2003: Joined the company as a new graduate (general employee) and assigned to the dining area
3rd year: Became dining manager
4th year: Assigned to the Casting Department at the Head Office
6th year: Became Bridal Manager
8th year: General Manager
10th year: Appointed new store development project manager
14th year: Launch of the Marketing Office at Head Office
20th year THE AOYAMA GRAND HOTEL Appointed General Manager
In addition to his duties as a store manager, he also oversees the management of the Plan-Do-See hotel division and plays a senior management role.
How did you meet Plan-Do-See and what made you decide to join?
I've been surfing since I was a student, and I dreamed of one day opening my own restaurant by the sea.
That's why, rather than "job hunting," I wanted to find a place where I really wanted to work, so my senior colleague took me around to many restaurants in Tokyo.
It was during this time that I came across THE HANEZAWA GARDEN, run by Plan Do See (hereafter PDS) in Hiroo. It was a 10,000-square-meter restaurant renovated from the home of the former president of the Manchuria Railway.
I was blown away by the overwhelming space and deeply moved.
Of all the restaurants, PDS was the only one that made me feel strongly that I wanted to work there.
What kind of work are you doing now?
As the General Manager of THE AOYAMA GRAND HOTEL, I am responsible for the entire hotel in Aoyama, Tokyo.
Most of the guests staying at the hotel are inbound tourists from overseas, with an average stay of about five days.
We strive to provide warm hospitality to guests visiting Tokyo from all over the world, as if they were in our own home.
I am also involved in overseeing the entire hotel division of PDS, working in collaboration with each hotel to envision and realize a better future.
What are the moments in your work that you feel are rewarding?
All of our staff think together about what kind of service we would like to have, and when our customers are pleased with it, I feel a sense of accomplishment.
For example, the suite rooms at the Aoyama Grand Hotel come with free hire car transfers to Haneda and Narita airports, and since the hotel does not have a pool, guests can use the pool at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium for free.Furthermore, the hotel offers all soft drinks to guests free of charge from 8am to 11am every day, and allows them to use electric bikes freely, among other efforts to make their stay even more enjoyable.
Additionally, to ensure guests can receive support from the hotel while on the go, we have implemented WhatsApp, allowing guests to contact the concierge 24 hours a day, no matter where they are.
Accommodation prices in Tokyo have been rising since the COVID-19 outbreak, but rather than simply raising prices, we place importance on "always returning added value to our customers that exceeds the increase in prices."
Please take a look at THE AOYAMA GRAND HOTEL 's Google reviews. We have received many kind comments in a variety of languages from guests all over the world.
Please tell us about the atmosphere and appeal you feel after actually working here.
I feel that PDS is a company that truly makes decisions based on whether or not we would be happy if we were the customers, from restaurant menus to hotel design concepts.
"In the short term, option A is more profitable, but option B will make customers happier. So in the medium to long term, we should choose option B." Not only I, but many of my colleagues at PDS, make decisions like this naturally every day.
I believe that these accumulated experiences are what make PDS's services unique and the source of their appeal.
Please tell us about your future vision.
The most important thing for me when running a hotel is "comfort."
"Delicious food" alone is not enough, and "good service" alone is not enough. I believe that a hotel can only be truly comfortable when all the elements that make up the hotel -- design, background music, air conditioning, lighting, food, and staff -- are in harmony.
In the future, I would like to continue creating hotels that make guests from all over the world feel like they are in the most comfortable place in the world.
