JAPAN’S Nishi-Nippon Railroad Co. will open its first overseas hotel in Seoul in September, primarily targeting female tourists from Japan.
The travel company, based in Fukuoka, already operates 17 hotels in Japan but will open the Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel Seoul in the Myeong-dong district of the South Korean capital.
The 22-storey hotel will have 312 guest rooms and is expected to prove popular with Japanese travellers thanks to its proximity to the shopping, dining and sightseeing opportunities in the Myeong-dong area.
The company intends to give the property the feel of a resort hotel but the sophistication and energy of a city-centre location, it said. One of the highlights of the property will be the restaurant and bars on the 21st floor, offering panoramic views across the city.
“Seoul is one of the biggest destinations for Japanese travellers and we believe it has a lot of potential,” Masatori Katoh, assistant manager of the company’s hotel management headquarters, told TTG Asia e-Daily.
“We aim to appeal to female Japanese tourists by offering five-star rooms and facilities at a four-star price,” he said. “We also require all our staff to be able to speak Japanese.”
Nishi-Nippon Railroad is embarking on a gradual expansion abroad, with its second overseas property scheduled to open in Bangkok in 2018.
