Marriott International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAR) today announced the expansion of its footprint in Japan with the debut of six of its hotel brands in the country in 2020. Newly introduced brands include AC Hotels by Marriott, Aloft Hotels, EDITION, JW Marriott, Fairfield by Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Reserve. With these additions and other openings during the year, the company will end 2020 with a total of 63 open properties in Japan represented across 18 brands.
“With its beautiful contrasts between modernity and traditions, future-forward cities and breathtaking rural landscapes, Japan has always been an important market to Marriott International as a preferred destination for travelers,” said Rajeev Menon, President, Marriott International Asia-Pacific (excluding Greater China). “Our expanded portfolio with highly distinctive brands provides travelers in Japan with more choice to meet their needs and interests across a wide range of segments.”
EDITION, the brand envisioned by Ian Schrager and Marriott International, premiered its first of two planned hotels in Japan, The Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon, on October 20th. The new luxury lifestyle hotel represents a very delicate balancing act between the refined, elegant, simple and pure approach of Japan’s culture, style and traditions and EDITION’s passion, emotion, sophistication, perpetual subversion of the status quo and desire to break rules to create something entirely new and that has never been seen before.
JW Marriott Hotel Nara, Marriott International’s 800th hotel in Asia Pacific, is the first international luxury hotel in the beautiful city of Nara, famous for its iconic free-roaming deer and UNESCO World Heritage temples and shrines.
The Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, welcomes guests for the 2020-2021 winter season in Niseko, Japan’s premier ski destination, offering a getaway for travelers seeking to explore the area’s 2,190 acres of skiable terrain. Currently, there are 41 hotels in Marriott’s Luxury and Premium tiers in Japan.
The new AC Hotel Tokyo Ginza, which opened in July, brings the brand’s passion for timeless and purposeful design to the heart of Tokyo’s upscale shopping, culinary and fashion district. The recently opened Aloft Tokyo Ginza, Marriott’s brand for music enthusiasts and tech-savvy travelers, showcases an eclectic mix of neon colors, graffiti and original art inspired by the capital’s iconic street culture.
Aimed at revitalizing local sightseeing spots, the Fairfield by Marriott “Michi-no-eki” project galvanized a major expansion of the Fairfield brand in Japan, with eight new hotels now open alongside Japan’s national highway rest areas.
The hotels will be convenient bases from which travelers can explore Japan’s local beauty and will provide extensive access to previously under-explored areas of the country. In collaboration with renowned Japanese developer Sekisui House, Marriott is slated to open 18 additional Fairfield hotels as part of the initiative.
“This year has been challenging without a doubt,” said Karl Hudson, Area Vice President, Japan and Guam, Marriott International. “But despite travel uncertainties and challenges, we have debuted several new brands in Japan this year. We remain confident in the future of travel in Japan and are ready to welcome travelers to explore and discover this beautiful country.”
Marriott International’s footprint in Japan is expected to further expand in the coming years with more than 30 hotels in the development pipeline. These exciting developments include the much-anticipated debut of The Bulgari Tokyo and additional Fairfield by Marriott Michi-no-eki hotels across Japan.
