for ‘small luxury,’ with scarcity further stimulating purchasing psychology. A hotel industry official said, “Since most Christmas cakes are sold in limited quantities, this has further promoted purchases,” adding, “However, because most cakes are handmade and use high-quality ingredients, prices inevitably are set high.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
