IHG is planning to open its third Holiday Inn hotel in South Korea in Songdo, a newly developed city near to Seoul that is emerging as a major business centre.
Located about 35km west of Seoul, near to Incheon International Airport, Songdo is part of the Incheon Free Economic Zone – an area offering preferential policies and infrastructure intended to attract international business.
The Songdo International Business District opened in 2009, a new development designed to be a hub for international business. The district has a strategic location 15 minutes from Incheon Airport and has been planned for business from the ground upwards.
International corporations in Songdo include Cisco, IBM, GE and DHL. Brose and Mando have established a large manufacturing and research and development centre in the area, while Samsung also has a large presence there. The newly completed Northeast Asia Trade Tower is also drawing international companies.
The Holiday Inn, scheduled to open in 2014, will be located in Songdo Central Park that lies at the heart of the new development. It will have 202 rooms, meeting and function facilities, and business and fitness centres.
Other hotels which have opened in Songdo include the Sheraton Incheon, which opened in mid-2009 (see here), the Best Western Premier Songdo Park Hotel, and Benikea Premier Songdo Metro Hotel.
For more information, visit www.holidayinn.com
Nicholas Olczak
