What we have created is a unique worldview and ultimate convenience and comfort.

The retro counter is highly functional

General Manager Anai says that the completed lobby is a highly concept design space that is also highly functional.

"The central counter, the check-in counters, the large illustrations, and anywhere else in the lobby is picturesque. Our guests enjoy taking photos of these wonderful scenes in their own creative ways and uploading them to social media.

On the other hand, the box-shaped central counter has four usable sides, so each side can have a different function, such as check-in support, an amenity corner, or a breakfast reception counter in the morning. This is extremely helpful as it allows a small number of staff members to handle multiple positions.

On the other hand, a box-shaped space means that customers' gazes come from all sides. From experience, this can be quite stressful for staff, so we consulted with NOMURA Co.,Ltd. at the planning stage. They proposed the current concept design, which reduced customer gazes by half without compromising functionality. As expected, we have been able to operate with almost no stress on staff." (Anai)

Like old ticket counters, the top two-thirds is made of vitrine glass that allows staff to sense customers but does not allow them to see directly through, while the bottom third is made of transparent glass that allows staff to bend down and see customers face-to-face. This is how the fusion of function and concept design was born.

Moreover, only two of the four sides of the counter have glass doors. It is designed to be flexible and easily moveable to any side in 360 degrees depending on the function of the counter at any given time. The person in charge of this elaborate structure was Jun Kagami, who served as production manager for NOMURA Co.,Ltd. team. Kagami's biggest challenge was to strike a balance between ease of movement and stability as a fixture without compromising concept design.

"We designed it to be a hanging fixture so that staff can move it easily. Moving it too lightly can be dangerous, so we considered how to apply torque and the amount of tension, decided on the hanging rails and metal fittings, and actually tested them. Since it would not be stable if it was just hung, we cut guide grooves into the counter, so it can be moved easily and freely on any of the four sides, including the corners, and will not come off the rails. Moreover, the structure does not detract from concept design. We paid particular attention to these things." (Kagami)

Similarly, the wall with the giant illustration that the female staff can open and close by themselves is a hanging fixture whose structure was devised by Kagami and his team.

"When I heard that we were going to do that, I was surprised at how unusually large it was. It was quite heavy, so it could only be moved if it was hung from above, and the metal fittings used for hanging it were important. We found good metal fittings that could withstand the load, and then made the fittings themselves hollow to reduce the weight load as much as possible. If it was just hanging, it would shake and be dangerous, so we also installed guide rails in the floor." (Kagami)

Create a "secret base" in the middle of the room

The renovation of the guest rooms incorporated the know-how that Hoshino Resorts already has.

"Hoshino Resorts' brand, the downtown hotel OMO and the casual hotel BEB, use a system called 'Rolling Beds.' For example, even if four people stay, there are only beds for two, and the remaining two have their own 'Rolling Beds.' During the day, these are a place where everyone can relax and have a drink before going to sleep, and at night, the 'Rolling Beds' turn into beds. There are facilities that can be modified in this way, so we brought that know-how with us," says Anai.

Designer Inoue continues.

"For example, if we put four beds side by side in a room that can accommodate four people, it would have an impersonal, hospital-like feel. So we put a cot by the window with a good view, making it a room that can accommodate four people, where groups of girls traveling or families with small children can relax.

The other room, which can accommodate six people, has a bunk bed in the middle like a secret base, which is sure to delight older children. The rooms are based on these two types." (Inoue)

It's not just the placement of the bed. We discussed how various guests would spend their time in the room, and some ideas came out of that process. The dresser is one of them.

"Many of our guests wear various makeup and cosplay costumes when they go to the park and enjoy taking photos. In that case, it would be nice if the room had a good dressing function. For four-person rooms, we equipped them with a large dressing table and mirror so that all four people can use it comfortably." (Okada)

With the first phase of renovation work completed, the hotel opened in June 2024. One year from the planning stage, but the actual construction period was a mere six months. Going forward, the hotel will continue to renovate the guest rooms and public spaces that were not touched upon in the first phase, while assessing customer reactions. Yukiko Nishio of NOMURA Co.,Ltd. team, who took over sales duties from her predecessor after the first phase of construction was completed, is now drawing up plans for the next renovation.

"We are fine-tuning the content of the first phase while looking at the results of the guest room survey, but next time we would like to make a proposal that will further emphasize the worldview of 1955. I think it will be great fun to upgrade it further while receiving feedback from the first phase.

However, the upcoming renovation work must be carried out while the hotel is in operation, so we are racking our brains over how to schedule the work so as not to inconvenience guests and how to shorten the construction period as much as possible," said Nishio.

General Manager Anai says he will continue to evolve the hotel into "the ultimate in convenient and comfortable hotel."

"We installed 15 self-service check-in machines to avoid queues at check-in. When we actually listen to what our customers say, a lot of them say that the check-in process was smooth and helpful. It's really gratifying to see a direct response to what we had intended.

It's only been a few months since we opened, so most of our customers are new to the place, but we've heard customers say things like, "This place is a hidden gem," and in surveys we've heard a lot of people say, "I'll definitely come again." Just like Tokyo Disney Resort, I think it's become a place people will want to visit again and again.

Our goal is to provide convenience and comfort that is unmatched in this area, as well as a hotel with a unique worldview that cannot be found anywhere else. To achieve this, we want to create a space that can be enjoyed all year round, both in terms of facilities, such as staff service, and in terms of seasonal events such as Halloween and Christmas." (Anai)

(Interviewed in October 2024. Titles in the article are those at the time of the interview.)

Interview and text by Tsuyoshi Nose (former editor-in-chief of Nikkei Trendy)
Photo by Kenta Yoshizawa