ICT Hotel Novotel Ambassador Dongdaemun Opens

KT and KT Estate held a press conference on July 18 at the Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotel & Residence (hereinafter Novotel Ambassador Dongdaemun) in Jung-gu, Seoul, and announced that they would be introducing the first AI hotel service in Korea.

Novotel Ambassador Dongdaemun, equipped with AI services, opened on July 3 with the goal of becoming a state-of-the-art ICT-based hotel. With a total of 523 rooms, including 331 guest rooms and 192 residences, it is the first Novotel in the world to feature a 'Hotel & Residence' complex brand. Accor Ambassador Korea manages operations in accordance with Accor Hotels' global standards.

KT and its group companies plan to provide users with new experiences through ICT, in addition to the comfort of traditional hotels. Furthermore, they aim to lead the popularization of 5G in the future by serving as a space where users can be the first to experience 5G-based services, such as AI.

'GiGA Genie' applied at Novotel Ambassador Dongdaemun is an AI service that has secured 900,000 subscribers since its launch in January 2017. Following the launch of its GiGA Genie-based AI apartment, KT is expanding its AI service areas to various living spaces, including hotels and automobiles.


24-hour care service with 'Genie Phone'

Novotel Ambassador Dongdaemun is equipped with 'GiGA Genie Hotel,' which integrates KT's AI technology. GiGA Genie Hotel is an infotainment system that features not only voice recognition but also a touchscreen, allowing guests to easily and quickly access various hotel services from their rooms.

In conventional hotels, you had to use a remote control or adjust the thermostat to control the indoor temperature, but at Novotel Ambassador Dongdaemun, you can lie in bed or do other things and simply say, “Genie, set the indoor temperature to 20 degrees,” and the temperature will be adjusted immediately.

In addition, we plan to provide concierge functions, such as allowing guests to check their bill or proceed with checkout from their rooms. Within this year, we also intend to implement a feature that enables convenient payment for the minibar and room service using only voice commands. Furthermore, in response to the increasing number of foreign guests, we plan to expand support for languages other than English and enhance related content.

KT provides 'Genie Phone' to guests at Novotel Ambassador Dongdaemun to offer 24-hour care services during their stay. The Genie Phone can be picked up and used at the hotel or Incheon Airport, and allows access to services such as domestic and international calls and data usage, transportation cards, tourist information, room control, and VAT refunds during the stay.

Genie Phone is equipped with rich content, including information on restaurants near hotels personally discovered by hoteliers, as well as information on major travel destinations and festivals linked with data from the Korea Tourism Organization. Genie Phone plans to contribute to the revitalization of local commercial districts by continuously updating its content.

Novotel Ambassador Dongdaemun has introduced cutting-edge systems not only for customer service but also for hotel management. Representative examples include the intelligent video analysis security service 'GiGAeyes' and 'KT-MEG,' the world's first integrated energy management platform introduced by KT. GiGAeyes is applied both inside and outside the hotel to detect intrusions and loitering by outsiders in real time, and plays a role in fire monitoring and crime prevention. KT-MEG provides an optimal energy management system by analyzing hotel power usage through big data, enabling power consumption inquiries and predictions, as well as power management during peak hours.


4 ICT Hotels to Open in Seoul by 2022

KT and KT Estate plan to introduce hotels incorporating ICT technology in four key commercial districts in Seoul by 2022, starting with Novotel Ambassador Dongdaemun. They will secure a total of approximately 2,000 rooms, with a hotel opening near Apgujeong Station next year under Hyatt's Andaz brand, followed by an Accor Hotels brand hotel in Songpa in June 2021, and a Marriott (planned) brand hotel in Myeongdong in April 2022.

The three hotels to be unveiled following Novotel Ambassador Dongdaemun are expected to become spaces that provide various innovative services based on AI as well as 5G. KT and KT Estate have set a goal to create four high-tech ICT hotels as another 'tourist attraction' where foreign tourists can experience Korea's innovative technologies, including 5G.
Choi Il-sung, CEO of KT Estate, stated, “We will integrate KT Group’s IT infrastructure into hotel services to provide tourists with new concepts in hotel spaces and services,” adding, “Through this, we will create a completely new hotel that offers innovative convenience and experiences to domestic and international tourists visiting Seoul, while providing the local tourism industry and new growth opportunities.”