A final photo for remembrance: MHR Chairman Mr Kwek Leng Beng (front row in the centre wearing violet-coloured tie) recently visited Millennium Hilton Seoul for the last time. He is pictured here together with the hotel team, Owner’s Representative for the hotel Mr Alan Cha (standing on Mr Kwek’s right), and General Manager Mr Felix Busch (front row, 4th from right).
Goodbye,
Millennium
Hilton Seoul
A swansong for the luxury hotel as it prepares its final walk into history at the end of this year.
The iconic luxury Millennium Hilton Seoul Hotel at the foot of Mount Namsan in downtown Seoul will be closing its doors at the end of this year 2022. Acquired by IGIS Asset Management for KRW 1.1 trillion (or S$1.26 billion) in December 2021, the 5-star property will be demolished to make way for a new office building.
Opened in December 1983, the hotel was previously owned by Daewoo Group before it was acquired by CDL in November 1999 (US$213.5 million) following the Asian Financial Crisis. CDL Hotels (Korea) also acquired the adjoining 1,563.7 square metre freehold land plot from Woo Yang Industrial Development in 2013.
For nearly 40 years, the hotel with 680 guest rooms and 29 suites grew to become a popular destination for tourists, celebrities, and meeting place for politicians and businessmen, and became the main stage of bold negotiations that changed modern Korean history.
We celebrate Millennium Hilton Seoul’s history and legacy as it takes its final walk down memory lane.
Hilton History Museum
Millennium Hilton Seoul pays final homage to its 40-year history and legacy with a pop-up Hilton History Museum featuring photos and antiquities like chinaware and room amenities that date all the way back to the 1980s.
As a way to show appreciation for all those that have contributed to the success of Millennium Hilton Seoul, the Hilton History Museum offers a chance for guests and Team Members to reminisce the exemplary hospitality the property has delivered since 1983.
The pop-up features various antiquities and photographs of some of the most defining moments from the hotel history. Guests can see various room amenities, chinaware and Team Member uniform that date back all the way to the 80s. A digital photo montage is continuously played with pictures of the iconic Hilton Train.
1983 Afternoon Tea
The aptly named 1983 Afternoon Tea at the hotel’s Cilantro Deli revisits signature items from its past to the present including the famous II Ponte Tiramisu.
The seasonal afternoon tea sets at Cilantro Deli is now showcasing its final theme that loops back to the hotel’s beginnings. The 1983 Afternoon Tea revisits the hotel’s signature items from its past and present, including the famous Il Ponte tiramisu, many cakes of Cilantro Deli, as well as Seasons canapés transformed into savory tea foods. The tasty pieces are presented on a custom-made tea stand built to resemble the hotel’s recognizable exterior as a way to celebrate the spirit of hospitality and dedication to delicacy since 1983.
Last Holiday Room Package
Guests wanting to indulge in the bespoke luxurious Millennium Hilton Seoul experience for the final time can enjoy the Last Holiday Room Package with spectacular views of Namsan Mountain with complimentary wine or champagne.
As the final room package of the year – and the hotel’s 39 years in the run – the Last Holiday Room Package offers guests the chance to indulge in a luxury hotel experience with Millennium Hilton Seoul for one last time.
Guests can enjoy spectacular views of Namsan Mountain with a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine or champagne while having access to the pool, fitness center and other hotel facilities. Upon check-in, guests are also given various special amenities including the hotel bathrobe and pouch take the memories with them and relive its moments at home.
Memories Last Forever Collaterals – Room Key and Table Mat
Custom-designed key cards featuring the hotel’s exterior and lobby flows with the theme “Memories Last Forever”.
Table mats in Café 395 and the Oak Room display whimsical illustrations Mount Namsan and other amenities unique to the hotel.
Featuring the hotel exterior and the Main Lobby, the custom-designed key cards ensure that the guests can cherish every moment from check-in to check-out. Across the cards are written the words “Memories Last Forever,” highlighting the main legacy of the hotel: our memories.
In addition, Café 395 and Oak Room table mats feature Namsan, hotel amenities, food menus and other various elements unique to the Millennium Hilton Seoul experience in whimsical illustrations. Even if the hotel closes, all the memories made at Millennium Hilton Seoul will stay with our guests forever.
Interactive Messaging Board
An interactive message board has been set up at the hotel lobby for guests and staff to scribble their favourite memories and fond goodbyes.
White canvases have been set up in the Lower Lobby as interactive message boards for our guests and Team Members to scribble their favorite memories with the hotel. As the hotel engineering team works on the miniature village and train for the final year, the line of fences that circle around the work in progress now serves as an opportunity for guests to reminisce their favorite moments with the hotel and see what others have written as well.
Hilton Train
A defining signature for guests and the local community, the Hilton Train embarks on its final journey at Millennium Hilton Seoul.
The signature Hilton Train is starting its final journey at Millennium Hilton Seoul. The Hilton train has become an institution for many – for kids being able to enjoy the wonderful trainset, for hotel and outlets patrons admiring the train and display and for our local community whom we have finically supported over the past nearly 30 years with proceeds from the train. This year will be especially eye-catching with the miniature hotel and Seoul N Tower illuminating the village.
