IHG Hotels & Resorts operates 19 hotel brands with more than 6,400 hotels in over 100 countries. In Japan, IHG Hotels & Resorts currently operates approximately 47 hotels under seven brands from Hokkaido to Okinawa (as of June 30, 2024). For this interview, we asked Akira Shibayama, general manager of the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Fukuoka, about the charms of the area surrounding the hotel.
Name: ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Fukuoka
Location: 3-3-3 Hakata Ekimae, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
–How did you come to work at the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Fukuoka?
I started my career in 1992 at the ANA Hakata Hotel (now the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Fukuoka). He then worked for IHG Hotels & Resorts in Ishigaki, Fukuoka, and Kanazawa. As assistant general manager, I was in charge of human resource development at three hotels in Okinawa, gained general manager experience in Kanazawa, and returned to my hometown, Fukuoka, as general manager.
–What kind of hotel is it?
Located at the gateway to Kyushu and Asia at the nexus of land, sea, and air transportation, and just a 5-minute walk from Hakata Station, the hotel boasts outstanding access to 320 guest rooms, 7 restaurants and bars, a banquet hall, chapel, and temple, making it ideal for a wide range of uses, including dining, meetings, and weddings.
The company is also committed to contributing to the local community, and conducts a wide variety of promotions, including collaborations with local businesses and municipalities, as well as menus that use an abundance of local ingredients.
–What is the unique experience of the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Fukuoka?
You will stay in the “ANA ROOM FUKUOKA,” a collaboration room with ANA, which has four locations in Japan and is the only one in Kyushu. The 58m2 guestrooms are equipped with a bedroom decorated in the theme of ANA Hawaii and a living room with an original table made from actual aircraft seats and tire wheels. The room also offers a special space where you can feel the “charm of travel and ANA” through the five senses, such as aroma and background music.
–please let me know if you have any personal favorites tourist spots or restaurants in the vicinity of the hotel.
The “Old Town of Hakata,” an area within walking distance from the hotel where a quaint townscape remains, is dotted with many historic temples, shrines, and Buddhist temples. Among them, Tochoji Temple, which is said to be the first temple in Japan built by Kukai, is a recommended spot with many attractions, including the Fukuoka Daibutsu, one of the largest wooden seated statues in Japan, Rokkakudo, which is designated as a cultural asset by the city, and the Hell and Paradise Tour, which can only be experienced here.
–What restaurant menu do you recommend?
Japanese Cuisine Chikushino, located on the top floor of the hotel on the 15th floor, offers kaiseki cuisine using fresh seafood and seasonal ingredients while overlooking the Fukuoka cityscape. Furthermore, at the “Charcoal Grill Counter Yamakasa” located on the same floor, in a private space with a limited seating capacity of 8, carefully selected ingredients are served in front of you by artisans, creating a quality time while enjoying conversation. A wide variety of local sake to go with Hakata’s famous Mizutaki and dishes is also a part of the fun.
–What souvenirs do you recommend?
Fukuoka is famous for its mentaiko (cod roe), and “Mentuna Kankan” from Fukuya, a well-known mentaiko maker, is a highly recommended product. The tuna is soaked in mentaiko (cod roe) marinade, and its spicy flavor can be enjoyed as an accompaniment to rice or as a snack with drinks, or in a wide variety of recipes using Mentuna Kankan.
© Source travel watch
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.