The 2025 Far East Asia edition of the Asia Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE) attracted over 300 leading Japanese investors and hoteliers at the Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa in Tokyo recently for an event that affirmed Japan is a global hot-spot for hospitality investment and performance.
AHICE Far East Asia’s highly curated program featured leading investors, owners, senior executives, advisors and suppliers from both Japan and across the globe and speakers included executives from Blackstone, IHG Hotels and Resorts, Marriott International, Seibu Prince Hotels Worldwide, Onko Chishin, JLL, Axe Management Partners, Salter Brothers, Section L, Accor, Hilton, Far East Hospitality, The Ascott Limited, Nobu Hospitality, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Pan Pacific Hotel Group, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Outrigger Hotels and Resorts, EVT, Radisson Hotel Group, Global Hotel Alliance, Shiji, FutureLog and more.
As with all AHICE events globally, the program started with an outlook from STR which showed positive signs for the market.
“Japan’s performance continues to impress with nine of the last 12 months recording double digit ADR growth and eight for RevPAR,” said STR Regional Director, Matthew Burke.
“Continued growth of international tourism and a solid footing of domestic travel has supported both the major cities and regional areas. All metrics of growth have been decelerating through 2025 as such growth is unsustainable medium term.
“It is also true that June and July saw a distinct variation to overall growth in demand and ADR.
“Notable reductions from key source markets and a decline within the short-term booking window through this month contributed to occupancy for many markets turning negative and muted average rate growth.
“The manga rumour, a return of longer-term seasonal performance and weather underlying the performance.
“However, August has reflected a return to growth and forward occupancy on the books into the autumn are positive indicators that June and July are an anomaly but also a reflection of normalising of growth.
“Additionally, Osaka is benefiting from Expo with exponential rate growth positively impacting all classes of properties.
“One major opportunity for Tokyo is that its luxury and upper upscale share of total inventory is small relative to its global peers.
“Whilst ADR in USD is the highest. An opportunity for investment provided the market fundamentals to high land and construction costs.
“We anticipate growth across the country to continue at a more moderate rate into 2026 with sustained high occupancies holding rate opportunities,” Burke said.
STR’s Sales manager for Japan, Shiori Sakurai, followed Burke with a presentation in Japanese, the first of many during the day and she was similarly positive on the outlook for the nation.
That solid performance was reiterated by our headline morning Q&A session with Blackstone Head of Real Estate Japan, Daisuke Kitta, who said the company was looking at further growth in the nation.
He also spoke about Blackstone’s recent acquisition of the Tokyo Garden Terrace Kioicho, an acclaimed 2.4 million square feet of mixed-use asset, that at US$2.6 billion (around JPY 400 billion), marked the largest real estate investment by a foreign investor in Japan and the firm’s largest investment to date across businesses in the market.
“Japan has entered a new era of corporates seeking to partner with trusted groups like Blackstone to divest their assets for further growth,” he said. “We are committed to mobilising our strong local teams with insights and relationships, and our global real estate platform, to continue to support this asset for long-term success.”
Several leading Tokyo hoteliers, including Section L’s Gavin Weightman, Edition’s Anshul Kaul and Hotel Indigo’s Rebecca Thorn and Ascott’s Shinichi Koshikawa, also looked at expectations for the city and how global travellers continue to push the market to new heights.
With technology playing such a key role in enhancing the guest experience, a ‘pop-up’ INN Tech session was held and it was one of the most popular on the day, with FutureLog’s Ben Krieg, Canary Technologies’ Dan Mourad, Infor’s Eric Wong, IDeaS’ Jurgen Ortelee, Hotel Key’s Mukund Mohan and Shiji’s Steven Hopkinson all looking at their expectations for the 12 months ahead.
Given all sessions were translated from English to Japanese, it proved to be a valuable insight for the non-English speaking hoteliers and investors in the room to hear the latest trends from several of the world’s leading hotel technology brands.
“I’m genuinely enthusiastic about the business opportunities in Japan’s hospitality sector, particularly when it comes to technology adoption,” Krieg said.
“The market is showing a strong appetite for innovation, and we are confident in our ability to continue growing – both with our valued existing partners and through new collaborations.”
Rugby World Cup winning coach, Sir Steve Hansen, who guided the All Blacks to victory in 2015, joined the event via a video call and he looked at leadership in sports and key takeaways for both current and future leaders.
