Google ratings surge from 3.5 to 4.7… Expansion of pet-friendly rooms and regional tourism packages
Adoption of AI-driven demand forecasting and inventory management… Push to expand consigned operations of public tourism facilities
HLB F&B, a food and beverage specialist under the HLB Group, has propelled the customer satisfaction ranking of the Hongsamvil Hotel in Jinan-gun, Jeonbuk State, from the 120th tier to the top spot within just one year of taking over its consignment operations. This turnaround is the result of introducing pet-exclusive rooms, lodging packages linked to regional tourism resources, and enhancing operational efficiency through an artificial intelligence (AI)-based management system.
HLB F&B announced that the Google rating for Hongsamvil Hotel, operated under consignment from Jinan-gun, recorded 4.7 as of October 30. According to the company, this is the highest level among approximately 300 hotels in the Honam region.
Hongsamvil Hotel is a public lodging facility owned by Jinan-gun and located near Mount Maisan. Over the past 15 years, it faced management difficulties, including persistent deficits, while changing consignment operators three times.
Just before HLB F&B took over operations in late October of last year, the hotel’s Google rating stood at 3.5 with 82 reviews, lingering in the 120th tier among Honam region hotels. One year after its reopening, the rating rose by 1.2 points, and reviews surged approximately 3.1-fold to 255. The company’s internal ranking tally jumped by 119 notches.
Targeting Customer Demand with Pet Rooms and Regional Tourism Products
HLB F&B revamped its room configurations and ancillary facilities to reflect customer demand and regional characteristics.
Of the total 43 rooms, 10 are operated as pet-companion rooms, with three of them equipped with dedicated pet-drying machines. Fourteen rooms offering views of Mount Maisan have been packaged separately, and barbecue facilities have been set up for family guests.
The company also expanded experiential products utilizing regional tourism resources. During the winter season, it operates wood-fired barrel saunas and tent saunas, and introduced packages combining lodging, breakfast, and saunas with local traditional liquors.
Customer communication channels were also overhauled. All Google reviews are answered in the name of the general manager, and foreign-language reviews are addressed in their respective languages, incorporating guest feedback into service improvements.
AI-Driven Operational Efficiency and Expansion into Municipal Facilities
The hotel introduced a proprietary AI-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to manage operations. This system analyzes past occupancy rates and sales data to forecast demand, which is then utilized for amenity management and procurement.
AI technology was also applied to manage social media content on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, as well as to analyze customer reactions. The company explained that this enables a lean staff of approximately 13 people to handle room operations, customer management, and marketing tasks.
Building on its operational experience at Hongsamvil Hotel, HLB F&B plans to expand its consignment operations business to encompass public tourism facilities owned by local governments, such as hotels, spas, and recreational resorts.
Hongsamvil Hotel is also pursuing service upgrades, including improvements to room bedding and heating facilities, with the goal of reaching 500 Google reviews and a 4.8 rating by the end of 2027.
"Over the past year, we have confirmed our operational competitiveness through the objective metric of customer satisfaction," an HLB F&B official said. "We will continue to create new success stories by combining our F&B and hospitality experience with digital operational capabilities across diverse regional tourism assets."
