Japanese company taps Go Hotels to lure tourists

GOKONGWEI-LED property developer Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC) has teamed up with Japanese real estate group Xymax for the cross-selling of the latter’s newly owned hospitality chain Karaksa Hotels through the online platform of Go Hotels.

RLC said the alliance would address the lack of hotel rooms in Japan amid the growing number of Filipino tourists.

The partnership allows Xymax to offer its newly opened Karaksa hotels in Japan to the Philippine market through the website of the Gokongwei’s budget hotel brand.

In turn, this will allow RLC to diversify its earnings stream from the hospitality segment without additional cost.

“Karaksa Hotels, a new economy Japanese hotel brand owned and developed by Xymax Corporation, is similar to the Go Hotels brand of the Philippines with added innovations in room amenities and facilities to adapt to Japanese standards,” RLC said.

According to RLC, guest rooms of Karaksa Hotels all come with high-quality beds, hot and cold shower, bath and bedroom amenities, free Wi-Fi as well as buffet breakfast for all guests.

Some Karaksa hotels also have “leisure floors” for dining, hanging out and relaxing.

Massage chairs and trendy vending machines are some of the amenities found there.

The first two Karaksa hotels opened in the top tourist destinations of the Kansai region, Osaka Shinsaibashi and Kyoto.

More Karaksa hotels are also scheduled to open in Tokyo and Hokkaido.

Xymax plans to open 1,500 hotel rooms in the next three years.

Go Hotel’s online booking is similar to the system used by RLC’s affiliate airline Cebu Pacific, which is also part of the Gokongwei group. Rates can be adjusted and are typically cheaper the earlier a client books.

The Go Hotel website generates 60,000 online visits per month, said Liz Gregorio, general manager for Robinsons Hotels and Resorts.