Marriott International Market Vice President – Japan and Guam, Yuji Tanaka, was next on stage and he looked at the company’s major growth in recent years and spoke about the upcoming JW Marriott Tokyo in Takanawa, plus upgrades to key properties including The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo, the St. Regis Osaka and more.
Tanaka said he was confident of continued tourism growth, particularly from the key markets of the United States, Australia and Europe generally.
JLL’s Managing Director, Head of Investment Sales – Japan, the popular James Abe, then hosted an investor session that included Axe Management Partners Limited CEO and Managing Partner, Gary Kwok, Seibu Prince Hotels and Resorts Executive Advisor, Hiro Abe, Section L Co-founder and CEO, Howard Ho, and Salter Brothers Associate, Tokio Takai, which proved to be a fantastic insight into the market and where opportunities are across the nation.
“Japan’s hospitality market is resilient, supported by tourism growth, domestic demand, and favourable government policies,” Kwok said.
“We are fully committed to the market, and see strong investor appetite, long-term growth opportunities, and continued international capital inflows driving sustainable expansion.”
A national market outlook followed, led by QCC Collection Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Caspar Schmidt and featuring Marriott Area General Manager Luxury, Japan, Carlos Tarrero, Far East Hospitality Vice President of Business Development, Jeff Cho, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts Vice President of Development – South East Asia and Pacific Rim, Matt Holmes, and The Ascott Limited Vice President, Business Development Japan and Korea, Vivian Wong.
“With inbound visitor numbers reaching record highs, resilient domestic travel, and the government’s firm commitment to its 2030 target of 60 million international arrivals through targeted policy and initiatives, we remain bullish on Japan’s tourism and hospitality market,” Cho said.
“This optimism is reinforced by robust year-on-year growth in hotel performance metrics, supported by a constrained supply pipeline. However, potential headwinds such as rising interest rates and currency volatility warrant close monitoring.”
Holmes agreed and is buoyed about the growth opportunities across the nation.
“Wyndham is really excited about the growth potential in Japan,” he said. “Hotel performance continues to be robust, and with limited new construction supply growth forecast, we believe existing hotel owners in Japan – with the right distribution platforms behind them – can flourish.
“Wyndham are eager to secure the necessary partnerships that will allow our brands to grow and to deliver strong business to our Japanese hotel partners.
“Our conversion friendly franchise business model is well suited to this market,” Holmes said.
Schmidt, who spends over half of the year in Japan, said it has been quite the remarkable 12 months in the nation for the hotel sector.
“Japan’s hotel market is breaking records, with 2025 arrivals set to surpass 40 million and China reclaiming the top spot as the leading source market,” he said.
“Japan now leads the world in RevPAR growth, driven by strong inbound demand, premium ADRs, and limited new supply. Expo 2025 in Osaka is a major tailwind, pushing occupancy above 90% and accelerating rate growth across the Kansai region.
“With construction cost inflation (5%-7%) and labour shortages constraining new development, existing assets are commanding premium pricing power.
“Capital markets remain robust, with Japan firmly positioned as APAC’s top hotel investment destination. Looking ahead, RevPAR is expected to remain stable to slightly positive through 2027, led by urban luxury, hybrid, and well-located limited-service assets.
“For investors, Japan remains the region’s safest and most compelling hospitality play and its 100% open for business,” he said.
Yamamotoyama Chief Executive Officer, Nami Yamamoto, then took to the stage for a keynote Q&A and she spoke about being the 11th generation leader of the business, which is one of the oldest tea companies in the world, dating back to 1690.
Yamamoto said she was proud of the company’s legacy and helping lead the drive for more female business leaders in the nation.
A showcase panel of some fantastic new hotel projects then took centre stage and looked at the highlights of Fairmont Tokyo, Section L’s new brand and hotels, Caption by Hyatt Kabutocho Tokyo and more.
Hotel development was then in the spotlight and JLL’s Kuraudo Ohashi led a panel that featured Accor’s Andrew Langdon, Starwood Hotels and Resorts’ Frank Sorgiovanni, Pan Pacific Hotel Group’s Kate Loh, TRUNK Co’s Masayuki Kinoshita and IHG Hotels and Resorts’ Yuri Tsujimoto and the group looked at opportunities across the nation.
“Japan remains a key strategic market for growth for Accor across all brands,” Langdon said. “We are particularly focussed on conversion opportunities in destinations that are receiving increasing international visitors.
