Marriott International has opened the 225-room Fairfield by Marriott Hotel in Busan, South Korea. The property is the second Fairfield to open in South Korea this year.
Busan is South Korea’s second-most populated city after Seoul and has the country’s main commercial port (reportedly the ninth-busiest in the world), making it a popular destination for major conferences and home to the Korea Exchange. The city hosts international festivals throughout the year, including the Busan International Rock Festival in August and the Busan International Film Festival in October.
The property has 224 guestrooms and one 485-square-foot family room that includes a separate living room. It also has a restaurant that offers buffet-style breakfast, a fitness center, flexible workspaces in the lobby and a meeting room that can accommodate up to 30 persons.
Marriott already has an established presence in South Korea. In October, The JW Marriott Seoul, the company’s first luxury property in the country (it made its debut in 2000), reopened following an eight-month renovation. "The Korea market has been a strategically important market for Marriott International for many years," Jenny Kim, Marriott International's South Korea area director of sales and distribution, told Business Times, noting the market offers "enormous potential" for both leisure and business travelers. "Korea will remain a key market in Asia in the long run," Kim said.
Busan is poised to get other new branded properties in the coming years. In September, Avani Hotels & Resorts signed a deal to open the company's second property in South Korea. The Avani Central Busan Hotel is slated to open in first-quarter in Busan’s city center, and will be followed by the Avani Busan Hotel, which was signed last year and is scheduled to open in 2021.