The group plans to enter into a long-term agreement with The Royal Hotel, Limited and BentallGreenOak (BGO) to add Rihga Royal Hotel Osaka to its system in 2023.
Extensive repositioning
The site will then relaunch as Rihga Royal Hotel Osaka – Vignette Collection in 2025, following an extensive refurbishment and repositioning of the asset.
IHG will cooperate closely with The Royal Hotel, Limited to ensure all elements of the Righa Royal brand are retained, with both parties working together as custodian of the Osaka hotel’s legacy, while enjoying the advantages of IHG’s global enterprise.
Royal retreat
With more than 87 years of history and a location in Nakanoshima, an island in the Dojima river in central Osaka, Rihga Royal Hotel Osaka has become known as one of Osaka’s most sought-after hotels for royalty, foreign dignitaries, celebrities and VIP guests.
Today, it features 1,039 guestrooms, 18 restaurants and bars, 56 ballrooms, banquet halls and meeting spaces, wedding facilities, pools, fitness centres and retail outlets.
Famous hotel
Abhijay Sandilya, MD – Japan and Micronesia for IHG Hotels & Resorts, and CEO of IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan, said: “We are so delighted to welcome the Rihga Royal Hotel Osaka to the IHG family. It is arguably the most famous hotel in West Japan, and we are extremely grateful to The Royal Hotel, Limited and BGO for putting their faith in IHG and providing this wonderful platform to launch Vignette Collection in Japan.
“This will be IHG’s seventh, and largest, hotel in Osaka, complementing its existing portfolio. We look forward to working closely with The Royal Hotel, Limited and welcoming guests to Japan’s first Vignette Collection hotel.”
Maintain origins
The Royal Hotel, Ltd president, Shuichi Kageyama, commented: “We are extremely pleased that Rihga Royal Hotel Osaka will join IHG’s collection brand, Vignette Collection, as its first hotel in Japan. Vignette Collection is a luxury brand that values the originality and identity of member hotels. The hotel will thus maintain its historical origins and the brand and identity that it has cultivated as an Osaka landmark. As a global luxury hotel, we welcome visitors to MICE events, and we will utilise IHG’s world-wide network and know-how to welcome new guests via IHG alongside our existing guests. We are looking forward to welcoming you again.”
Daniel Klebes, representative director and president of BentallGreenOak KK, added: “We look forward to working closely with IHG and The Royal Hotel, Limited at the iconic RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka. Our team will be a winning combination of BGO’s financial resources, IHG’s global reach, and The Royal Hotel, Limited’s exceptional history and tradition. IHG has made an excellent choice in RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka for its first Vignette collection hotel in Japan.”
Rapid growth
As IHG experiences a period of rapid growth in Japan that’s recently seen it launch the voco, Kimpton, Regent and Holiday Express brands into the market, it is now adding its Vignette Collection brand to its luxury offering.
Vignette Collection is the latest addition to IHG’s luxury and lifestyle portfolio and recently celebrated the first anniversary of its inaugural property opening, with the hotel collection boasting a strong and growing portfolio of 14 distinct properties. Three are already serving customers in Australia, Thailand and Portugal, and the brand is on track to deliver on its ambition of securing more than 100 properties in 10 years. Already planned are Vignette Collection Aquatique Pattaya and Dinso Resort Phuket Vignette in Thailand, and Carlton Al Moaibed Hotel, Vignette Collection in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia.
