Marriott International and Tokyo-based Mori Trust Group has announced that it will launch five hotels in Japan under the Marriott Hotels brand. Over the next two years, Mori Trust Group will renovate five existing Laforet properties, with a total of approximately 840 guestrooms, and rebrand them as Marriott hotels.
The hotels are Lake Biwa Marriott Hotel (formerly Laforet Biwako); Nanki-Shirahama Marriott Hotel (formerly Laforet Nanki-Shirahama); Fuji Marriott Hotel (formerly Laforet Yamanakako); Izu Marriott Hotel Shuzenji (formerly Laforet Shuzenji); and Karuizawa Marriott Hotel (formerly Laforet Naka-Karuizawa).
The renovations are part of a commitment announced by Mori Trust Group in 2015 to invest approximately 16 billion yen ($142.5 million) in large-scale hotel renovations. The company supports the Abe administration’s “Regional Revitalization” initiative, which stresses the growing importance of tourism in the economy. This new collaboration with Marriott International extends a partnership that has opened the Tokyo Marriott Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott Tokyo Station Hotel, and Courtyard by Marriott Shin-Osaka Station Hotel.
“We are delighted to work with Mori Trust again,” says Craig S. Smith, president and managing director of Marriott International, Asia Pacific. “As the world’s third largest outbound travel destination and a key source market for Marriott International, Japan is very important for us. Marriott Hotels is our company’s flagship brand and most suitable for such a venture. The agreements not only boost our footprint by one-third, but also cater to the next generation of travelers, especially those who are increasingly interested in exploring beyond the traditionally popular cities of Japan.”
Miwako Date, executive managing director of Mori Trust Group and president and CEO of Mori Trust Hotels & Resorts, adds: “Mori Trust Group hopes to add value to each destination by merging the essence of Marriott Hotels with the regions’ natural resources, culture and history, to better showcase them to both domestic and global travel markets.”
The agreement will double the footprint of Marriott’s flagship brand in Japan, and will bring the total number of Marriott properties in Japan to 20, spanning five brands including Ritz-Carlton, Marriott Hotels, Renaissance, Courtyard, and Autograph Collection.
