Global hotel chain Marriott International will open three more hotels in Korea, in response to growing demand from middle-class tourists.

The hotel chain’s portfolio is divided into three tiers: luxury, premium and select-service. Hotels in the select-service tier aim to provide guests with a high-quality experience at a reasonable price. 

Courtyard by Marriott, Fairfield by Marriott, Four Points by Sheraton and Aloft Hotels fall under this category.

“Unprecedented growth was possible here as the select-service brand provided a high-quality experience at a reasonable price,” said Mike Fulkerson, vice president of Asia-Pacific brand and marketing, at a press conference held Wednesday at Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Botanic Park in western Seoul. 

The hotel chain currently runs 21 properties in Korea, with nine select-service brands.

Driven by the performance in Korea, Marriott International will open three more hotel properties here under select-service brands. Four Points by Sheraton in Suwon and Fairfield by Marriott in Busan will open next year, followed by the 2020 opening of Courtyard by Marriott in Gwanggyo.

“South Korea presents tremendous growth opportunities for our select-service brands, particularly in second- or third-tier cities, as well as domestic leisure destinations,” said Peggy Fang Roe, chief sales and marketing officer for the Asia-Pacific region.

“We see that our presence in South Korea is appealing to the rising number of middle-class tourists from both outside and within the country.”

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)