Construction is underway for the second building of Hyatt Regency Incheon, right next to its current one and which will almost double the airport hotel’s room inventory from 523 to 1,025.
Set to open in 2014 in time for the 17th Asian Games between September 19 and October 4, the expansion will make the hotel the largest in the Incheon area and the second largest in South Korea.
The anticipated growth of the business event industry in Incheon is the primary reason for putting up the new building.
"The government has been working hard to develop the infrastructure for the MICE industry, including the international airport, meeting facilities and transportation system. In particular, Incheon International Airport guarantees to fly to 51 cities within three hours," said Adam Simkins, general manager, Hyatt Regency Incheon. "This great accessibility from all over the world makes Incheon a good MICE destination for regional meetings."
He added: "Incheon has been hosting a lot of big events, one of them is the the upcoming 2013 World SKAL Congress. To meet the demand of these big events, accommodation with high-quality service and meeting facility are also needed near the airport."
As the hotel is targetting to host more regional meetings, the new structure will include additional meeting and event space, including a new grand ballroom that will be able to hold 1,000 people in a cocktail set-up. The current grand ballroom of the existing hotel can accommodate 1,200 people in the same set-up..
Beyond the MICE industry, Simkins said the hotel is looking forward to an increase of individual guests as the volume of leisure and business travellers flying in and out of Incheon International Airport grows at a steady rate.
This growth is expected to accelerate in the coming years with the on-going development of Incheon's Yeongjong Marina district into a commercial and lifestyle hub.
The South Korean capital has been actively developing new event venues in recent years; click here for a story from Business Traveller's sister publication Mix, about Floating Island on Han River.
For a story on 10 quintessential Seoul experiences, as well as the development of Incheon as "a city of the future", click here.
http://english.hyattregencyincheon.com
Gigi Onag
