More hotels focus on special interests
TOKYO >> Hotels that cater to guests’ preferences and interests, such as pets, cycling, movies or books, have been popping up one after another in Japan, as businesses work hard to set themselves apart from their competitors and improve a diminished occupancy rate amid the pandemic.
Inumo Shibakoen hotel in Tokyo’s Minato ward features an 860-square-foot dog park in its basement, as well as a pet salon and kennel.
Inumo has 70 guest rooms, with a nightly rate of about $375. Up to two dogs can stay in a room. An inumo spokesperson said occupancy is growing by word of mouth.
Like most places across the globe, hotel occupancy plummeted in Japan during the pandemic. According to the Japan Tourism Agency, 317.77 million people stayed at hotels or inns in 2021, half the number of people in pre-pandemic 2019.
A rush to build hotels in anticipation of the return of foreign visitors spurred price competition. Amid that competitive climate, specialty hotels began cropping up.
In 2020, Hoshino Resorts Inc. opened BEB5 Tsuchiura, a bicyclist-focused resort in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki prefecture.
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The resort is directly connected to JR Tsuchiura train station and boasts convenient access to nearby areas. BEB5 guests can enjoy popular cycling routes such as Mount Tsukuba and Kasumigaura. Double- occupancy room rates start at just under $100 per night.
Theater 1, in the village of Hinohara in Tokyo, features a home movie theater of sorts where guests can spend the night. Surrounded by the lush nature of nearby mountains, visitors can view movies on a 100-inch screen inside a well-furnished cabin.
In December 2021, Tokyo- based business hotel chain Solare Hotels & Resorts opened Lamp Light Books Hotel Fukuoka, a hotel that comes with its own 24-hour bookstore in Fukuoka City.
Guests can check out or buy any book they like from about 4,000 books in the store, and read in their rooms. Lamp Light Books Hotel Fukuoka is the third bookstore hotel run by the company, which has also opened facilities in Nagoya and Sapporo.
“Hotels that cater to guests’ interests and preferences are more likely to satisfy them,” said Fumiko Watanabe, a senior researcher and hotel expert at NLI Research Institute.
