IHG Hotels & Resorts operates 19 hotel brands with more than 6,300 hotels in over 100 countries. In Japan, IHG Hotels & Resorts currently operates about 47 hotels under seven brands from Hokkaido to Okinawa (as of March 2024). For this interview, we asked Mr. Keita Ito, General Manager of ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Kushiro, about the attractions of the Sapporo area.
Name: ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Kushiro
Location: 3-7 Nishiki-cho, Kushiro City
–How did you come to work at ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Kushiro?
I originally worked in sales and customer service in a completely different industry. I wanted to provide a different kind of service to customers, and I was attracted by the name “ANA” because of the impressive building that stood out in Kushiro City, which I had been familiar with since I was a child.
–What kind of hotel is it?
Our hotel celebrates its 30th anniversary in May 2023. As the first foreign-affiliated hotel in the East Hokkaido area, we have been visited by many guests, both domestic and international. Kushiro is also famous as a summer resort, and more and more people stay here for long periods of time in the summer. Some of them hold meetings or work remotely, and Wi-Fi is conveniently available anywhere and anytime, making it an excellent environment for work.
Under the theme of “creating a hotel where you can live” exclusively for our hotel guests, we have prepared facilities that can be used free of charge, such as a laundry corner where you can dry your clothes at the touch of a button and a fitness gym equipped with the latest equipment. The “Sauna,” scheduled for completion in July of this year, will be an authentic Finnish-style sauna, with the entire fifth floor devoted to sauna facilities. It will be equipped with an outdoor air bath facility, a library, a beer hall, and other facilities to provide a relaxing and comfortable space.
We are also committed to environmental protection efforts, using RE100-compliant tracked non-fossil certificates for the electricity used at the hotel, providing customers with environmental value that is virtually renewable and has zero CO2 emissions.
–What kind of experience is unique to the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Kushiro?
Kushiro is said to have one of the three best sunsets in the world, and the view from the rooms on the ocean side of the hotel will make you forget the time as you enjoy the sun setting into the Pacific Ocean. The Kushiro Sky restaurant, located on the 18th floor of the top floor, offers a view of Kushiro Bay and the Kushiro River below as you enjoy a meal prepared with fresh Hokkaido ingredients that express Kushiro’s unique flavor. The Kushiro Sky restaurant offers guests an exquisite and elegant dining experience.
–please let me know if you have any personal favorites tourist spots or restaurants in the vicinity of the hotel.
The “Haimai Bridge,” said to be one of the three most famous bridges in Hokkaido, is a 3-minute walk from the hotel, and is a particularly spectacular spot for watching the sunset in March and September. Also, a 10-minute walk will take you to “Washo Market,” one of the three largest markets in Hokkaido. You can taste fresh seafood and buy souvenirs amidst the cheerful voices of shopkeepers.
–What restaurant menu do you recommend?
The Kushiro Sky, located on the 18th floor, offers a dinner menu of grilled Hokkaido beef steaks and seafood, as well as a breakfast buffet on the 18th floor. The Kushiro River leads to the magnificent Pacific Ocean, and when the weather is fine, the Hidaka Mountains can be seen in the distance. Guests can enjoy their meals in a relaxing atmosphere while viewing the different faces of the city day and night. Among them, we recommend the Kaisen-don, a customizable bowl of rice topped with a selection of seafood mainly from Kushiro, as well as freshly baked bread and cakes from Café Doerush for dessert, which are scheduled to be served in the future.
–What souvenirs do you recommend?
The first floor “Café Doache” hotel-made baked goods. A variety of baked goods such as pancakes and financiers are available. Another is the hotel’s original blend of coffee beans. It is a blend of Mandarin, Honduran, and Colombian Supremo, and has a light taste with a strong full-bodied flavor and acidity. We hope you will enjoy it with our baked goods.
© Source travel watch
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