Sakura Ribbon Cutting (l to r) - Ryu Kosaka, A.N.D. Creative Director; Takashi Goto, Seibu Holdings Inc., President and Chief Executive Officer; Masanori Kobayaski, Prince Hotels, Inc., President; Simon Cooper, Marriott International president and managing director, Asia. — Photo by Marriott
Source: Marriott
Source: Marriott
Autograph Collection

Marriott International and Prince Hotels, Inc, of Japan announced that The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo will become Japan's first Autograph Collection hotel - a portfolio of independent hotels, with the re-opening of the newly renovated hotel on September 14, 2013.

Exactly like nothing else, the Autograph Collection is an upscale portfolio of hand-selected independent hotels each offering its own unique travel experience. Experiences fall within diverse categories including Urban Excitement, Indulgent Escape, Culinary Delight, Artistic Getaway, Historic Exploration and more. Each hotel is thoughtfully chosen based on quality, character and individuality.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Tokyo, Simon Cooper, Marriott International's president and managing director in Asia, said: "Today we celebrate the inauguration of The Prince Sakura Tower into Autograph Collection, marking the first Autograph property to open in Japan and only the second Collection hotel to open in Asia. The vision and inspiration behind Autograph Collection was to create an evolving ensemble of strikingly independent hotels and this hotel certainly meets those criteria with its wonderful new design and inspiring gardens.

"I want to personally thank everyone involved with creating this wonderful hotel for their passion and commitment to providing an exceptional hotel experience which is sure to add enormous value to Autograph Collection here and around the world. Tokyo is one of the most exciting and vibrant cities in the world, and we could not be more proud to introduce Autograph Collection to this great city with the conversion of The Prince Sakura Tower – and the timing could not be better with this great city having just won the 2020 Olympic bid."

Originally opened in 1998, the 288-room Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo has gone through an extensive refurbishment and renovation under the direction of interior designer Ryu Kosaka of Aoyama Nomura Design, whose work is highly acclaimed both in Japan and overseas. All of the hotel's rooms, lobby area, restaurants, and other areas were designed to convey a modern sense of harmony, blending the spaces with the seasonal landscapes of hotel's Japanese garden.

The hotel has at its heart the concept of 'Japanese style hospitality at the center of the city' and is centrally located just a 3-minute walk from Tokyo's Shinagawa station. The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo also boasts a spacious Japanese garden of approximately 2 hectares (5 acres) where guests can enjoy the ever-changing natural beauty of the garden from season to season – and especially during the cherry blossom season as the hotel's grounds are blessed with more than 200 cherry blossom trees which showcase the amazing sakura blossoms - reflected in the hotel's name.

The Prince Sakura Tower Autograph Collection with its newly enhanced facilities is expected to host an increased number of international travelers, and this will further be supported by in the future with government tourism promotion, the economic growth of countries in the region, and the implementation of a robust MICE strategy by Prince Hotels.

About Marriott International

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of more than 8,100 properties under 30 leading brands spanning 139 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy®, its highly awarded travel program. Connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on Twitter and Instagram.

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