Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Hotel Okura Co., Ltd., announced that in 2022 it will open Hotel Nikko Phnom Penh in the Cambodian capital. The hotel will occupy the upper level of the Japan Trade Center, currently under construction, and the company expects to sign a contract on December 25, 2018 with UY United Co., Ltd. to manage the new property, following an investment in that company by URATA Co., Ltd.
The property will be located in the Japan Trade Center (tentative name) in the Toul Tum Poung district, a new facility containing office space, retail outlets and the new hotel, and the first major complex in the Cambodian capital to be developed by a Japanese company. This facility aims to act as a networking base for international businesses and to showcase a new form of collaboration whereby Cambodian companies deploy Japanese construction technology in joint ventures with Japanese firms.
A steel-framed structure of a kind that has not yet been widely adopted in Cambodia is being implemented in the new complex, with Japanese construction engineers leading and training constructing teams on site. This project is expected to herald the introduction of new construction technology into Cambodia, and the design of the facility itself will incorporate aspects of both countries’ history, tradition and culture, reflecting as much of the unique characteristics of the surrounding area as possible.
Marcel P. van Aelst, CEO of Okura Nikko Hotel Management, remarked, “It is a big honor for us to be able to be part of this project, an undertaking which will introduce Japanese construction techniques to Cambodia. We aim to create a hotel which will act as a bridge between the two countries, and imbue it with our signature hospitality, rooted in Japanese culture.”
The hotel will offer 201 guest rooms each with a standard area of about 36 m2 on floors 14-22 of the new building. It will feature a wide range of restaurants, including Japanese cuisine and all-day dining, and a skydeck bar on the 23rd floor where guests can enjoy stunning views across the capital.
In recent years, Cambodia has achieved high economic growth rates, averaging more than 7% per annum, and is proving to be one of the most attractive ASEAN countries. Since the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community at the end of 2015, the Cambodian government has continued to promote economic development and created a number of “special economic zones” aimed at attracting foreign capital. At these zones in Phnom Penh, companies from many different countries have set up operations, the majority of them Japanese enterprises. Geographically, Phnom Penh is strategically located between Ho Chi Minh and Bangkok, and further development in the city is likely as the deregulation of markets and the free movement of people within the ASEAN region accelerates.
Hotel Nikko Phnom Penh will be the first hotel of Okura Nikko Hotels to open in Cambodia, and is part of an ambitious undertaking to expand the group’s global portfolio to 100 properties, primarily in Asia, by 2020.
About URATA Co., Ltd.
Founded in Urayasu City, Chiba, Japan, in 1974, Urata Corporation’s main areas of business are construction, real estate consulting, condominium development, and property renovation. In 2015, the company established URATA S.E (CAMBODIA) CO., LTD. to provide human resource development services and to drive the development of construction technology in Cambodia. In line with these objectives, Urata Corporation regularly dispatches Japanese engineers to Cambodia to help support the country’s continuing economic growth.
About Nikko Hotels International
Nikko Hotels International (NHI) is a luxury hotel brand providing facilities and services to meet a wide variety of guests’ needs in urban centers and popular resort destinations worldwide. The NHI brand emphasizes fine luxury, gracious hospitality and international culture. Service in the spirit of Japanese hospitality is a distinguishing feature of all NHI properties, both in Japan and overseas.
About Hotel Okura Co., Ltd. and Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co., Ltd.
Hotel Okura Co., Ltd., founded in 1958, opened its flagship Hotel Okura Tokyo in 1962. Hotel Okura has extensive expertise in the hospitality world, including asset ownership and hotel development, as well as hotel management, restaurant business and chain operations through its subsidiaries and other group companies. The brand unites member hotels under its “Best Accommodation, Cuisine and Service” philosophy to ensure that all guests enjoy Okura’s signature hospitality, which combines Japanese attention to detail and Western functionality.
Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Hotel Okura operates 70 properties (45 in Japan and 25 overseas) encompassing some 22,104 guest rooms (as of December 1, 2018) under three hotel groups: Okura Hotels & Resorts, Nikko Hotels International and Hotel JAL City.