"Honoring Ancestors with a 600,000 Won Table This Lunar New Year"... Hotel Holiday Meal Sets in High Demand

Assorted Jeon, Short Ribs, and Grilled Yellow Corvina in One Set for Hundreds of Thousands of Won
Rising Demand for High-End Products Emphasizing Convenience and Quality
Featuring Chefs from "Heukbaek Yorisai"

With about a month remaining until Lunar New Year, the hotel industry is rolling out a series of holiday meal sets designed to ease the burden of preparing traditional ceremonial tables. Priced between 200,000 and 600,000 won, these offerings are rapidly expanding as packaging and delivery-focused products, moving away from the earlier model of in-store sales only.

According to the hotel industry on January 18, major luxury hotels are strengthening their takeout-style holiday meal sets to target the growing demand for reducing the time and effort required to prepare festive dishes. First introduced in the mid-2000s, hotel holiday sets have become an established product category, especially as the trend toward convenient consumption accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

JW Marriott Dongdaemun's 'JW Holiday To-Go' Lunar New Year Takeout Table Setting. JW Marriott Dongdaemun

JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul has launched a Lunar New Year takeout set through its restaurant, Tavolo 24. The set features a modern reinterpretation of traditional ceremonial cuisine, including assorted jeon (Korean pancakes), braised beef short ribs, Korean beef bulgogi, abalone dishes, grilled Jeju tilefish, and grilled eel. Some popular menu items have been upgraded, and a children's menu option is also available. Customers can pick up their orders via drive-thru or quick service.

Fairmont Ambassador Seoul has prepared a seafood-based ceremonial set focused on ancestral rites. The set includes semi-dried fish commonly used for memorial tables, such as cuttlefish, butterfish, croaker, and flatfish, enhancing practicality. In addition to in-store pickup, delivery is available for an extra fee.

The Plaza is offering a limited run of 50 meal sets designed for 5 to 6 people. The set features a complete spread, including rice cake soup, braised short ribs, grilled dried yellow corvina, traditional pancakes and seasoned vegetables, and dessert. The hotel explained that these limited-quantity sets sell out quickly every year due to high demand.

'Sechan' set at Mayfield Hotel Seoul. Mayfield Hotel Seoul

Le Meridien Seoul Myeongdong is offering two types of meal sets in line with the trend toward simplified holiday celebrations: a basic set and a premium set centered on high-quality Korean beef. Mayfield Hotel Seoul has also released a set that incorporates the expertise of its Korean restaurant, Bongraehon, highlighting that Lee Geumhee, the executive Korean chef and a chef from "Heukbaek Chef 2," oversees the entire process to ensure high quality.

An industry insider commented, "Holiday meal sets have become a steady source of demand, not just a passing trend," adding, "Growth is expected to continue, especially among consumers who value both convenience and quality."