Kangwon Land's Grand Hotel, which is undergoing a 200 billion won renovation to become a global integrated resort, is drawing criticism for its exterior, which resembles a large-scale demolition site, raising concerns about guest consideration and brand management.
Contrary to the ambitious plan to transform it into a world-class hotel, the exterior of the building currently under renovation has had its windows and exterior materials removed, leaving the concrete structure fully exposed.
This is particularly stark when compared to large buildings in downtown Seoul, which often use construction site screens as design elements or cultural content during remodeling, raising questions about the level of landscape management at Kangwon Land.
According to Kangwon Land and industry sources on the 22nd, as the renovation of the Grand Hotel's main tower has begun in earnest, a significant portion of the windows and exterior materials on the 24-story building have been removed.
On both sides of the building, windows are missing across multiple floors, leaving concrete pillars and interior spaces completely exposed to the outside.
While blue screens have been installed on some lower sections, the upper floors remain exposed with stripped walls and scaffolding, making it look more like a demolition site than a hotel.
Even at night, the exposed demolition zones and large tower cranes stand out, a far cry from the image of the Grand Hotel that has long served as a symbol of High1 Resort.
The problem is that this construction site appearance is not a temporary situation but a reality of a large-scale renovation process that will continue until 2028.
The Grand Hotel is a core accommodation facility connected to the casino and a landmark representing Kangwon Land.
Since it is a building that guests visiting the casino and resort inevitably encounter, critics point out that managing the exterior during the construction period is an essential part of customer service.
◆ Downtown Seoul Turns Construction Screens into Tourism Content
It is not difficult to find cases where construction screens for large buildings are used for urban landscape and corporate image management during renovations.
When KT remodeled its Gwanghwamun West office building in 2022, it used the construction screens as a large-scale media facade.
By collaborating with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to showcase videos and media art at night, they transformed the construction site into a new cultural space.
Shinsegae Department Store's main branch in Myeong-dong, Seoul, is also known for decorating its construction exterior with artwork during past renovations, providing a unique attraction for citizens.
These examples show that construction screens can be more than just facilities to block hazards; they can be a means to manage corporate image and improve the surrounding landscape.
Of course, Kangwon Land's Grand Hotel is located in a high-altitude mountainous region, making construction conditions different from those in downtown Seoul.
If a large screen is installed over the entire 24-story building, factors such as wind load from strong gusts, structural safety, and construction efficiency must be carefully reviewed.
However, the difficulty of installing a full-scale screen does not mean that other alternatives to reduce the visual exposure of the demolition site should be ignored.
There is a need to devise realistic measures, such as design-focused shielding facilities for each construction section, safety-verified temporary structures, landscape improvements for lower floors, and better construction signage.
◆ 200 Billion Won Upgrade… Dignity During Construction Matters
The environmental improvement project for the Grand Hotel and Mountain Condo promoted by Kangwon Land is one of the core projects of the K-HIT project.
The total project cost is 198.44 billion won, the largest accommodation renovation project since the company's founding.
By March 2028, the Grand Hotel plans to reduce the number of existing rooms from 477 to 410, while improving room size, amenities, and expanding luxury suites.
Plans also include dedicated guest floors for casino patrons and a members-only lounge on the 24th floor, the top of the hotel.
The environmental improvement work for 280 rooms across five Mountain Condo buildings will continue until October 2027.
Previously, the Kumho Construction consortium won the 103.5 billion won contract for the Grand Hotel and Mountain Condo environmental improvement construction last December.
Kangwon Land aims to modernize aging accommodation facilities and build a high-end environment for family tourists and casino customers through this project.
However, a hotel's competitiveness is not determined solely by interior facilities and design.
The exterior of the building that guests first encounter upon entering the resort, the surrounding environment, management of noise and dust during construction, and pedestrian safety and guidance systems are all factors that evaluate a hotel's service level.
In particular, as the casino and some resort facilities remain operational during construction, meticulous site management is required to minimize guest inconvenience.
◆ Guest Consideration Comes Before Post-Completion Luxury
Kangwon Land is pushing for facility upgrades and customer service innovation in preparation for the opening of the Osaka Integrated Resort in Japan in 2030.
The strategy is to secure global competitiveness through the construction of a second casino floor and hotel renovations.
However, just as important as increasing the dignity of the hotel after completion by investing huge budgets is the environment guests experience during the construction period.
In particular, given that High1 Resort promotes its natural scenery and high-end accommodation as key tourism assets, management of the construction site image, which will be exposed for a long time, is necessary.
Simply asking guests to understand the inconvenience of construction is not enough.
Critics argue that the company must actively review plans to improve the landscape of the construction site visible from guest paths, in addition to informing guests of the construction schedule and clearly marking hazardous areas.
It remains to be seen how much Kangwon Land and the contractor reviewed exterior shielding and brand image management plans during the design and construction planning stages.
The success of the Grand Hotel renovation will not be evaluated solely by the splendor of the rooms after its completion in 2028.
This is because how much consideration and service that meets the guests' expectations are realized during the process of creating a world-class hotel with 200 billion won is also an important evaluation criterion.
The dignity of a global integrated resort is revealed not after construction is finished, but even at the site where construction is underway.
