Japanese brand Fujita Kanko has announced plans to develop a new hotel in Taipei. In a deal with real estate developers Huang Hsiang Construction Company, the new property is expected to open in 2019.
An estimated 3.7 million Taiwanese visited Japan in 2015, a 29 percent increase from the previous year. With Japan serving as the second largest inbound market for Taiwan (following China), Fujita Kanko aims to further expand the brand in the country. The company opened Taipei offices in 2012 and launched the upscale Japanese eatery Kinsui Taipei by Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo in the city this past January.
“Globalization is a new chapter for Fujita Kanko, building on our 60 years of hospitality experience in Japan,” says Akira Segawa, president and CEO of Fujita Kanko. “We expect our strongest growth from Asian tourists, and entering the Taiwanese market is a top priority for us. It will help build visibility for our brands among Taiwanese.”
The 248-room hotel will be located in the heart of Taipei, a short distance from the Zhongxiao Xinsheng MRT Station and the Taipei Station.
Fujita Kanko’s WHG group currently operates five properties under its Hotel Gracery brand (including the Hotel Gracery Naha, which opened this month in Okinanwa, and Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanja, debuting this summer) and 26 properties under Washington Hotels. It plans to expand the WHG portfolio in the next five years by 10 hotels and 3,000 rooms.
