IHG Hotels & Resorts operates 19 hotel brands with more than 6,300 hotels in over 100 countries. In Japan, IHG Hotels & Resorts currently operates approximately 47 hotels under seven brands from Hokkaido to Okinawa (as of March 2024). For this interview, we asked Hiroyuki Tobari, general manager of the Yokohama Grand InterContinental Hotel, about the attractions around the hotel.
Name: Yokohama Grand Intercontinental Hotel
Location: 1-1-1 Minato Mirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture
–How did you come to work at the Yokohama Grand InterContinental Hotel?
Nearly 40 years ago, I made the acquaintance of the current chairman of this hotel at Hotel Seiyo Ginza, where I was working at the time. I was invited to work at the Yokohama Hotel in July 2023, after a lapse of almost 40 years.
–What kind of hotel is it?
The first hotel in Minato Mirai, Yokohama, opened in 1991. With a unique exterior designed to resemble the sail of a yacht in the wind, the hotel has become one of the symbols of Minato Mirai and is loved by many. 594 guest rooms, an atrium lobby made of marble, and a waterfall running down the wall. The hotel has 594 guest rooms, an atrium lobby made of marble, and a waterfall running down the wall.
Yokohama is a city of many faces, with many buildings that remind us of its history and traditions since the opening of the port in 1859, as well as one of the largest convention centers in Japan, one of the world’s largest live music venues, and Chinatown. Our hotel is located in the center of the city, making it the perfect starting point from which to experience all that Yokohama has to offer.
–please let me know if you have any personal favorites tourist spots or restaurants in the vicinity of the hotel.
That’s a tough question. It is a difficult question because there are so many sights to see and wonderful restaurants in the area. Among them, I recommend taking a stroll along the ginkgo-lined avenue that begins at Yamashita Park and leads to the hotel while enjoying the view of the Port of Yokohama and Minato Mirai. Watching the graceful sight of the luxury cruise ships docked and listening to the sound of their steam whistles, you will feel like you are sailing to a distant exotic land.
–What restaurant menu do you recommend?
The hotel is committed to “food,” especially homemade. Our seven restaurants all have excellent chefs, but my recent recommendation is the hamburger at the Marine Blue lounge and bar. With its uniquely thick, juicy patty and crispy fries, it is a dish you will want to eat again and again. Enjoy it while gazing out the window at the ocean.
–What souvenirs do you recommend?
From bonbon chocolates, breads, and other hotel-made souvenirs sold in the hotel store, how about a classic “canelé”? Each one is carefully baked daily by our skilled pastry chefs in special baking molds coated with beeswax. Crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, they are truly the authentic taste of France. Many of our customers are repeat customers, including myself, and they are also suitable as souvenirs for your loved ones.
© Source travel watch
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