IHG Hotels & Resorts operates 19 hotel brands with more than 6,300 hotels in over 100 countries. In Japan, IHG Hotels & Resorts currently operates approximately 47 hotels under seven brands from Hokkaido to Okinawa (as of March 2024). For this interview, we asked Russell Shepherd, general manager of the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Narita, about the attractions around the hotel.
Name: ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Narita
Location: 68 Horinouchi, Narita-shi, Chiba
–How did you come to work at the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Narita?
In my 17 years with IHG Hotels & Resorts, I have had the pleasure of experiencing the world, starting at the bell desk and then moving on to Australia, Vietnam, and the Arab world. As I entrust my future to IHG Hotels & Resorts, I have met wonderful people and returned to Japan to lead this great hotel through the training program.
–What kind of hotel is it?
We are an internationally branded hotel that caters to a wide range of guests using Narita International Airport, which was ranked fifth in the world in SKYTRAX’s “World’s Best Airports 2024” (2024 Airport Comprehensive Assessment). It is a place to relax and mingle with the local community while enjoying the consistent service that Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts and IHG Hotels & Resorts provide around the world.
As a health-conscious person, there is a great running track where I can enjoy the Japanese countryside with its small temples and rice paddies while watching the big airplanes take off and land overhead. The best part is returning to the hotel, resting my body in the bathhouse of the “fitness center,” and then eating barbecue to my heart’s content at “Grove Hills” under the stars.
–please let me know if you have any personal favorites tourist spots or restaurants in the vicinity of the hotel.
One of my favorite places to visit is Naritasan Shinsho-ji Temple and its surrounding area. Behind the temple, there is a path that leads to an observation area with beautiful views, and up the front path you can step back in time and enjoy traditional cuisine. Among them, I recommend the unagi (eel) from a long-established restaurant. I am a foreigner, so I did not like eel, but the eel sauce is wonderful.
–What restaurant menu do you recommend?
As we have the highest floor of any hotel near Narita International Airport, you will enjoy an unparalleled view of “Narita International Airport” as you ascend to the 17th floor, where you will find the city’s only teppanyaki restaurant featuring many local Chiba Prefecture ingredients, such as beef, seafood, and rice. For the more adventurous, we recommend the shochu made from peanuts to accompany your Chiba Wagyu beef.
–What souvenirs do you recommend?
In this area, Narita City’s yuru-chara, Unari-kun (half eel, half airplane), is legendarily popular. Personally, I think Unarikun is the coolest yuru-chara in Japan, and he is an essential part of introducing Narita City. Please be sure to pick up a variety of Unarikun goods. By the way, my recommendation is socks.
© Source travel watch
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