“This is where Accor can add considerable uplift in both rates and occupancies, directly benefiting Owners.
“With the recent opening of our flagship Fairmont Tokyo we are witnessing strong opportunities from leading Japanese developers for Accor’s Luxury brands,” he said.
Sorgiovanni spoke about Starwood’s upcoming 1 Hotels launch in Tokyo later this year, one of the most exciting openings for the company in recent years and said there’s a lot of opportunity for the company’s Treehouse Hotels, Baccarat Hotels and SH Collection brands at the same time.
“Starwood Hotels are optimistic about Japan’s longer-term potential for lifestyle and luxury development,” he said.
“The country’s deep cultural appreciation for nature aligns seamlessly with the ethos of our sustainability-driven brand, 1 Hotels, making Japan an especially compelling market for us.”
IHG Hotels and Resorts Managing Director, Japan and Micronesia, Abhijay Sandilya, then took to the stage and talked about how over the past year, IHG has cemented its position as
the leading international hotel company in Osaka by expanding its portfolio to 10 open hotels (3,249 rooms) across seven brands – its biggest estate in the country, surpassing its seven properties (1,859 rooms) in Tokyo.
“In the wider region, we debuted Six Senses in Kyoto last year and look forward to welcoming upper luxury brand Regent there in 2028, following a successful groundbreaking last month,” he said.
“This is a hugely exciting time for both IHG and Osaka. Nearly a fifth of our Japanese estate can be found in the city at a time when it’s hosting the World Expo – it doesn’t get much better than that.
“Given Osaka’s growing reputation as a must-visit destination, the rise of integrated resorts, and its role as the gateway to western Japan thanks to being home to the country’s third-busiest airport, we see huge potential for further growth across all of our brands,” Sandilya said.
Currently the second largest global hotel company in Japan, he said IHG has built a strong legacy in the market, where it celebrated its 60th anniversary of doing business in 2024.
The conversation then turned to global brands with a focus on the Japan market and attracted one of the biggest crowds of the event.
The session was moderated by Tourism Talent’s Troy Clarry and included Global Hotel Alliance’s Chris Hartley, Outrigger’s Kenny Kan, Nobu Hospitality’s Lee Lin, EVT’s Norman Arundel and Radisson Hotel Group’s Ramzy Fenianos.
“Japan represents as always one of the most vibrant and exciting markets in Asia Pacific for quality tourism,” Lin said.
“Despite rising costs and limited space- the lack of top lifestyle luxury hospitality brands means the potential for us to strategically expand here is massive.”
Hartley said the demand for travel to Japan continues to soar.
“Japan is the number one market for us in terms of demand,” he said. “We will see 2025 close with growth of around 25% over 2024 in international revenues into Japan; and we are optimistic that growth will continue into 2026 albeit at a slower pace.
“There are good opportunities for international brands to bring value to local Japanese owner-operators, as global demand for Japan continues to intensify and diversify,” he said.
It’s an exciting time for growth globally for Seibu Prince Hotels Worldwide and the company’s President, Representative Director and CEO, Yoshiki Kaneda then took to the stage to talk expansion and performance.
He talked about the company’s aim to expand its business to 250 hotels in Japan and overseas through an asset-light business model.
“In April 2022, we were reborn as a company specialising in hotel operations, and we have been working on hotel development toward expanding to 250 locations in Japan and overseas and on building a system that can function on a global level,” he said.
“Given this, we believe that we can enhance our competitive advantage by leveraging our strength of Japanese hotel chain-style management, in which the headquarters provides support for each location from a variety of facets.”
Kaneda reiterated the company maintains solid growth aspirations right across Japan alongside ambitions to have more managed hotels and resorts across the globe.
The second all-Japanese speaking session saw Onko Chishin’s CEO and Founder, Tomoki Matsuyama, who spoke about the company’s growth across the nation.
Onko Chishin has multiple Michelin-recognized boutique luxury hotels across Japan and is set to open new properties in the coming months on the Izu Peninsula’s eastern coast and in Otaru, Hokkaido.
“We don’t simply renovate historic properties. We uncover the unseen, refine it with reverence, and present it to the world,” Matsuyama said.
“Each hotel becomes a living showcase for its region. Our name, Onko Chishin, comes from Confucius: ‘To revisit the old is to better understand the new. We are storytellers of hidden Japan, sharing the country’s treasures with the world.”
