ANA Hotels signs a Management Contract for a hotel project in Okayama due to be opened in August 2005
Hirsch Bedner Associates（*1）appointed as the interior designers; aiming for a stylish and functional hotel at the best location
The ANA Hotels has signed a management contract for a hotel currently under construction by Lei Co., Ltd. in the Motomachi district around the west exit of JR Okayama station, which is currently under redevelopment. The planned opening for the hotel is August 2005. Under the contract, the hotel will be managed by Lei Co., Ltd and operated by ANA Hotels and Resorts. The hotel will be officially known as ANA Hotel Okayama and Mr. Masato Akiyama(*2) will be appointed as the General Manager of the hotel and dispatched to prepare for the grand opening and acceptance of reservations.
The hotel is situated in a convenient location, just one minute walk from the West Exit of JR Okayama station, and is considered as one of the core projects within the No. 2 construction ward that is part of the redevelopment plan Okayama City has made to propel the Motomachi district. Other new buildings in the ward include the NHK Okayama (Japan Broadcasting Corporation Okayama Station), the Okayama City Digital Museum (temporary name), offices, and commercial facilities. The hotel will be connected to the Okayama Convention Center, opened in June 2001 and used by almost 260,000 people in 2003 alone. There will also be a communication infrastructure deployed between two premises, which will enable various conventions and exhibitions to be held simultaneously through the connecting features and functions of the two premises such as location, facilities and services. With this and more, the ANA Hotel Okayama will provide a unique service for many of the corporate offices planned for this redevelopment area.
With 19 stories above ground, the hotel will provide a variety of facilities. The first floor lobby is to be designed under the concept of water flow（see the attached） and houses the reception, café restaurant in New York-style, and a banquet room. A Glass Chapel will be available on the 8th floor. The 222 guest rooms, including 5 universal rooms, are to be spread out from the 9th through 17th floors and will be compliant with the latest business environment as well as having a sophisticated design. On the 18th floor will be the Sky Banquet and on the 19th, the main restaurant of Japanese dining and bar featuring a modern design. The interior will be designed by Hirsch Bedner Associates, designer of a great number of first class hotels around the world. This hotel is to be the first design job for Hirsch Bedner Associates in the Okayama region and aims to be the most stylish and functional city hotel within the region.
The reservations and inquiries salon (mainly for the weddings and parties in the beginning) for ANA Hotel Okayama will open on November 3rd at Momotaro Odori in the central city district. The ANA Hotel’s fine quality atmosphere, the stylish glass chapel, and the banquet room designed by Hirsch Bedner Associates, are sure to welcome many reservations for weddings and parties.
ANA Hotels’ most recent successes have been the opening of The Strings Hotel Tokyo (May 2003), located in Shinagawa, Tokyo, and the ANA Hotel Yonago, located in Yonago City, Tottori Prefecture. With the opening of the ANA Hotel Okayama, the ANA Hotel chain will consist of 36 properties (33 domestic and 3 international), with 10,383 rooms.
*(1) Hirsch Bedner Associates is one of the world’s foremost hotel design leaders, with offices in 8 locations around the world and 3 within the USA (headquarters in Santa Monica, Los Angeles). Over the past 40 years, the company has proudly been involved in the design of 600 properties in over 50 countries. Some of their most recent famous projects have included the Mandarin Oriental New York (2003), The Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes (2003), and The St. Regis Shanghai (2001).
