IHG Hotels & Resorts operates 19 hotel brands with more than 6,300 hotels in over 100 countries. In Japan, the company currently operates about 47 hotels under seven brands from Hokkaido to Okinawa (as of March 2024). For this interview, we asked Shigeru Samejima, general manager of the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Akita, about the hotel’s surrounding area.
Name: ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Akita
Location: 2-6-1 Nakadori, Akita City, Akita Prefecture
–How did you come to work at the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Akita?
I was born in Hiroshima City. I started my hotel career at the Hiroshima ANA Hotel (now the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Hiroshima) and came to Akita in 2021 through a relationship with a respected general manager whom I made acquaintance at that time. In 2023, I was appointed General Manager of the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Akita.
–What kind of hotel is it?
This year marks the fourth year since the hotel was rebranded as the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Akita in December 2021. The hotel has undergone a complete renovation of guest rooms and the opening of a new restaurant, and plans call for the opening of a teppanyaki restaurant and an increase in guest rooms in the future. The warm and attentive hospitality of our staff has been highly praised by our guests.
–What is the unique experience of the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Akita?
The only Club Room and Club Lounge in Akita Prefecture, you can enjoy an elegant stay. During cocktail hours at the Club Lounge, we offer eight types of Akita’s unique local sake, allowing you to enjoy the local flavors within the hotel. The best way to enjoy the local flavors of Akita is to compare them with Iburi Gakko, a specialty of Akita. The unique flavor and texture go perfectly with sake, so please try it when you come to Akita.
–please let me know if you have any personal favorites tourist spots or restaurants in the vicinity of the hotel.
This is Chiaki Park, the site of Kubota Castle of the Satake Domain. It is a 5-minute walk from the hotel. It is my walking course every morning. The park shows us different expressions in each season: cherry blossoms and azaleas in spring, lotus in summer, and autumn leaves in fall. From May 5 to November 4, “Akita Inu Fureai Kojo in Chiaki Park” will be open where you can see Akita dogs.
–What restaurant menu do you recommend?
Cantonese cuisine at Chinese Restaurant “Hanashi” on the 1st floor. Chef Yumitani gained experience at hotels and restaurants in Yokohama and is now passionate about creative Chinese cuisine using Akita ingredients at Hualashi. All of the dishes are excellent, but the char siu pork made from Akita pork is especially popular among Chinese people. We hope you will try it.
–What souvenirs do you recommend?
Sake, after all. There are many sake breweries in Akita Prefecture, and they all produce delicious sake. We especially recommend “Hanamura. It is fruity and very easy to drink, and is recommended for sake beginners and women. It is a rare sake that is hard to find even in Akita, so you will be lucky if you find it.
© Source travel watch
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