High-end hotels have been opening across Tokyo’s Ginza district since last year as tourists flock to the posh neighborhood.

The trend is likely driven by the influx of foreign visitors who are willing to pay high accommodation fees for luxury experiences in the swanky district. 

The Royal Park Hotel Ginza 6-chome opened toward the end of May in a prime location in Ginza.

Featuring 15 stories above ground and one below, the massive hotel with 273 guest rooms became the third establishment in Ginza from the Royal Park Hotels brand.

The new hotel opened at a prime spot facing Showa-dori street, a three-minute walk from Higashi-Ginza Station. The famed Kabukiza theater and the Tsukiji district are nearby as well.

Room rates are relatively high, starting from 30,000 yen ($192) per room per night.

The concept of the hotel is “Ginza Pop.” The history of Ginza—a district boasting both old and modern features—inspired the hotel’s color arrangements and patterns.

Large communal baths, exclusively for guests, were incorporated to present Japanese onsen culture.

The Ginza Lamp-tei restaurant on the first floor showcases the appeal of Japanese cuisine.

Patrons can select their favorite onigiri fillings from more than 10 options during breakfast hours, and chefs will make the rice balls before the guests’ very eyes.

SNACK BAR IN HOTEL

The centerpiece of the hotel is the snack bar Kobikicho Club, which guests can find awash with purple light on the second floor. With a total of 19 seats at the counter and on sofas, the pub is open in the evenings to guests and outside visitors.

Tsuyoshi Yamasaki, a senior official of Aqua Plannet, operator of Kobikicho Club, explained the idea behind the snack bar.

“Pubs are part of British culture like bars are for Spain,” said Yamasaki. “Snack bars are part of Japan’s unique bar culture. As both snack bars and hotels are gathering places, we wanted to introduce a gimmick within the hotel to attract people.”

At Japanese-style snack bars, “bar mamas” serve customers from behind the counters, but in Kobikicho Club, male staff members are employed as well to reflect the current era of diversity. In addition to drinking at the bar, patrons can enjoy karaoke.

“Snack bars constitute Japan’s one-of-a-kind drinking culture,” said a Kobikicho Club representative. “We will be presenting that style of pub to the world.”

The bar mama of Kobikicho Club is Masako Nishio, 36. The former model suspended her main business to take on the challenging role.

“People can stop by this snack bar inside the hotel to take a peek more casually,” said Nishio. “I want customers to feel free to call on our pub.”

SUPER LUXURY ACCOMODATION

Ginza has become home to a series of newly built hotels in the past year.

Pitched by Singapore-based Ascott, lyf Ginza Tokyo made its debut in Ginza in November.

It is equipped with a total of 140 rooms. Room prices vary, but the average cost is around 20,000 yen per night.

The room capacity ranges from a single person to three guests. A guest can stay 30 nights or more at a time.

Common areas include a kitchen, a laundry room, a gym and a “co-working lounge” for business and other purposes.

According to Ascott Japan’s accounts, 80 percent of guests come from outside Japan. They stay three nights or more in many cases.

“People spend more days on a single trip given the weakened yen and the surge in commodity prices,” said an Ascott public relations official. “We feel demand is growing for facilities to live in, not to stay at.”

Opening in March this year, the Marriott-affiliated Tokyo Edition Ginza is characterized by room rates starting from 120,000 yen, excluding tax and a 15-percent service charge.

It also boasts one of the largest standard rooms in the Ginza area, spanning 41 square meters.

“We believe many people positively view the concept and design of our brand, because we have been offering unique, fascinating and memorable experiences that resonate with guests’ aspirations, interests and lifestyles,” said a hotel representative.

Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Tsukiji is scheduled to open in September this year. Prices start at 30,570 yen per room, including the consumption tax and a service fee, but excluding the accommodation tax.

All 183 guest rooms are furnished with a washer-dryer, a fridge-freezer and a microwave in the hopes of appealing to overseas visitors planning long stays.

“We believe a lot of guests will choose our hotel due to our prime location and rich lineup of facilities, although there are many rival accommodations in Ginza and Tsukiji,” said an official of Mitsui Fudosan Co.’s public relations department.

Kunihiro Shimomukai, a chief researcher at Urban Research Institute Corp., noted that the surge in hotels in Ginza can be attributed to the recovery of inbound travelers and the popularity of the district. 

“Prestigious high-end hotels for inbound tourism can be erected in Ginza,” said Shimomukai. “As prices for accommodations can be adjusted, such as raising rates for high-demand weekends, they can turn a profit more readily than office buildings, housing complexes or commercial facilities.”

Shimomukai said that the number of foreign visitors spending money on accommodations is rising.

“High-end accommodations, luxury hotels and other unique and distinctive facilities that are fun to stay in will likely continue to grow,” he said.