Thursday, Feb 17, 2022: IHG Hotels & Resorts today announces the opening of Hotel Indigo Karuizawa, the region’s first globally-branded lifestyle boutique hotel, and the second property in Japan under the Hotel Indigo brand.
Inspired by the town’s sophisticated sensibility and abundance of nature, Hotel Indigo Karuizawa is a stunning example of how the brand captures the true spirit of a neighbourhood through its design, amenities, F&B and service. It boasts truly modern appeal with intriguing local design to beautifully capture the true spirit of this neighbourhood, where East meets West.
The 155-room hotel sits across three design buildings and features the wood-fired Italian restaurant KAGARIBI, an all-day dining restaurant that serves dishes that incorporate local ingredients, and The Spa by HARNN, which offers three treatment rooms and fitness facilities. It also offers meeting facilities for business events to meet the needs of both leisure and business travellers.　
Surrounded by the region’s natural beauty and just 2.6km from Karuiazawa station, the hotel will be a perfect escape for travellers who are looking to experience everything Karuizawa has to offer.
The opening ceremony was attended by Yoichiro Nakai, Executive Vice President of Tokyo Century Corporation, the owner of the hotel, Shin Kiyota, COO of IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan, Megumi Hara, General Manager of Hotel Indigo Karuizawa, Yoshiharu Tsuchiya, Chairman of the Karuizawa Tourism Association, Mr. Junichi Nakazato, Chairman of the Karuizawa Commerce and Industry Association, and Mr. Takeo Suzuki, President of the Karuizawa Ryokan Association.
Comments:
Abhijay Sandilya, CEO, IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan
“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. It will offer Japanese travelers a premium, boutique experience when exploring their own communities, as well as giving international travelers a truly local experience with the comfort and amenity of a global brand.”
Yoichiro Nakai, Executive Vice President, Tokyo Century Corporation
“Despite the current circumstance of Covid-19, 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 know-how. 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. In the management of this hotel, we would like to contribute to the further development of the Karuizawa area by creating jobs and using fresh local ingredients in the restaurant. We hope to continue our corporate efforts to satisfy the local residents of Karuizawa, hotel employees, and hotel guests.”
Mr. Susumu Fujimaki, Mayor of Karuizawa Town
“It is with great pleasure that we welcome the opening of Hotel Indigo Karuizawa, a new accommodation facility in Karuizawa, one of Japan’s leading international resorts. Surrounded by beautiful mountains and forests, Karuizawa, which was discovered by Western missionaries, has been loved by many people as a summer resort, and as an oasis for people’s hearts, it has spun its own culture and history. 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.”
