Hospitality Design - October 2024 - 74

perspectives interview
Chestnut shoe cubbies frame a tatamilined
hallway at the Azuma Architect &
Associates-designed Hoshinoya Tokyo
A rock sculpture in Hoshinoya
Tokyo's dining room is
enveloped by walls of stone
The infinity pool at the Hoshinoya Okinawa, the handiwork of
Azuma Architect & Associates, extends out over a cliff
The arrival at the KAI Okuhida, crafted by Sakakura Associates,
features a wooden ceiling made of overlapping planks
Aſt er rebranding as Hoshino Resorts
Another point of diff erentiation is Hoshino
in 1995, the company fi rst ventured outside
Karuizawa in 2001 by acquiring the Risonare
Yatsugatake in Japan's wine country. A slew
of additional properties followed, and despite
such hardships as the Tōhoku earthquake and
tsunami in 2011 as well as the Covid pandemic,
today there are more than 60 hotels and resorts
in the Hoshino portfolio and more than 4,500
fulltime employees. " We were able to increase
the number we managed during these diffi cult
periods, " points out Hoshino, because amid
the backdrop of crisis, owners and investors
frequently sought out his expertise.
Hoshino Resorts comprises fi ve brands.
Along with luxe Hoshinoya, urban lifestyle
OMO, and laidback BEB hotels, there are hot
springs-fueled KAI ryokans that magnify
onsen culture and Risonare countryside resorts,
as well as other unique lodgings.
Most guests seek out these properties
for their distinctively Japanese approach to
hospitality that emphasizes relationships
between staff and guests, oſt en introducing the
latt er to meaningful rituals and experiences.
074
Resorts' dedication to under-explored off erings
like the newly unveiled 188-key OMO5 Tokyo
Gotanda, complete with a 14th-fl oor sky
garden. Tourism is closely intertwined with the
company's mission, and it prioritizes bringing
new att ention to prefectures previously
associated with agriculture or manufacturing.
Now, visits with farmers and sake producers,
who can build their local brand in the process,
are highlights for guests.
Hoshino also feels a responsibility to
" promote unknown areas in Japan, " he says,
which are less popular than Tokyo or Kyoto
but just as att ractive and culturally rich.
Consider the recently opened OMO5 Hakodate
in Hokkaido, which stands out for its onsite
thermal springs. There's also the 49-room KAI
Okuhida, bolstered by views of Gifu's Japanese
Alps, and the 49-room KAI Akiu in Miyagi
Prefecture's Sendai. Overlooking mountain
streams, its deep blue-toned guestrooms,
courtesy of Tokyo- and Shanghai-based Kooo
Architects, are adorned with Shiroishi washi
paper and kokeshi doll motifs.
Nature is one way Hoshino Resorts pulls
in guests. Before practices like Tokyo's Azuma
Architect & Associates and Hiroshi Nakamura
& NAP begin hatching architecture and design
schemes for each property, the landscaping is
carefully considered. The plans reinforce the
importance of a property's surroundings, like
Hoshinoya Okinawa's 100 ocean-facing guestrooms
or Hoshinoya Fuji's 40 minimalist cabins, which
amplify views of Lake Kawaguchiko.
Japan remains the epicenter of Hoshino
Resorts activity, with an OMO in Yokohama and
a Hoshinoya that ambitiously reimagines Nara
Prison slated for 2026. The company has a small
international presence too, operating properties
in Guam; central Taiwan; Bali, Tiantai, China;
and Waikiki.
Showcasing hot spring-style resorts stateside
is one of Hoshino's biggest goals. Although
it's a concept that may be unfamiliar to many
Americans, Hoshino believes in its longterm
impact. " When I was at Cornell in the mid1980s,
none of my classmates ate raw fi sh, " he
points out. " Now, there are sushi restaurants all
over the U.S. " hd
October 2024 hospitalitydesign.com
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Hospitality Design - October 2024

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