hoteliers cautiously upbeat as rooms fill

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http://www.hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/hoteliers_cautiously_upbeat_as_rooms_fill
As the world struggles to comprehend the biggest disaster to hit Japan since World War II, the impact on the country’s hospitality industry is only beginning to become apparent.

While the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami on March 11 caused thousands of deaths and extensive damage in Japan, initial statements from some of the biggest hospitality companies in the country would indicate that most hotels have escaped the disaster relatively unscathed with the exception of those in the city of Sendai where a number of properties have been closed. These include the ANA Holiday Inn Sendai and The Westin Sendai.

The following companies issued statements:

Prince Hotels, which has 48 hotels in Japan, reported that it had closed two of its properties – the Shizukuishi Prince Hotel and Shuizukuishi Ski Resort in Iwate Prefecture – and that some of its other properties would have changes in hours of operation. It reported no injuries or serious damage at any of its properties.

JAL Hotels, which has 25 hotels in the country under its NHI chain and 13 hotels under its Hotel JAL chain, reported that two of its hotels – the Hotel JAL City Hachinohe and the Hotel JAL City Sendai – were in a difficult situation with normal operation.

InterContinental Hotels Group, which has 37 hotels in Japan, said it had evacuated all 120 guests from its ANA Holiday Inn hotel in Sendai and had closed the hotel to new bookings and guests. All other IHG ANA hotels across Japan are fully operational, it said. IHG added that it had advised all hotels across the Tokyo metropolitan area and the northern part of Japan to follow government recommendations to minimise electricity usage, which could involve some suspension of normal services and operations for the duration of the power outage. Addressing the nuclear risk, IHG said it was keeping a close watch on the situation. Its closest property to the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, the ANA Holiday Inn Sendai, was deemed to be in a safe zone, it said.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts, which has 14 hotels in Japan, said that all guests and staff were accounted for at its Westin Sendai and that the property had suffered no structural damage. The hotel would be closed over the next few days due to lack of facilities, according to a Reuters report.

Marriott International, which has nine hotels in Japan including the Ritz-Carlton Tokyo and The Ritz-Carlton Osaka, stated it had no reports of harm to its guests or employees or of significant structural damage at any of its properties.

Accor, which also has nine hotels in Japan, said all its hotels remained operational and its buildings had received only minor damage. It said it had closed its three hotels in the Greater Tokyo area to new reservations since Friday, and anticipated it would start accepting new reservations from March 16. One of the three hotels – the Mercure Hotel Narita – had been impacted by the national rolling power blackhouts for a few hours each day, it said.

Hyatt Hotels, which has eight properties in Japan, reported that all of its hotels were operational and that there were no injuries to guests or staff.

Japan Leisure Hotels, which has six properties in the country, reported some damage to its Sendai property although stressed it had been left intact. The hotel has been shut down and is expected to remain closed for at least a month.

The Peninsula Tokyo reported that it was functioning as normal and it did not anticipate being impacted by the government-mandated blackouts. The hotel said it had, however, closed three F&B outlets – Peter Restaurant, The Peninsula Café and The Peninsula Boutique & Café at Naka Dori – to conserve energy.