IHG Hotels & Resorts operates 19 hotel brands with more than 6,500 hotels in more than 100 countries. In Japan, IHG Hotels & Resorts currently operates about 47 hotels under eight brands from Hokkaido to Okinawa (as of September 2024). For this interview, we asked Mr. Motoaki Sato, general manager of ANA Holiday Inn Resort Miyazaki, about the attractions around the hotel.
Name: ANA Holiday Inn Resort Miyazaki
Location: 1-16-1 Aoshima, Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture
–How did you come to work at ANA Holiday Inn Resort Miyazaki?
I started working in hotels in 1985 and worked at the headquarters of ANA Hotels (now IHG-ANA Hotels Group Japan) after opening ANA Hotel Tokyo (now ANA InterContinental Hotel Tokyo). After rebranding to ANA InterContinental Hotel Tokyo in 2007, I experienced ANA Crowne Plaza and ANA Holiday Inn brands in Osaka, Sapporo, and Kanazawa, and in 2018, I arrived at my first resort hotel, the current ANA Holiday Inn Resort Miyazaki.
–What kind of hotel is it?
Aoshima Shrine, a popular tourist attraction in Miyazaki Prefecture, is a 15-minute walk away, and the hotel is surrounded by nature overlooking the Pacific Ocean, with the beach just a minute away from the elevator. Aoshima Shrine is also the setting of the myth “Umiyukihiko and Yamayukihiko,” and is a very spiritual spot surrounded by strange stones called “Oni no washboard” and subtropical plant colonies.
Sports are also popular, and the beach in front of the hotel is one of the best surfing spots in Japan, where world championships have been held. The hotel is also close to the Sports Park, which is used by many sports camps for baseball, soccer, rugby, and track and field events.
–ANA Holiday Inn Resort Miyazaki
As a mecca for surfers, visitors can enjoy surfing and other water activities such as SUP and canoeing. Nearby is Kaeda Canyon, ideal for trekking.
In addition to the activities, the hot spring baths are a must-see. You can enjoy the view of the sea of Aoshima and, if the weather is fine, you can see the sunrise from the horizon. You can fully enjoy the relaxing atmosphere.
–please let me know if you have any personal favorites tourist spots or restaurants in the vicinity of the hotel.
Surrounded by nature, the area around the hotel is the perfect place to experience healing everywhere, but the best spot is the promenade “Tropical Road” in front of the hotel. Located along the beach, it is ideal for walking, running, and cycling. Also, walking along the national road that runs along the mountain side, you can hear mountain cherry blossoms in the spring and the sound of the Hototogisu (a Japanese bush warbler) through the summer, making it a relaxing course in a secluded spot.
A recommended restaurant is the Minshuku Misakisou, located across the street from the hotel. Chicken Nanban, a local dish of Miyazaki, is excellent and can be enjoyed with craft beer made in Aoshima.
–What restaurant menu do you recommend?
This is the “Grape Pork Vinegared Pork with Tappu Kappu Black Vinegar” at Chinese Restaurant Ryuoh on the first floor of the hotel. This is a gem that uses local brand pork “grape pork” and 3-year aged black vinegar from neighboring Kagoshima’s Tore Shida. We hope you will enjoy the juicy and tender meat of the “grape pig,” which is raised stress-free in the great outdoors by feeding it supplements made from the rind and seeds after the wine has been squeezed out.
–What souvenirs do you recommend?
There are many recommended souvenirs from Miyazaki, such as Miyazaki beef, mangoes, hyuganatsu, and shochu, but our top recommendation is “Nepalese Curry”! This original curry, supervised by Nepalese hotel staff, was originally served at breakfast, but due to its popularity, we have developed a new product that you can take home as a souvenir in 2024. It is available not only at the hotel, but also at the prefectural product center and an antenna store in Tokyo.
© Source travel watch
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