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Seoul offers shopping, travel discounts to foreigners

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 10:21 PM PDT

Airport train fares, hotels and shops go on sale for the month of August

In contrast to other Asian cities that are sometimes accused of charging a "white tax" -- where tourists pay more than locals -- Seoul is continuing its yearly custom of offering discounts to foreign visitors.

Starting today, international tourists to South Korea's capital can take advantage of the city-wide Seoul Hot Summer Sale.

More than 1,300 stores throughout the city are participating in the event. Discounts include 30% off hotel stays at Marriott hotels, 50% off airport rail fares and up to 60% off foreign exchange commissions at major banks.

"This sale is an event for foreign visitors only, and does not apply to Korean citizens," says the official website. Thailand, maybe take some cues? Most major duty free shops and department stores including Lotte, Hyundai, Galleria and Shinsegae are participating.

More on CNN: 10 hot South Korean fashion brands and where to buy them

To receive the discount, tourists must print out the "discount card" from the website or download a mobile version and show it when shopping at participating stores.

Tourists may be required to show their passports when buying too, to prove their non-Korean heritage.

Cards are also being given out at the Seoul Hot Summer Sale information booth (counter 44) at Incheon International Airport.

Those who spend more than ₩100,000 ($89) are eligible for prizes including round-trip Korean Air flights to Seoul.

The sale runs till the end of August. Happy shopping!

Seoul Hot Summer Sale

August 1-August 31, 2013; +82 2 120

More on CNN: 12 best new restaurants and bars in Seoul

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The oddest-looking hotel you’ll see this year

Posted: 31 Jul 2013 11:05 AM PDT

Is it a donut? A horseshoe? A bowlegged cowboy? Sheraton's latest China property is anything but conventional

Alien communications transponder? World's largest neon Slinky? Or just China's latest effort to impress you?Love 'em or hate 'em, you can't accuse China's architects of playing it safe or being boring.

Last month, the world watched (with some skepticism) as China broke ground on the world's tallest building -- the construction team behind the projected 838-meter Sky City plans to whip it up in an unbelievable 10 months.

This month, U.S.-based hotel brand Sheraton is opening what might be the oddest-looking piece of hotel architecture you'll see this year.

Designed by much-hyped Beijing-based architect Ma Yansong of MAD architects, the Sheraton Huzhou Hot Springs Resort is made up of "layers" of floors to create a ring that rises from the south bank of Huzhou's Taihu Lake.

Called the Sheraton Huzhou Hot Springs Resort, the property is just more than 100 meters high and 116 meters wide, covering an area of 75 acres with a total floor area of 95,000 square meters.

The Sheraton Huzhou lobby ceiling is made up of 20,000 Swarovski crystals. Interior spaces aren't too shabby, either.

The lobby features a wave-like series of lights made up of 20,000 Swarovski crystals.

The floor is paved with Afghan white jade and Brazilian tiger's eye stone. Just because.

The hotel's 27 floors have 321 rooms, including 40 suites, 37 villas and presidential suites.

Such a property doesn't come cheap.

Sheraton pegs the cost at $1.5 billion dollars, calling the design "the perfect embodiment of water, giving every room a view of the lake, natural light and ventilation no matter where it is located."

The property really stands out at night, thanks to an LED light system on the exterior skin that displays animated textures and patterns, all of it reflected on the water's surface.

Why Huzhou?

Huzhou isn't on the global travel map yet, but it's a popular destination for Shanghai residents looking for a weekend escape in natural surroundings -- it's just 160 kilometers west of the city.

Famous for its hot springs and bamboo forests -- scenes from Oscar-winning "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" were filmed here -- Huzhou is particularly busy in spring and autumn.

That decision to open a Sheraton here reflects the larger Starwood brand's heavy focus on China.

Of the 30 Asia hotels the brand will opening in 2013, half are opening in China.

As for the Sheraton Huzhou, the hotel is now open for guests, though not all facilities will be available until September 31.

Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort, No. 5858 Taihu Road, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China; +86 (0) 572 2299 999; from $395 a night

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