On August 22, the Banyan Group held a press conference in Hibiya, Tokyo, to explain its future plans for opening hotels in Japan. The speakers were Mr. Ho Kwon-ping, founder and Chairman of the Banyan Group, and Mr. Eddie Hsieh, President and CEO of the Banyan Group.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Singapore-based luxury hotel chain Banyan Group. In Japan, the group currently operates five brands (Banyan Tree, Darwa, Galleria, Folio, and Home) and a total of eight hotels in Kyoto, Osaka, and Okinawa. One of these hotels, Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto, the flagship brand’s first foray into Japan, just celebrated its grand opening on August 20 (soft opening began on July 26).
Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto is the only international hotel with a natural hot spring source in the area where luxury hotels compete. The hotel has one basement floor and four floors above ground, with a total of 52 rooms of six types, including guest rooms with hot spring baths and a spa.
For the main dining room (instead of Banyan’s signature Thai restaurant, Saffron), the restaurant opened a Japanese kappo restaurant, Ryozen, in hopes of providing a localized experience. BAR RYOZEN, a secluded bar, will offer more than 30 varieties of Kyoto’s local and premium Japanese sake, as well as Japanese whiskeys, including rare brands, and Japanese cocktails such as matcha gin and tonic.
The design architect was Kengo Kuma & Associates. Taking advantage of the hotel’s location on a hilltop in the nature-rich Higashiyama area, right next to Kiyomizu-dera Temple, the hotel is a fusion of traditional Japanese architecture and modern elegance.
The entrance gate is made of abundant natural wood such as Japanese cypress, and an authentic Noh stage in the courtyard gives the hotel a Japanese appearance that has never been seen before in foreign-affiliated hotels.
Chairman Ho Kwon-ping came to Japan for the opening of “Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto”, the third hotel in Kyoto after “Darwa Yuraku Kyoto” and “Galleria Nijojo Kyoto” in 2022, and for the press conference on this day.
The year 2024 is an important one for us. It marks the 30th anniversary of our founding and the opening of our first Banyan Tree brand in Japan. For the past 20 years, we have visited Japan every year and traveled all over the country to find locations for our projects,” he recalled, noting that although there was a period of economic stagnation after the bursting of the bubble economy, the project has progressed well over the past few years despite the Corona disaster.
He added, “Japan is a backward country in the tourism industry, but expectations for the future are increasing. We believe that tourism will play an important role in the economy. On the other hand, we are concerned about the problem of overtourism due to the increase in inbound tourism, which will lead to the destruction of nature as tourists flow to rural areas outside of major cities.
He commented, “Our mission is to strive to preserve the beauty of Japan’s nature and culture. We want to create a hotel that will be a “showcase of Japanese culture” through food, travel experiences, and design. We do not want to bring the “Western-style hotels” that the Banyan Group has developed in other countries to Japan, but to create a hotel that brings together the best of Japan and allows guests to experience the beauty of Japan,” he said enthusiastically.
While it is said that 90% of the global hotels that will be coming to Japan one after another will be concentrated in key cities (large cities) and popular tourist destinations, “We believe that the beauty of Japan is not limited to large cities and tourist destinations, but spans all 47 prefectures. Unfortunately, traditional ryokan (Japanese inns), delicious meals, and agricultural production areas have not become sustainable models. In order to preserve them for the next generation, we would like to develop hotels throughout Japan that Japanese people can be proud of,” he said.
© Source travel watch
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.