An English national born in 1968, Peter started his hospitality career in 1987 with the Savoy Group PLC in London, after he graduated from Oxford Brookes University, where he obtained Fellowship of the Institute of Hospitality.
The 278-room Best Western Hotel Sapporo Nakajima Koen is located on the south side of Sapporo city centre by Nakajima Park and is an ideal home base for leisure and business travelers alike. The central business district and Susukino night-life entertainment area are within walking distance. Sapporo is the capital and gateway city to the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, which attracts tourists from around Japan and the world with its magnificent natural beauty and world famous ski resorts.
Hilton Hotels & Resorts, the flagship brand of Hilton Worldwide, has again been chosen as the “Number 1 Hotel Brand” in Japan, based on the annual Asia Pacific Hotel Business Guest Survey conducted by UK-based consultancy group BDRC. The BDRC brand ranking index takes into account a hotel brand’s scores for prompted and unprompted awareness, usage of a brand in the last 12 months, preferred hotel choice, loyalty ratio and intention to recommend the hotel to others.
Some hotels use luxurious spas or spectacular views to attract guests but one hotel in Japan boasts a unique attraction in its star room -- a large, built-in train set. The Washington Hotel in Tokyo's Akihabara district, which is famous for electronics shops, has built a train set into a 13th floor twin room that features a model Tokyo Tower, a mosaic of the city's neighborhoods and the resort area of Hakone.
Some hotels around the world try to lure you in with perks such as free Internet, free continental breakfast or free night stays for repeat customers. One hotel in Japan though, tries to appeal to unique customers by offering something you won’t find in most hotel rooms anywhere. That is a model train.
Hotel Okura's objective is to strengthen global competitiveness and establish its position as a Japan-originating global hotel chain that contributes to Japan's hotel industry. The company operates mainly in Japan and other Asian regions, and strives to become the number one hotel in each destination.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and Osaka Station North Yard Development Project today reached an agreement for IHG to open a luxury hotel and high-end residences within the Osaka Station North Yard Development Project in Osaka city under the InterContinental brand.
IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan, the joint venture between InterContinental Hotels Group and All Nippon Airways, today announced the opening of ANA Holiday Inn Sendai.
Berinder Thind, has been named the new Director of Finance at The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo. Having spent the last six years working in Japan, Mr. Thind most recently held the Director of Finance position at the Hyatt Regency Kyoto, while also lending regional support for all other sister hotels in Japan (excluding Tokyo).
Hilton Worldwide today announced the opening of its largest hotel in Asia Pacific, Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk. Featuring 1,052 guest rooms and more than 6,000 square meters of event space, the hotel is the brand's first property in Fukuoka, a major gateway to China and Korea. Formerly known as the JAL Resort Sea Hawk Hotel Fukuoka, the property will undergo approximately US $20 million of refurbishments initially focused on its executive floors, foyer and other public areas. Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk is the eighth Hilton branded property and ninth Hilton Worldwide hotel in Japan.
Japan Airlines Corp., undergoing a state-backed rehabilitation process, plans to sell its hotel operating unit JAL Hotels Co. to the operator of Hotel Okura, as part of its efforts to swiftly return to profitability by focusing on its mainstay business, sources familiar with the matter said Friday.
HBSi, an IBS Group company, continues its growth in 2010 through the addition of Nippon Travel Agency (NTA) to its roster of Japanese customers. Many properties in NTA's unique portfolio of hotels are now visible online for bookings for the first time. Additionally, this new customer is a significant expansion of HBSi's presence in Asia.
Best Western International - The World’s Largest Hotel Chain® - has added four new hotels to its growing presence in Japan – the 242-room Best Western Hotel Fino Sapporo (Sapporo), 145- room Best Western Hotel Fino Oita (Oita), 72- room Best Western Naha Inn (Okinawa) and 168-room Best Western Fukuoka Nakasu Inn (Fukuoka).
Morgan Stanley may have to hand over the keys of a $2.4 billion Japanese hotel chain to creditors when the debt falls due in April, people familiar with the matter said. Morgan Stanley was among the most aggressive buyers of real estate in Japan and globally during the property boom last decade. Now, many of those deals made at the top of the market are dogging the U.S. investment bank as property values plummet and refinancing options remain scant.
Satoshi Miura crawled into his rented room, dropping his bag in the corner. It didn't take long to get settled -- home tonight is a capsule. The rooms are boxes in this capsule hotel about the size of a coffin. But no matter, says 45-year-old Miura. He's only there to sleep before looking for work.
Armed with two decades of hospitality experience, Christopher R. Clark begins his new post as the Hotel Manager at The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo. A native of Brookfield, Connecticut, Mr. Clark spent the last two years in China, where he held the position of Executive Assistant Manager, Rooms for The Ritz-Carlton, Sanya, and was instrumental in the resort’s 2008 opening. Mr. Clark’s Ritz-Carlton career began in 1997, when he was appointed the Director of Front Office at The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead in Atlanta Georgia. Subsequently, he rose through the ranks in various rooms positions at properties including The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur, The Ritz-Carlton, Bali and The Ritz-Carlton, Sanya. In addition to his work experience, Mr. Clark has assisted in the opening task forces for several sister hotels including The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas, The Ritz-Carlton, Sharm El Sheikh, The Ritz-Carlton, Istanbul, The Ritz-Carlton, Beijing, The Ritz-Carlton, Guangzhou, and The Ritz-Carlton, Shenzhen. Later this month, he will be a lead trainer for the company’s first Reserve product – Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Krabi, Thailand. His work experience also includes senior managerial position with hotels in Israel and the United States.
Japanese hotels near stations are trying to attract train spotters with rooms marketed as having a "rail view". Most people would prefer a room away from the tracks, fearful the double glazing would not block the rattle of a passing early morning express. But some hotels near stations in Tokyo are turning a potential disadvantage into a business opportunity.
Following an extensive search for a new marketing provider with proven success in the Japanese market, the Japan Rail (JR) Hotel Group has announced it will migrate its properties to Sabre Hospitality Solutions' SynXis Central Reservation System (CRS). One of the largest hotel consortiums in Japan, JR Hotel Group is comprised of 61 properties all near rail stations in key gateway cities throughout Japan. The group will rely on Sabre Hospitality Solutions for their online merchandising, including reservations made through its own website, http://www.jrhotelgroup.com/eng/index.htm, online travel agents, and all four of the major Global Distribution Systems (GDSs). JR Hotel Group will also take advantage of the Japanese language control center and will be supported through Sabre Hospitality Solutions' Tokyo office.
A native of France, Mr. Cnockaert has spent the last three years in China, where he opened The Ritz-Carlton, Guangzhou. Mr. Cnockaert's Ritz-Carlton career began in 1993, when he was appointed the director of food and beverage at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, in Southern California. Subsequently, his efforts earned him the position of hotel manager at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, after which he moved to Japan to assist in the opening of The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka. In 1999, he was named the opening general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia. Mr. Cnockaert, fluent in English and French, earned a Bachelor of Accounting degree from Rouen, France and a Degree in Hotel Management from the Lausanne Hotel School in Switzerland. He also completed a course on "Executive Leadership Certification" from Cornell University, and in 2008, was named the "Outstanding Volunteer of the Year" by the Guangzhou government, an honor never before bestowed on a foreigner.
Here's one business sector that's proving resilient in the current economic downturn - the 25,000 love hotels in Japan. Charging around $30 for a short rest, the hotels are attracting interest beyond the obvious market of couples looking for a place to spend a few private hours. Many investors believe they're looking at a lucrative business opportunity. The BBC's Roland Buerk reports from Japan.