The Mori Trust Group has reached an agreement with Marriott International (headquartered in Maryland, USA) to rebrand and reopen the Gotenyama Garden Hotel Laforet Tokyo in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward as the internationally-acclaimed Tokyo Marriott Hotel in December 2013.
Taking advantage of the Shinagawa area's strategic location as a key domestic and international transportation hub, the Mori Trust Group aims to create an international business and tourism hub by attracting Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International's flagship brand with the largest number of locations worldwide. By allowing Laforet Club (Hotel Laforet Tokyo Association) members to continue using the hotel, the Mori Trust Group will leverage the customer networks of both the Laforet Club and the Marriott Group to develop a new hotel business.
The rebranding project focused on seven key elements, including tailoring, aesthetics, reminiscence, and natural beauty, to ensure the hotel embodies the history and elegance of the Gotenyama location in Shinagawa. Nearly the entire building was renovated to reflect this. Based on the design concept of "sophisticated tailor-made," the hotel will feature a 20-meter-high atrium bathed in natural light, a chapel nestled in Gotenyama Garden, and a grand banquet hall evoking the atmosphere of a palace. The approximately 250 guest rooms will average over 38 square meters, and an executive floor and guest lounge will also be opened, providing the highest level of hospitality.
Marriott International is the largest hotel group in the United States, with approximately 3,700 properties in 74 countries and regions worldwide. Currently, the Marriott brand operates 18 brands through management and franchise, including JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton, and Bvlgari. Offering both business and leisure experiences, the Marriott Hotels & Resorts brand operates more than 500 properties in 60 countries worldwide, primarily in North America and the Asia-Pacific region. This will be the brand's fourth domestic expansion, following Nagoya, Okinawa, and Osaka (scheduled to open in 2014).
