A new Hilton hotel scheduled to open in 2028 in Gijang, a coastal county on the northeastern edge of Busan, will pitch itself to a growing market of travelers who combine vacations with spa retreats and medical procedures.
Hilton signed a franchise agreement Saturday with Korean developer MS&C for the 111-room Hilton Garden Inn Busan Gijang, the companies announced. The signing took place at Bexco, Busan's convention center.
The hotel includes a private hot spring, an all-day dining restaurant, indoor and outdoor pools, a spa and sauna, and roughly 250 square meters of banquet space.
The location places guests within reach of Haedong Yonggungsa, the seaside temple that ranks among Busan's most photographed sites, and Lotte World Adventure Busan. It also sits near the Dongnam Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, one of the region's main medical facilities.
That proximity is central to the project's pitch. Busan has set a target of drawing 100,000 foreign medical tourists annually by 2030, and developers are betting on demand for longer stays from patients and their families seeking treatment in the region.
Clarence Tan, senior vice president of development for Asia Pacific at Hilton, said the deal reflects the company's continued push into Korea.
"The Hilton Garden Inn Busan Gijang agreement demonstrates Hilton's strong commitment to expanding our portfolio in the rapidly growing Korean market. We will successfully meet demand for high-quality accommodations in Busan Gijang, which is emerging as a tourism and health care hub,” said Tan.
yoohong@heraldcorp.com
