The Stars are shining brightly for IHG’s hotels in Japan with the addition of a record 4th Michelin Star to its restaurant trophy cabinet, recognising the exceptional culinary pleasures available to guests at its hotels.

ANA Crowne Plaza Osaka is the latest hotel in the group to earn a prestigious Michelin Star for ‘Maison Tateru Yoshino’, impressively taking the accolade in its first year of opening, and making it the first Crowne Plaza branded hotel in the world to earn a Star.

It joins InterContinental Osaka’s ‘Pierre’ restaurant, headed by IHG’s home grown Chef de Cuisine Susumu Okubo, which earned One Star for a second consecutive year, and legendary chef Pierre Gagnaire’s self-named restaurant at ANA InterContinental Tokyo, which has earned Two Michelin Stars for the seventh year in a row since it opened in 2010.

Chef Tateru Yoshino (above)  from ANA Crowne Plaza Osaka, who is famous for preparing traditional French cuisine incorporating an array of select vegetables to artistically accent each course, said, “It is a huge honour to earn a coveted Michelin Star in our restaurant’s first year. Our service team’s attention to detail provides each guest with a memorable dining experience for lunch or dinner, and the striking white and gold interior by designer Toshio Nagao creates an elegant and sophisticated space inspired by my native Kikai Island.”

Chef de Cuisine Susumu Okubo (above) from InterContinental Osaka’s Pierre restaurant said: “I would like to thank all our guests and the team at Pierre for their continuous support. Getting our second consecutive Star embeds Pierre’s reputation as one of the best restaurants in Osaka. We will continue to work hard to offer innovative dishes using carefully selected seasonal ingredients, which are sourced without compromise, while also delivering a luxurious and highly personalised service experience.”

ANA InterContinental Tokyo’s iconic chef Pierre Gagnaire (main picture) added “Anyone who has visited the restaurant knows to expect something unforgettable – contemporary French cuisine in elegant surrounds with the breath-taking 36th floor view of the Tokyo metropolis and Tokyo Tower as a backdrop. Creating that touch of magic has been our goal for the past 7 years and we are excited to continue it for many years to come.”

IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan, the Joint Venture between IHG and Japanese largest airline ANA, currently has 33 hotels operating under five brands in Japan, including InterContinental, ANA InterContinental and ANA Crowne Plaza. Hans Heijligers, CEO of IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan reflected on the achievements, saying “This is truly brilliant recognition for the amazing culinary talent we have in our hotels. There is good reason why so many Japanese guests and visitors, including myself, count these restaurants amongst their favourites.”