Mandarin Oriental opening three boutique hotels in Setouchi
Japan’s island-filled Setouchi region will be home to three boutique Mandarin Oriental hotels between 2027 and 2030. Currently, the sole Mandarin Oriental hotel in Japan is located in Tokyo.Read more
Niseko hotel tax to max out at 2,000 Yen
On November 8, Niseko Town announced plans to introduce an incremental hotel tax that will be amongst some of the most expensive in Japan. The incremental tax will range from 200 ~ 2,000 Yen per person, per night and could be introduced as early as November 2024.Read more
Banyan Tree hotel to open in Hakuba
In an interesting shift in plans, Banyan Tree’s first ski resort hotel in Japan will now be located in Hakuba instead of Niseko. A 156-room hotel across six buildings is planned for a 33,000 sqm site adjoining the Happo-One ski slopes in Hakuba, with opening tentatively scheduled for 2026.Read more
Luxury hotel for Tottori Sand Dunes
In 2026, Marriott International will open a The Luxury Collection-branded hotel near the Tottori Sand Dunes alongside the Sea of Japan.Read more
Japan’s skyrocketing hotel prices
A quickly recovering inbound tourism industry coupled with a labor shortage has caused hotel rates in some areas in Japan to far exceed pre-pandemic pricing.Read more
Nara’s hotel shortage continues
Despite having some idyllic and historic tourist attractions, for many years Nara Prefecture had the fewest hotel rooms in Japan. And while there have been several notable hotel openings in recent years to boost the much-needed supply, it has only managed to move up three spaces to rank 44th out of the country’s 47 prefectures.Read more
Historic Hilltop Hotel to close next year
On October 23, the operator of the historic Hilltop Hotel in Tokyo’s Chiyoda ward announced it will temporarily close from February 2024. The closure is to allow them to consider possible measures to deal wth the building’s age and deterioration.Read more