Ibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Gangnam reinvents itself as a lifestyle destination

A Gangnam hotel long defined by business travel has reinvented itself as a multi-purpose retreat catering to leisure guests and families as well. The overhaul diversifies room configurations and deepens ties with cultural and dining facilities, positioning the property to capture both corporate and leisure demand simultaneously.

Ibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Gangnam announced Tuesday that it has completed a full renovation of its guest rooms, lobby and food-and-beverage facilities and is now in full operation. The revamp is designed to broaden the hotel's customer base beyond its traditional business traveler clientele to include weekend staycation guests, families and extended-stay visitors.

The hotel has overhauled its room lineup, moving away from a standard-room-heavy configuration to add 69 deluxe rooms and six Superior Suites — 75 new units in total. Some of the 38-square-meter Superior Suites are fitted with both a double bed and a single bed to accommodate families of three or more.

The first-floor lobby has been reconfigured into an open lounge for relaxation and work, with additional seating throughout. On the second floor, the buffet restaurant Fresh 365 Dining has revamped its lunch offerings — adding a made-to-order pho corner and switching the main entrée to grilled chuck flap. Prices per adult are 32,000 won ($24) for breakfast and 49,000 won for weekday lunch.

The basement level ties together existing amenities — a 30-seat Monoplex Cinema, a flexible meeting room and a ramyun-focused convenience store — to make longer stays more convenient without guests having to leave the building.

To mark the renovation, the hotel is offering an "Urban Oasis Package" starting at 219,000 won ($161), which includes one night in a deluxe room, breakfast for two and free parking. Reservations are open through Oct. 31, with stays available from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31.

The hotel has branded this integration of rooms, dining, meetings and cultural programming under a single circulation route as a "connected stay" experience.

"This renovation grew out of a recognition that the reasons people come to Gangnam are diversifying — from business to leisure travel, family trips and small gatherings," said Jo In-ju, general manager of Ibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Gangnam. "By connecting our new room products with the lobby, dining and Salon B1 into one seamless flow, we want to offer a connected stay where guests can move between work and rest, food and culture on their own schedule."