A Trend Among 'High-Income Couples'
'Signiel Seoul' Monthly Average of 38 Reservations
A Reflection of Capitalism's Greatest Ills
The culture of proposing at 5-star luxury hotels before marriage is becoming a trend. Until before COVID-19, small weddings, known as ‘small weddings,’ were popular, but the situation changed after the pandemic. It is analyzed as a trend that emerged as high-income young couples, who found it difficult to travel far due to COVID-19, began pouring money into 5-star hotels.
The Eternal Promise package operated by Signiel Seoul. It includes a bouquet and champagne in a room with a Han River view, making it highly popular among young couples. [Photo by Lotte Hotel]
According to the industry on the 20th, the ‘Eternal Promise’ package operated by Lotte Hotel Signiel Seoul exceeded 70% of last year’s sales as of May this year. The Eternal Promise package offers proposal decorations, a flower hamper box, champagne, and more in hotel rooms overlooking the Han River or the Seoul city night view. The price is 1.57 million KRW, and if you add the virgin road option that creates a flower path around the room entrance, it exceeds 2 million KRW.
This year, the Eternal Promise package is reportedly so popular that it is booked an average of 38 times per month. As wedding demand, which was suppressed due to COVID-19 until last year, rapidly recovers this year, the package is also enjoying a boom. In fact, according to the industry and Statistics Korea, the number of marriages in the first quarter of this year was 53,964, an increase of 8,590 (18.9%) compared to the same period last year, marking the highest growth rate ever recorded.
The ‘Timeless Romance’ product operated at Chosun Palace, Chosun Hotel & Resort’s top-tier hotel, is also receiving continuous customer inquiries and reservations. Similarly, it includes flower decorations and wine in a room with a city view, and the price exceeds 1 million KRW. A Chosun Hotel official said, "Proposal packages are products with steady demand," adding, "There are customer reservations every week, and about 15 sales per month."
Hotel Shilla is targeting young couples who propose while traveling. Jeju Shilla Hotel offers balloons, flower decorations, bouquets, wine, and more in the room through the ‘Romantic Proposal Day’ package, which is operated as a year-round promotion. The price is under 1 million KRW, relatively lower compared to competing hotels, and demand is steady, according to the hotel.
The hotel industry renews and releases proposal package compositions every year. Since demand for these packages, mainly among high-income groups, remains steady, they are enhancing competitiveness through renewal. Additionally, the tendency of the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) to enjoy taking proposal photos and sharing them on personal social networking services (SNS) is also fueling competition in the hotel industry.
Experts point out that hotel proposals reflect a facet of capitalism’s greatest flaw caused by income polarization. Professor Eunhee Lee of Inha University’s Department of Consumer Studies said, "Even if high-income groups have money, they lack the consumption values to exercise restraint," adding, "It is a part that requires reflection as members of society, and there is a need to reconsider consumption values."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
