4
2024.1.11
Other
#City development#Sightseeing
"Towards a hotel that is loved by the local community"
With the involvement of many people, including the government, this hotel adheres to its stated vision and contributes to the local community.
Messenger
T.H
- Company / Department
- Leben Hotels Co., Ltd.
General Manager of HOTEL THE LEBEN OSAKA
Project
Could you please give us an overview of "HOTEL THE LEBEN OSAKA"?
HOTEL THE LEBEN OSAKA is our first original brand hotel, which opened in March 2022 in the Minamisenba area near Shinsaibashi, Osaka. Not only do all 107 guest rooms have an area of more than 30㎡, but as a hotel bearing the Takara Leben high-grade condominium brand "THE LEBEN", it is a highly livable space with attention to detail in the living rooms. We have adopted a style of taking off your shoes as if you were spending time at home, and the large guest rooms are set up with an awareness of the boundary between the living room and the bedroom. We are also particular about the beds and linen items that are important in your hotel stay, and we use high-quality items that are used in the luxury hotel class.
What are your customers saying and what is the current situation like?
Thanks to you, we have been able to attract many customers, with about 70% of our guests being inbound tourists. All rooms are over 30㎡, which differentiates us from neighboring hotels, and we have received particularly favorable reviews from customers who want to spread out their luggage or stay in large groups. In addition, in my previous job I worked in the management of resort hotels, and while sharing this with the staff, I also put effort into the hospitality and customer service aspects. Furthermore, regardless of whether the guest is from Japan or overseas, I am conscious of catching up with the needs of my customers and giving back to them in my service.
In addition to the regular accommodation plan, the "Disaster Prevention Experience Mission Plan" is
What kind of plan is that?
The "Disaster Prevention Experience Mission Plan" is a plan that provides a place for families to learn about disaster prevention measures while having fun through experiences such as spending a day in a guest room without lights, using disaster prevention items such as "portable power sources," "portable lanterns," and "multi-cookers," and eating emergency food. At present, more than a dozen people have experienced it, and it has received a lot of feedback from people interested in disaster prevention, including being featured on NHK programs.
Hotels that are differentiated from other hotels
Why did you start the Disaster Prevention Experience Mission Plan?
Our company has prepared many disaster prevention supplies in our apartments and model rooms, including for local residents. We were thinking of preparing a large number of disaster prevention supplies at our hotel, which also bears the "LEBEN" name. However, while it is a good thing that disasters do not occur, there are also cases where stockpiles of supplies are not consumed and reach their expiration date, leading to disposal. This is the trigger for us to focus on this and give back to our customers.
Points
What points did you pay particular attention to when designing the plan?
We started by considering the purpose for which the guests would use the plan, and then we thought that this experience would be an opportunity for them to take it home and think again about preparations. That's why we created a booklet called "Disaster Prevention Mission 7 - Let's make disaster prevention rules for our home." We prepared "missions" in the form of assignments for families to think about disaster prevention measures and decide on through conversation, and we made it possible for them to take home by filling out an emergency contact list, evacuation actions, initial actions, etc. With the cooperation of many people involved, including various departments within our company, our partner Solare Hotels and Resorts, and Intelligent Field Co.,Ltd., who supervised the project, we created a booklet that fully meets the requirements for disaster prevention preparation.
What were the challenges you faced in designing the project?
We had a lot of trouble getting the government to commit to us. However, since we started this project with the aim of enlivening the area where the hotel is located, Chuo Ward, Osaka City, in cooperation with the neighboring governments, we were able to proceed with the project with the cooperation of Intelligent Field Co.,Ltd. which is supervising the project, and they also attended negotiations. We are now also working with nearby educational institutions (kindergartens, elementary schools, and junior high schools) to invite families with children to experience the project. We are doing this in the hope that it will encourage more people to think about disaster prevention. After going through these difficulties, we were also registered as a "Chuo Ward Disaster Prevention Partner" by the Chuo Ward Office of Osaka City, and were also featured as an example in the Cabinet Secretariat's National Resilience Project Case Collection. We are making daily improvements so that the entire hotel can serve as an evacuation shelter in the event of an emergency.
What thoughts and attitudes have you kept in mind when carrying out this project?
There are not many successful examples of hotels that specialize in lodging, even if they claim to be "community-based." However, we are able to cooperate with the government and local educational institutions in this way, so we would like to place even more importance on this. We always try to participate in local events, and just the other day we participated in a local rice cake pounding competition. Although it is a grassroots activity, we are conscious of becoming a hotel that is loved by the local community. As we are located in this area, we would like to create a cycle that creates a synergistic effect by having neighbors use our hotel, and also having guests use nearby restaurants and commercial facilities.
"To design sustainable environments for a happier future for both people and our planet." What does this mean?
By continuing to interact with the local community through participating in community-based events and cleaning activities, we aim to become a hotel that will be loved by local residents for a long time.
