News Discussion

Luxury Hotels Surge in Japan as ¥2 Million Suite Opens in Osaka

The development of luxury hotels, especially by foreign brands, is booming in Japan. With inbound tourist spending on the rise, developers have opened a new hotel in Osaka targeting wealthy overseas travelers. It is the first of its kind in Japan to offer a suite priced at around ¥2 million JPY (approximately $13,000 USD) per night. In Kyoto as well, developers are introducing new high-end hotel brands to Japan for the first time. Behind this boom lie several Japan-specific factors that are drawing in foreign investment.

On May 15, Hilton revealed its top-tier hotel, Waldorf Astoria Osaka, to the press. The hotel opened in April 2025 in the GranGreen Osaka South Tower, just north of JR Osaka Station.

Waldorf Astoria Osaka features interiors that blend Art Deco style with traditional Japanese techniques. Its most luxurious accommodation, the 193-square-meter (2,077 square feet) Presidential Suite, starts at around ¥2 million per night (excluding tax and service charges). A hotel representative noted that the room is intended for use by "world leaders visiting for the 2025 Osaka Expo." Some families, the representative added, are also renting two of the roughly ¥500,000 ($3,200) per-night penthouses for extended stays.

The global luxury hotel market is rapidly growing. British research firm Euromonitor International projects that the global market size will rise by 11.6% year-on-year in 2024. Forecasts suggest that Japan will surpass that average, with a 12.9% increase.

"Japan has ryokan inns that compete with luxury hotels and are highly popular among inbound tourists," explains Sachi Kimura, a senior consultant at Euromonitor. As a result, the share of luxury hotels in Japan's overall hotel revenue remains at 4.8%. That figure falls well below the global average of 14.5%. This underrepresentation is one reason why foreign investors see untapped potential in Japan's hospitality sector.

In the Kansai region, global luxury hotel brands are actively entering the Japanese market for the first time. Examples include the Four Seasons Hotel Osaka, which opened in Kita Ward in August 2023, and Patina Osaka, which launched in Chuo Ward on May 1.

Another high-profile project, Regent Kyoto, is scheduled to open in 2027 (Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City). Major developers such as Tokyo Tatemono and NTT Urban Development are backing the project.

Hilton has plans to expand its footprint in Japan from its current 40 locations to 100 over the next ten years. This includes partnership-based operations.

Joseph Khairallah, Hilton's Area Vice President for Japan, Korea, and Micronesia, declined to specify what percentage of their Japan operations would be high-end.

He noted that while domestic customers may feel hotel prices in Japan are rising, wealthy overseas travelers still view them as affordable compared to cities like Paris or London. Khairallah emphasized that both operators and hotel owners are now clearly focused on ultra-luxury hotels as a way to significantly boost profitability.

1. 1. target　（～を）対象にする、狙う
   The advertisements typically target young adults who are living alone.
2. 2. accommodations (usually plural) 　（通常複数形）：宿泊施設
   The motel chain offered clean, quality accommodations for a reasonable price.
3. 3. revenue　（企業・団体などの）収益、収入
   The souvenir shop gets most of its revenue during the summer months.
4. 4. decline　（申し出・招待などを）断る
   She asked him to go to the party, but he declined the invitation.
5. 5. emphasize　（～を）強調する
   The reporter emphasized that the typhoon could shift directions at any time.

1. 1. Why are major hotel companies pushing to increase luxury accommodations in Japan?
2. 2. What are some examples of hotel chains that are developing such facilities? How much are they charging per night?
3. 3. Why are overseas visitors especially being targeted?
4. 4. Do you think the high cost of staying in a luxury hotel is worth it?
5. 5. Do you think that the higher demand for luxury accommodations will continue for many years, or is this just a short-term boom?

外資系を中心に高級ホテルの開発が活況を呈している。訪日客消費が拡大する中、海外富裕層に照準を定め、大阪では日本に初進出し、最高級客室の宿泊料金を1泊約200万円に設定したホテルが開業。京都でも日本初の高級ホテルブランドが続々と開発される。背景に投資を呼び込む日本特有の事情がある。

米ヒルトンは5月15日、JR大阪駅北側の一等地に建つグラングリーン大阪南館で4月に開業した最上級ホテル「ウォルドーフ・アストリア大阪」（大阪市北区）を報道陣に公開した。

アールデコ調と日本の伝統技法を融合させた内装が特徴。193平方メートルの最高級客室「プレジデンシャルスイート」は1泊1室約200万円（税・サービス料別）からで、2025年大阪・関西万博に合わせ「海外の首脳級が利用された」と担当者は明かす。同約50万円からのペントハウスを長期で2室借り切り、家族で旅行を楽しむケースもあるという。

高級ホテル市場は世界的に拡大している。英調査会社ユーロモニターインターナショナルによると、2024年の市場規模は前年比11・6％増。日本は同12・9％増と世界平均を上回る。

「日本では高級ホテルと競合し、訪日客の人気を博す旅館が存在している」と解説するのは、同社の木村幸（さち）シニアコンサルタント。そのため、ホテル全体の売り上げに占める高級ホテルの割合が4・8％と、世界平均の14・5％に比べて小さく、訪日需要の受け皿を求めて投資を呼び込んでいる側面がある。

関西でも、世界的知名度を誇る高級ホテルの日本初となる誘致が盛んだ。代表例が昨年8月に開業した「フォーシーズンズホテル大阪」（大阪市北区）や、今月1日に出店したばかりの「パティーナ大阪」（同市中央区）であり、27年には「リージェント京都」（京都市左京区）の開業が計画される。東京建物やNTT都市開発などの大手デベロッパーが誘致した。

ヒルトンは今後10年間で、現在40軒ある日本国内の拠点を、提携も含めて100軒に増やす構想を描く。

同社の日本・韓国・ミクロネシア地区代表のジョセフ・カイララ氏は高級ホテルの割合は不明としながら「日本のホテル代は国内で割高感が高まっているが、海外の富裕層はパリやロンドンと比べて手ごろとみている」と指摘。「ホテル運営会社もオーナーも、収益をもっと高められる最上級ホテルに注目しているのは間違いない」と強調した。