IHG Hotels & Resorts operates 19 hotel brands with more than 6,400 hotels in over 100 countries. In Japan, IHG Hotels & Resorts currently operates about 47 hotels under seven brands from Hokkaido to Okinawa (as of June 30, 2024). For this interview, we asked Mr. Daichi Shishikura, General Manager of VOCO Osaka Central, about the attractions around the hotel.
Facility name: voco Osaka Central
Location: 1-7-1 Kyomachibori, Nishi-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka
–How did you come to work at VOCO Osaka Central?
While studying abroad, I was required to do a year of work experience as part of my school credit. The hotel where I trained during that time had a significant impact on my way of thinking and led me to pursue a career in the hotel industry. I was then gaining various experiences in operations, sales, and as a general manager in an IHG Hotels & Resorts hotel, and when I heard that the voco brand would be entering Japan for the first time, I raised my hand and decided that I wanted to take on the challenge from the opening and took on the role of general manager. It has been a year and a half since the opening of the hotel, and I would like more people to experience the high quality space of “Voco” where they can relax and spend time.
–What kind of hotel is it?
Opened in 2023 as the first VOCO brand in Japan. Located in Kyomachibori, which has been a bustling center of commerce for centuries, the hotel’s design retains the “Kyomachi Building” that once stood here. The warm atmosphere throughout the hotel is created by the thoughtful service provided by the staff. The hotel also offers a variety of environmentally friendly features, such as mineral water served in returnable bottles instead of PET bottles, amenities made of bamboo wood, and room keys.
–What is the unique experience of voco Osaka Central?
Reliably Different” is our hotel motto. Luxury hotels can be stuffy and difficult to relax in. In this context, we aim to provide our guests with friendly service in a space where they can work in their own way and relax their shoulders. Our friendly service allows you to relax and feel as if you have been invited into the home of someone you know.
–please let me know if you have any personal favorites tourist spots or restaurants in the vicinity of the hotel.
Utsubo Park, a 3-minute walk from our hotel, is the best place to visit. Its size, as well as the different charms of each season, heals people in the Kyomachibori neighborhood.
–What restaurant menu do you recommend?
At Lokal House Italian restaurant, you can enjoy authentic Italian cuisine prepared by the Italian executive chef and other team members who have trained in Italy. We recommend the homemade pasta and risotto, the executive chef’s specialty, which are prepared in the restaurant.
–What souvenirs do you recommend?
This pound cake is a tie-up to promote Kyomachibori. Using “Osaka Honey,” honey harvested through the “Umeda Honey Bee Project,” and coffee beans from nearby “TAKAMURA COFFEE ROASTERS,” this pound cake is a dish that shows the connection between the hotel and the community.
© Source travel watch
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