--- title: "Special Series: Hotel Stories by Potluck 08" description: "How Daelim Group built GLAD Hotel into a standout brand in Seoul's hotel market with distinctive concepts and design sensibilities." published: 2018-10-05T09:04:46+00:00 author: "ONDA 편집팀" category: "Insights" image: "https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65d616bb29bbe758659278a1_Frame_48.jpg" canonical: https://global.onda.me/en/blog?slug=teugbyeolyeonjae-poteureogi-deulryeojuneun-hotel-iyagi-08 locale: en --- # Special Series: Hotel Stories by Potluck 08 #### **08. Hospitality Development/Operations Success Stories (1) Glad to Meet You, GLAD Hotel** ##### By Potluck ([https://brunch.co.kr/@nicejty0](https://brunch.co.kr/@nicejty0)) Since launching this series in *Magazine ON* last March, we've explored hotels together over seven installments — tracing their origins and history, industry characteristics, terminology, key functions and facilities, operating models, and branding. Everything you need to understand the hotel business. Let's quickly recap. ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407f0264fa4767de45eb8_62e768225d99644539f7ab0b_5e942ebfb499e52bd9df4c59_e18480e185b3e186afe18485e185a2e18483e185b3-e1848be185a7e1848be185b4e18483e185a9-e18492e185a9e18490e185a6e186af_001.jpeg) GLAD Yeouido Hotel ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407f0264fa4767de45e95_62e768225d9964fd45f7ab0d_5e942ebf36c30b036fe8dca6_e18480e185b3e186afe18485e185a2e18483e185b3-e18485e185a1e1848be185b5e18487e185b3-e18480e185a1e186bce18482e185a1e186b7-e1848ce185a51.jpeg) _We started with the origins and history of hotels. Hotels — a form of accommodation — are tightly bound to travel. As European aristocrats began traveling, demand emerged for upscale lodging. That's how hotels were born. Hotels originally served two core functions: lodging and food. But as travel evolved, hotels added various amenities to keep pace. And as travel became accessible to the masses, mainstream hotels appeared — fueling explosive industry growth. Two figures led this charge: Statler and Hilton. Statler democratized hotels; Hilton systematized how they operate. Hotels blend real estate and service industries — a sensitive combination. Success requires planning operations from day one of development. Without hotel experience, success is hard to guarantee. That's why global brands with decades of development and operational know-how dominate the world's hotel markets._ Now, let's turn to case studies — real-world examples worth studying for hotel development and operations. The hotels we'll explore share two traits: **differentiated concepts** or **crystal-clear positioning**. Today, we kick off with **GLAD Hotel** — developed and operated by Daelim Group. --- There's a hotel that brought fresh air to Seoul's hotel market, dominated by global chains. **GLAD Live Gangnam** — nestled in one of Gangnam's hottest neighborhoods. **GLAD** is the hotel brand created by Daelim Group, a company best known for building apartments. Daelim has long operated in tourism, though it's primarily a construction firm. Daelim Industrial builds resorts and hotels; its subsidiary, Ora Tourism, runs them. Drawing on years of hotel and resort construction and operations expertise, Daelim launched GLAD. Today, five GLAD properties operate in Korea: **GLAD Yeouido**, **Maison GLAD Jeju**, **GLAD Gangnam COEX Center**, **GLAD Mapo**, and today's spotlight — **GLAD Live Gangnam**. Daelim Group actually operates over 3,000 hotel rooms nationwide — ranking third by room count (after Lotte and Shilla). Yet unlike Lotte or Shilla, it lacks name recognition. Why? No strong brand. As Korea's tourism market exploded in the 2010s — fueled by Hallyu and surging Chinese tourists — Daelim considered expanding its hotel business and developing a brand. The result: **GLAD**. In December 2014, the first GLAD hotel opened in Yeouido (319 rooms). ![스크린샷 2018-10-12 오후 6.11.58.png](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407f0264fa4767de45eae_62e768225d9964c685f7ab0c_5e942ec0459693aec875c98e_e18489e185b3e1848fe185b3e18485e185b5e186abe18489e185a3e186ba-2018-10-12-e1848be185a9e18492e185ae-6-11-58.png) **GLAD Yeouido** was positioned as a business hotel — fitting for an office-dense district. But