IHG’s upper-upscale boutique hotel brand has debuted a 155-key lifestyle scheme, which reflects the Japanese resort town’s story through its design and service offering.

This impressive addition to IHG’s ranks illustrates the British hospitality group’s determination to keep growing its Asian footprint.

A new lifestyle boutique experience

Hotel Indigo Karuizawa, only the second Japanese property for IHG’s Hotel Indigo brand, is now open. The development takes inspiration from the town’s character and natural surroundings, and is conveniently located just 2.6 km from Karuiazawa station.

Abhijay Sandilya, CEO of IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan, said: “We are very proud to announce the opening of Hotel Indigo Karuizawa, the second Hotel Indigo in Japan and our second hotel in partnership with Tokyo Century Corporation. I’d like to thank Tokyo Century Corporation for their great partnership, which we look forward to continuing for many years.

“IHG is currently experiencing its biggest ever period of growth in Japan, and we see big things ahead for the Hotel Indigo brand. Japan is famous for its rich history, culture, architecture and food, so we think there is great opportunity across Japan for a brand that embraces these elements.”

Yoichiro Nakai, executive vice president of Tokyo Century Corporation, added: “Despite the current circumstance of Covid19, we are pleased that the hotel will be able to open earlier than originally planned. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the town of Karuizawa and local government for their understanding and support.

“I would like to thank everyone involved in the construction, including Kitano Construction Corp and IHG for its global hotel management knowhow. In the development of this hotel, the common area buildings, such as the lobby and restaurants, were constructed using Nagano-grown karamatsu pine, and efforts were made to reduce CO2 emissions and promote a business that contributes to the local economy.”

Local inspiration

The hotel endeavours to capture the underlying spirit of its beautiful setting. Spanning three design-led buildings, the property is home to 147 standard rooms and eight suites, wood-fired Italian restaurant Kagaribi, an all-day dining restaurant focusing on local ingredients, meeting facilities, and The Spa by Harnn featuring three treatment rooms and fitness facilities.

Susumu Fujimaki, mayor of Karuizawa Town, said: “Although the recent corona situation has had an impact on tourism, I feel that the demand for experiences that are stimulated by the beauty of nature and culture continues to grow as people’s sense of values about work and lifestyle are changing. By welcoming Hotel Indigo to Karuizawa, which values the stories of history, culture and nature unique to the region, we hope that everyone will be able to experience the charm of this land anew.”

The general manager of Hotel Indigo’s latest outpost is Megumi Hara.

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