Fairmont Ambassador Seoul in Yeouido was recently recognized as South Korea’s top luxury hotel in the service quality category by a global assessment agency. As the hotel industry competes to attract tourists after the Covid-19 pandemic, Fairmont, which opened its doors in 2021, has solidified its presence in the country.

According to sources on Sunday, Fairmont Ambassador Seoul earned the top spot in the comprehensive evaluation by Leading Quality Assurance (LQA), a British global hotel service consulting firm, in June 2023.

LQA evaluates service quality based on more than 800 detailed criteria for luxury hotels in over 130 countries worldwide. The assessment involves deploying professional consultants for incognito 2-night, 3-day stays as mystery shoppers. LQA is known to use the accumulated evaluation data of over 25,000 cases during consultations on improvement strategies.

In the survey, which resumed after a two-year hiatus following the Covid-19 pandemic, six hotels in Seoul were evaluated, including Fairmont, Banyan Tree Club & Spa, Four Seasons, Shilla, Sofitel Ambassador and Signiel. Each hotel was notified of the results, including rankings, individually.

LQA assessments are broadly categorized into ‘Hotel Operations Benchmark’ and ‘Emotional Connection Analysis.’ The former comprises eight segments, including service, efficiency, staff behavior, cleanliness, product, business opportunities, gastronomy, and sustainability. In this aspect, Fairmont claimed the top position in the cleanliness and sustainability categories.

The Emotional Connection Analysis, which assesses direct services to guests across 13 segments like front desk, reservation, check-in, breakfast, and room service, saw Fairmont cinch the top position in seven categories.

Fairmont gained attention when it entered the Yeouido Park One complex in February 2021. It boasts 308 rooms with a 31-floor facility, alongside amenities including a restaurant, rooftop bar, indoor swimming pool, and a large-scale event space. With proximity to the office town and adjacency to shopping facilities including The Hyundai Seoul and IFC, the hotel offers excellent accessibility.

Originally a Canadian company, Fairmont was acquired by France’s Accor Group in 2016. The Accor Group, which currently operates 5,300 hotels in 110 countries after its inception with Novotel in France in 1967, has significantly expanded its global presence.

By Park Hong-ju and Minu Kim

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