(CLEVELAND, April 16, 2013) ??A?15-floor, 307-room Value Hotel WorldwideSM?will be the largest and first upscale hotel to be built in the newly created city of Sejong, South Korea. The new construction hotel is expected to open in May next year and is the first Value Hotel Worldwide in South Korea.
In December,?Vantage Hospitality Group, Inc., the 8th?largest hotel company worldwide with over 1,000 properties,?announced?that, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Van Asia (Korea) Limited, it had entered into a master license agreement with Service Legend Inc., to introduce the Value Inn Worldwide and Value Hotel Worldwide brands to South Korea.
Value Hotel Worldwide Sejong will provide a full-service, high-end experience for both business and leisure travelers.?In addition to three underground floors of parking, 14 separate areas on the first three above-ground floors will be designated for restaurants and retail. The fourth floor will contain the lobby, reception area and business center. Guests will enjoy complimentary shuttle service throughout the city, a multilingual staff, an onsite health club and sauna facility, an executive lounge, as well as special events and in-house socials for guests.
Staff training and personalized service will be the hallmarks of the Value Hotel in Sejong. Through the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), each staff member will undergo extensive skill and cross-training. Promotions will be partly based on certifications and ongoing training obtained by managers and supervisors; while key executives will be expected to be specially trained and certified within their own departments.
Located just 100 miles south of Seoul, Sejong is literally a brand new city built to house many of the country?s government ministries and agencies. At least 35 agencies are expected to relocate from Seoul to Sejong by 2015. The South Korean government has designated Sejong as a center of research, education, and high-tech industry.?About 2,000 people now live in the city, but that is expected to grow to over 20,000 next year when the government workers and their families make the move from Seoul to Sejong.
According to Joon Park, the CEO of Service Legend and a principal of the master licensee for AHLEI in South Korea, this is a very exciting time to be involved in the birth of Sejong. ?New construction happens all the time, but new construction of entire cities is unheard of. We are very honored to be intricately involved in the beginning stages, and to bring the Value Hotel Worldwide brand to Sejong to be a part of what will surely be a thriving community and city.?
The Value Inns and Value Hotels will operate in the international markets of the upscale and upper midscale international segments, according to Bill Hanley, group president of Lexington by Vantage and managing director of international development for Vantage Hospitality. ?The typical Value Inn will be a 100- to 130-room, select-service property providing Wi-Fi throughout the property, a meeting room, an exercise facility, and a complimentary breakfast. Value Hotels will be full-service hotels of 150 rooms or more featuring restaurants, lounges, meeting and conference facilities, and the latest technology. Both brands will enjoy the benefits of Vantage?s strong CRS and global resources.
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About Vantage Hospitality Group, Inc.
Headquartered in Coral Springs, Florida, Vantage Hospitality Group is the 8th largest hotel company worldwide with over 1,000 hotels independently owned and operated, and the only hotel company to be ranked on the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 Inc. 500/5000 List of America?s Fastest-Growing Private Companies. Hotel owners worldwide have embraced Vantage?s innovative brand affiliation that offers members low, flat fees; short-term agreements; and a voice and a vote in each brand?s direction while providing the most comprehensive resources in the lodging industry. Vantage Hospitality?s first hotel brand, Americas Best Value Inn, is a leader in the limited-service segment (including Value Inn Worldwide and Canadas Best Value Inn) throughout North America and has been recognized by the lodging industry as the fastest-growing chain over the past decade. The company recently added the Value Inn Signature and Value Hotel Worldwide segments, created specifically to fill a void in the international market. Vantage continues to grow with the Lexington Inn and Lexington Hotel brands (Vantage?s midscale to upscale brands) and through affiliations with Vantage Hotel Management (management and operations covering all brands and independent properties), Vantage Insurance Services (a full-service insurance agency specializing in insurance for the hospitality industry), and Brown Nester Hospitality Services (offering comprehensive hotel brokerage and related services).[/box]