unlike typical utilitarian business hotels, GLAD Yeouido offered unique, efficient spaces; cozy, home-like rooms; witty, approachable design; and amenities and services that focused on essentials. Its distinct concept and design make it more of a mainstream boutique hotel. After showcasing a clear concept and mass appeal in its debut property, GLAD opened its second hotel in Jeju: **Maison GLAD Jeju**. This property was a remodel of Jeju Grand Hotel, a luxury hotel that opened in 1981. Jeju Grand once led the island's upscale market alongside Kal Hotel. But as new hotels entered the scene, its status declined. To regain competitiveness, Daelim remodeled it — applying its signature differentiated concept and boutique sensibility. Building on these lessons, Daelim launched an upgraded third GLAD property in Gangnam: **GLAD Live Gangnam**. Opened September 22, 2016, this 20-story building (three basement levels) houses 201 rooms across seven room types. True to its Gangnam location, it boasts trendy, sophisticated design and facilities. ![스크린샷 2018-10-12 오후 6.12.07.png](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407f0264fa4767de45e9c_62e768225d99642919f7ab0e_5e942ec0333832795443a3e6_e18489e185b3e1848fe185b3e18485e185b5e186abe18489e185a3e186ba-2018-10-12-e1848be185a9e18492e185ae-6-12-07.png) Every room features Harman Kardon speakers (yes, the Harman that Samsung Electronics acquired). There's a lounge bar (The Bridge) on the third floor and a club (The Star) in the basement. Rooms display artwork from renowned animation artists and photographers. Some suites even have indoor pools. The target? Trendsetters who know how to have a good time. Daelim's concept development chops didn't happen overnight. The group honed its cultural and artistic sensibilities through projects like **Daelim Museum**, **D Museum**, and **D Tower**. ![스크린샷 2018-10-12 오후 6.12.20.png](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407f0264fa4767de45ea9_62e768225d99642daaf7ab0f_5e942ec05f8678170f658f33_e18489e185b3e1848fe185b3e18485e185b5e186abe18489e185a3e186ba-2018-10-12-e1848be185a9e18492e185ae-6-12-20.png) **D Museum** in Hannam-dong is a standout — with striking architecture, trendy curation, and an integrated café/restaurant, it became a neighborhood landmark. (Daelim continues acquiring properties around D Museum to create a street vibe like Garosu-gil.) **D Tower** also collaborates with design — working with Cho Soo-yong, who led Naver's design division at the time — resulting in a unique stacked-block aesthetic. Unlike typical office buildings, D Tower strengthened commercial functions in its podium (**Powerplant**, F&B outlets). You can spend lavishly on a flashy building. But without a clear concept, the design won't convey a consistent image to visitors — and it won't stick in their memory. A concept must carry through from exterior to interior to signage, and align seamlessly with operational strategy. Maintaining a distinctive concept requires serious experience and know-how. Daelim has steadily built that capability — carving out a differentiated position in the cutthroat hotel market. With the successful launches of GLAD Gangnam COEX Center and GLAD Mapo, it's proven its potential. That's why we're watching Daelim and **GLAD's** next move. That's all for today. --- **\[Series Index\]** [2018.03 Origins and History of Hotels](https://onda.me/magazine/15/post/1018) [2018.04 Evolution of Korea's Hospitality Industry](https://onda.me/magazine/16/post/1107) [2018.05 Characteristics of the Hotel Industry](https://onda.me/magazine/17/post/1197) [2018.06 Hotel Terminology — Quick Guide](https://onda.me/magazine/18/post/1334) [2018.07 Key Functions and Facilities of Hotels](https://onda.me/magazine/19/post/1395) [2018.08 Hotel Operating Models](https://onda.me/magazine/20/post/1549) [2018.09 About Hotel Brands](https://onda.me/magazine/21/post/1642) **2018.10 Hospitality Development/Operations Success Stories (1)** 2018.11 Hospitality Development/Operations Success Stories (2) 2018.12 Hospitality Development/Operations Success Stories (3) 2019.01 Hospitality Development/Operations Success Stories (4) ## [View Full Magazine >>](http://bit.ly/magazineon22) --- ⚠️ All rights reserved. Cite this piece as 'ONDA' when quoting.