That was followed by Japan real estate market outlook by JLL’s Rongcan Yang, who highlighted how Japan’s hotel investment market has maintained its robust trajectory into 2025, with the first half of the year recording USD$1.5 billion in transaction volume.
The final on-stage session was a ‘view from the top’ featuring leading executives, including Seibu Prince Hotels and Resorts’ Victor Osumi, Far East Hospitality’s Mark Rohner, Accor’s Dean Daniels, The Ascott Limited’s Christian Baudat and Candela’s Björn Antonsson.
“We think Japan will continue to have a strong year ahead even though at slightly slower growth rates,” Rohner said. “A lot of people still visiting for the first time and lots of repeat business.
“We are happy with the business performance of our hotels this year and while labour costs and inflation are an issue, ADR growth is outpacing comfortably so [we expect] higher profitability.”
It was then onto the gala networking event, with the Seibu Prince putting on a fantastic celebration that included caviar and wagyu canapes served alongside premium Australian wines courtesy of South Australia’s Dandelion Vineyards.
Delegates then enjoyed the ‘AHICE After Dark’ networking bar, sponsored by the Global Hotel Alliance, where a lot of the discussion was around the success of the first full AHICE conference in Tokyo after the launch in 2024.
“AHICE Far East Asia is a world-class platform, uniting global and local leaders with insightful and diversified contents,” Axe Management Partners’ Kwok said. “Its caliber of participants fosters collaboration, knowledge exchange, and sets future direction for hospitality investment.”
Far East’s Cho added: “AHICE Far East Asia 2025 proved to be the right conference, at the right time, with the right audience.
“It offered valuable opportunities to engage with industry leaders on the evolving landscape and outlook of Japan’s tourism and hospitality sector, touching on a wide range of timely and relevant topics amidst a period of generational growth and strong market tailwinds.
“The attendee mix was diverse and thoughtfully curated, fostering meaningful connections and valuable insights.
“We were also pleased to establish new relationships, some of which have already resulted in tangible lead generation,” he said.
Starwood’s Sorgiovanni said: “Participating in AHICE Far East Asia has been an invaluable experience, providing the opportunity to engage with new ownership partners while collaborating with industry colleagues.
“Together, we can explore strategies to further advance the evolution of one of the world’s most dynamic and sought-after tourism destinations today.”
Nobu’s Lin added: “AHICE Far East Asia is a great partner to us and a key event to attend with a very healthy mix and variety of delegates within the hospitality industry.
“Sensibly curated panels as well as presence of leaders and decision make it a must-go for those interested in the Japan market.”
Wyndham’s Holmes said: “AHICE always delivers a great event and this one is no different. It’s been great to learn more about the Japanese market as well as having conversations that can hopefully be the platform for growth in this important strategic market.”
Accor’s Langdon added: “AHICE Far East Asia provides the platform for Accor to reach out to our domestic partners and investors.
“To create the opportunities to discuss current trends with our colleagues and consultants, the AHICE networking events are always the best.”
Global Hotel Alliance’s Hartley said: “Great to be part of AHICE Far East Asia, which is the right mix of owners, operators, brands, investors and analysts in a market which is the focus of everyone’s attention at the moment.”
STR’s Burke added: “AHICE Far East Asia brings together Japanese and international hotel owners, operators, investors, and thought leaders to network, collaborate, and explore the immense opportunities Japan offers.
“For us an ability to share insights, connect with partners and meet new connections.”
FutureLog’s Krieg said: “AHICE Far East Asia has leapt in its second year to over 300 leaders from Japan and around the world – a stellar program, strong supplier presence, and an outstanding venue with F&B and service to match.
“As a global partner for all AHICE events, FutureLog looks forward to supporting and attending this world-class gathering well into the future.”
Far East’s Rohner added: “AHICE Far East Asia was a good conference; more relaxed format than other conferences.
“Refreshing that people can showcase their companies. Important for us to be here to drive our growth in Japan.”
The 2025 AHICE Far East Asia Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition had over 30 sponsors for 2025, headlined by Foundation Partner JLL and Principal Partners Hilton, IHG Hotels and Resorts, Marriott International, Pan Pacific Hotels Group and Seibu Prince Hotels and Resorts.
AHICE Far East Asia will return to Tokyo on September 29-30, 2026, with a venue to be revealed soon.