Oakwood Worldwide sets its sights on the Japanese business hub of Osaka after making its presence known in Tokyo. It is slated to open Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Shin-Osaka, with Yasuko Sugiyama on board as its general manager, in the summer of 2018.

“We are extremely excited to be expanding our footprint to Osaka after a successful and growing presence in Tokyo since 2000. Our properties in Tokyo have met with immense success and we look forward to what Yasuko-san and her team will accomplish with the property,” said Dean Schreiber, managing director of Oakwood Worldwide in Asia. “Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Shin-Osaka is a great product with an unbeatable location – fitting forOakwood’s first foray outside of Tokyo.”

Incoming GM Yasuko Sugiyama is a hospitality industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience. She has worked in both serviced apartments and hotels across Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia. Her most recent assignment was as area manager for Booking.com, managing its Sapporo, Osaka, Fukuoka and Okinawa offices. She was also previously connected with Ascott, Fraser, Hotel Parklane, and Ramada Hotel.

Geared towards short-term stays, Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Shin-Osaka provides a guest concierge and front desk services, regular housekeeping, high-speed internet, and a fitness gym. Guests may book any of its 59 hotel rooms which are furnished with a bed and a work desk, or its 126 fully-furnished serviced apartments which come with fully equipped kitchens. 

Oakwood’s new Osaka property will rise near the Shin-Osaka Station, granting business and leisure travellers alike access to the Kansai region and other parts of Japan via bullet train. Its location is strategic – Osaka has been vital to the country’s economy and distribution of resources since the 17th century, and even now it remains the centre point where travellers from north and south converge.

Headquartered in Los Angeles, USA, Oakwood currently operates eleven properties in Japan, all concentrated in the capital city of Tokyo. Once opened, Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Shin-Osaka joins the luxury hospitality brand’s global portfolio of 55 properties.