RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka has joined the IHG Hotels & Resorts system on 30 June 2023, making it IHGs largest hotel in Japan and its seventh hotel in Osaka
There will be no immediate changes to the hotel’s branding or guest experience, however it will undergo an extensive refurbishment, commencing in 2023, before repositioning the hotel as RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka, Vignette Collection in 2025.
IHG will work closely with property owner, BentallGreenOak (BGO) and The Royal Hotel Limited, to ensure all elements of the much-treasured RIHGA Royal brand are retained with all parties working together as custodian of the RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka’s legacy. Renderings released today provide a striking visual representation of how the hotel will come to life as Japan’s first Vignette Collection, upon completion of the approx. JPY13.5 billion refurbishment.
With more than 87 years of history and an enviable 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 an impressive 1,039 guest rooms, 18 restaurants and bars, 56 ballrooms, banquet halls and meeting spaces, wedding facilities, pools, fitness centres and retail outlets.
Mitsuaki Jyuso, Chief Operations Officer at RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka, said: “It’s an exciting time for everyone at RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka as we become part of the IHG Hotels & Resorts family and booking system for the first time, and I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who has made this happen. With the World Expo and other key tourism events approaching, Osaka continues to grow and evolve as a destination so we’re proud to be refurbishing this iconic hotel and relaunching under the Vignette Collection brand in 2025. For now, we look forward to welcoming new and returning guests from Japan and around the world.“
Abhijay Sandilya, Managing Director – Japan & Micronesia for IHG Hotels & Resorts said: “We are so delighted to welcome the RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka to the IHG family. It is arguably the most famous hotel in Osaka, as well as being IHG’s seventh hotel in the city and our largest hotel in Japan. 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 in the coming years. We are excited to start providing IHG’s famous True Hospitality to guests from today.”
The Royal Hotel Ltd. President, Fumikazu Ueda, said: "We are extremely pleased that RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka has joined the IHG system, and we are excited to start its journey to refurbish and reposition under the Vignette Collection brand. 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 utilize 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.”
Vignette Collection, the latest addition to IHG’s Luxury & Lifestyle portfolio, boasts a strong and growing portfolio of 21 highly distinct properties, with six already serving customers in Asia, Australia, Europe and the USA, and is on track to deliver on its ambition of securing more than 100 properties in 10 years.
Osaka has traditionally been the second top performing hotel market in Japan and, prior to Covid-19, Osaka’s luxury hotels historically demonstrated strong occupancy rates - in fact inbound stays surged over three-fold between 2012 and 2017, faster than Tokyo. With inbound tourism demand surging once again, and with the city hosting Expo 2025, the outlook for business and leisure tourism in Osaka is extremely positive.
As IHG experiences an unprecedented period of 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.