Luxury Hotel Christmas Cake Pre-Sale... Selling Fast Even at 200,000 Won Range

Four Seasons Hotel 178,000 KRW
Sales Increase Despite 30% Price Hike from Last Year
"Growing Trend of Self-Satisfaction Amid Economic Downturn"

Christmas limited edition cakes released by major 5-star hotels are receiving continuous orders despite their high prices exceeding 200,000 won. Although most hotel cakes are priced higher than last year due to rising raw material and labor costs, the order volume is similar to or slightly higher than last year. Experts believe that the demand from the 'flex' group, who want to generously celebrate the one special day of the year even in an era of high inflation, remains strong.

According to the hotel industry on the 22nd, the two Christmas cakes released by Four Seasons Hotel Seoul have sold over 200 units since their launch on the 17th. This year, Four Seasons Hotel released the 'Red Christmas Cake' (98,000 won) and the 'White Christmas Cake' (178,000 won), which are about 30% and 135% more expensive respectively compared to last year's 'Christmas Jewel Cake' (76,000 won). Nevertheless, the average daily sales this year are about 50 units, surpassing last year's 40 units.

A representative from Four Seasons Hotel Seoul said, "Christmas cakes are steady sellers that sell out every year," adding, "Although price adjustments were inevitable this year due to inflation and rising labor costs, sales volume itself is similar to or even higher than last year."

Four Seasons Hotel Seoul 'White Christmas Cake'
[Photo by Four Seasons Hotel]

The Grand Hyatt Seoul, a luxury hotel located in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, also launched Christmas cakes on the 20th and started pre-order sales. The cakes include three types: 'Festive Hall Cake' (120,000 won), 'Black Forest Hall Cake' (95,000 won), and 'Strawberry Chocolate Log' (80,000 won). Considering that the regular cakes sold at 'Deli,' the bakery cafe of Grand Hyatt Seoul, are priced at 60,000 won, these are nearly twice as expensive. Despite this, customer inquiries about the Christmas cakes have been continuous since their release, according to a hotel official. The Grand Hyatt representative explained, "Christmas cakes require more elaborate and intricate work than regular cakes, so they take more effort to produce," adding, "Although we cannot disclose exact sales figures, inquiries from customers wishing to purchase are steadily coming in."

Leading luxury hotels in Seoul such as Shilla Hotel and Conrad Seoul are also preparing limited edition Christmas cakes. Shilla Hotel will hold a final demonstration within this month and start sales next month. Although the exact prices have not been finalized, they are expected to rise slightly compared to last year due to inflation. Last year, Shilla Hotel's Christmas cake prices were 150,000 won for the basic line and 250,000 won for the premium line. Conrad Seoul will also release six new cakes and begin sales from the 8th of next month. Both hotels have already been receiving numerous phone inquiries from customers wanting to purchase cakes even before the official launch.

Experts analyze that as economic recession and instability prolong, consumers tend to invest generously in self-satisfaction when necessary rather than rationally considering price, taste, and quality. While they usually emphasize reasonable consumption such as 'saving tech,' they tend to explosively release their suppressed consumption desires when encountering special events.

Professor Heo Kyung-ok of the Department of Consumer Studies at Sungshin Women's University explained, "The luxury consumption culture known as 'flex' tends to strengthen in uncertain situations where economic recession continues," adding, "People who usually keep their wallets closed due to high inflation become more eager to invest boldly for self-satisfaction during the year-end season."

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