Global hotel chains bet big on Korea’s resort island of Jeju

JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa will open in Seogwipo, Jeju Island in February and offer guests a scenic coastal view. [Image source: JW Marriott Jeju]

Global hotel giants are rushing to open properties on Jeju Island, a hot tourist spot in the southwest corner of the Korean peninsula, as the region grows more popular among tourists from home and abroad.

According to multiple sources from the hotel and resort industry, JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa will open in Seogwipo located in the south side of Jeju Island in February and offer guests a scenic coastal view.

Parnas Hotel Jeju also opened in July last year and Grand Hyatt Jeju in 2020.

More global luxury hotel chains are set to launch operations in Jeju, including Banyan Tree and Ananti.

Jeju Island has seen an explosive growth in the number of visitors amid rising demand for luxury accommodation options.

According to Jeju Tourism Association, more than 15 million people visited Jeju in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of travelers dropped in 2020 and 2021 but rebounded last year to 12 million in the first 11 months.