JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul passed the five-star rating review of tourist hotels in August last year, but controversy has arisen as it has failed to provide room services equivalent to five-star hotels to guests.
Currently, JW Marriott Dongdaemun stipulates that room service is provided 24 hours a day through its website. However, room service is provided from 7 a.m. to 0:30 p.m. on the following day, and the order deadline (last order) is guided to 12 p.m.
In the end, the room service delivery time is a total of 17 hours and 30 minutes, which does not meet the criteria for the five-star review of tourism hotels by the Korea Tourism Association.
According to the Korea Tourism Association's guideline, a five-star hotel must provide room service for at least 18 hours and up to 24 hours. If room service is provided for less than 18 hours, it is considered a "grade hold."
In this regard, an official from the association said, "After the hotel rating review, we conduct an interim check on whether services or facilities are managed well, and if some of the defects are found, appraisal points will be deducted for the next hotel grade evaluation.”
Meanwhile, an official from JW Marriott Dongdaemun said, "Recently, the labor shortage in the hotel industry is serious due to COVID-19, and our hotel is in the same situation, so we temporarily reduced room service hours."
The official added, "As the COVID-19 situation is easing gradually, we are planning to normalize the service as soon as possible."
