"When 10 Alumni Gather, It Costs 2.15 Million Won, but Fully Booked Already"...Year-End Luxury Hotel Buffet Draws Despite High Prices

Seoul Shilla Hotel The Parkview 215,000 KRW per person
Lotte La Seine and Chosun Aria also 190,000~205,000 KRW

Weekend Fully Booked... Weekdays 70~80% Reservations Completed
Polarization Deepens, Value Consumption Trend, and Changes in Hoesik Atmosphere Impact

It is not enough to have 1 million won for five people. This is about the buffet at a luxury hotel during the year-end peak season. Despite the price per meal exceeding 200,000 won per person, the situation of "no seats available and difficult to make reservations" remains unchanged. During the year-end, the desire to gift oneself a special meal for the hard work throughout the year, the inadvertently raised expectations due to years of high inflation, the thought of wanting to have a splendid meal at a proper place if it is going to be expensive even if usually frugal, and the fact that the number of people with the purchasing power to realize these thoughts due to income polarization has increased, all seem to be working together to reinforce this phenomenon.

Chefs are preparing dishes to be presented at the buffet at The Parkview in Seoul Shilla Hotel.
[Photo by Hotel Shilla].

Two children and two adults cost 640,000 won... yet weekends are already 'fully booked'

According to the hotel industry on the 22nd, the price for December this year at The Parkview, the representative buffet of the 'three major hotels in Seoul,' Seoul Shilla Hotel, is up to 215,000 won. This is the dinner price per adult from the 21st to the 31st. During this period, children's dinner costs 105,000 won. For five adults to have a dinner gathering at The Parkview during this period, it would cost 1,075,000 won. Even from the 1st to the 20th, the cost is not cheap. Dinner costs 195,000 won for adults and 95,000 won for children. The brunch buffet, which corresponds to lunch in December, also increases in price. On weekdays, it is 179,000 won, and on weekends, 185,000 won. Children pay 90,000 won.

The situation is similar at Lotte Hotel Seoul's 'La Seine' and Westin Chosun Seoul's 'Aria.' To use the dinner buffet at La Seine on December 23-25 and 30-31, one must pay 205,000 won. On other dates, December dinner costs 190,000 won, weekend and holiday lunch 190,000 won, and weekday lunch 168,000 won. Aria charges 190,000 won for both lunch and dinner on December 23-25. Otherwise, weekend lunch in December is 185,000 won, and weekday lunch is 165,000 won. For a family of four with two children under 12 years old to use these buffets around Christmas, the cost per meal ranges from 500,000 to 600,000 won.

December buffet prices are 10,000 to 30,000 won higher per person compared to usual. This is because demand surges in the month when people want to commemorate with special meals due to Christmas and year-end. Along with May, the month of family, when the number of people visiting hotel buffets noticeably increases, hotels explain that they raise prices but expand services such as upgrading buffet menus and adding wine usage.

Despite the high prices, it is not easy to secure seats at year-end hotel buffets. In the case of Seoul Shilla Hotel, most weekend reservations in December are already full, and due to reservations shifting from weekends to weekdays, weekday reservations are also nearly fully booked. Lotte Hotel Seoul also has an average of over 80% reservation rate on December weekends, and reservations continue on weekdays. Westin Chosun Seoul has not yet started accepting reservations for the peak days of December 24-25, but already shows a reservation rate in the 70% range for December.

Chefs are preparing dishes at Lotte Hotel Seoul buffet 'La Seine'
[Photo by Lotte Hotel & Resorts].

High inflation raises the standard for 'expensive meals'... Changed company dinner culture also influences

Even assuming a special day, spending over 200,000 won on one meal is a significant burden. Yet many still seek it because it is a representative place that comes to mind for special year-end meals, and the consumption trend of "save when you can, spend when you must" influences the situation where standards for expensive meals are gradually rising due to recent high inflation. After COVID-19, the atmosphere of "drink as much as you can" during year-end parties has diminished, and the social atmosphere where attendees prefer a "memorable meal" has also played a role.

Above all, as asset and consumption polarization intensifies, the number of people with the purchasing power to visit hotel buffets on special days is increasing. A luxury hotel official said, "At year-end, not only family gatherings but also company dinners and savings club meetings increase, so the customers visiting hotel buffets become more diverse," adding, "Especially at year-end, companies increasingly hold group gatherings at buffets to find ways that satisfy team members."

However, fatigue toward the steadily rising buffet prices over the years and the even higher year-end buffet prices based on the increased prices is also growing. Although people visit only once or twice a year for events, there are complaints here and there that it is too expensive considering the limited amount they eat anyway. Experts expect this trend to continue for the time being. Professor Seo Yong-gu of the Department of Business Administration at Sookmyung Women's University said, "Many people seek 'small but certain happiness (So-hwak-haeng)' through hotel buffets in these difficult times, and fundamentally, 'people who created miracles but lost joy' tend to pursue short-term happiness through consumption close to luxury, so as long as demand continues, buffet price increases may also continue."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.