Originally Posted by
Nagasaki Joe
I suspect that “one-and-done” customers (一見の客) looking to see and be seen while earning bragging rights but never to return (and there is no shortage of this customer type in Tokyo) will likely form a good chunk of the hotel’s initial customer base during its early buzz and hype phase. Culturally, an exclusive Japanese ryokan may be able to avoid this customer, but I don’t see how a Western hotel can. As for using the corporate Bvlgari connection,
I don’t see how LVMH Group employees and shareholders (as mentioned by
Q Shoe Guy), a very small demographic segment, can have much impact as customers on total occupancy, but with only 98 rooms, I could be wrong. But I’m sure one customer type they’d like to avoid, is the one like me who games the system for a free stay, day after day.
A nice colorful name for a demographic that is probably comprised of “one-and-done” customers, but I doubt that many of them are チンピラ unless you know otherwise.
I was referring to customers of LVMH businesses around the world, not employees and shareholders.
The price of the room plus revenue from hotel restaurants, hotel restaurants is at the top of things to do on special occasions for local Japanese, I will not be surprised if Bvlgari Tokyo will break even with 50-60% occupancy rate, which could be below that. Pre-COVID 2018 hotels in Tokyo averaged 81.9% occupancy rate, this is the average for the entire Tokyo prefecture, so I assume a higher occupancy rate within Tokyo's 23 wards. With the name of Bvlgari and the location of Tokyo, it is possible that Bvlgari Tokyo will do fine with US$2,400/night.
There is a story about high-end ryotei (restaurants) in Tokyo and Michelin Guide. This has been reported in the media in Japan and sounds like the information came from Michelin in Europe. Employees involved in Michelin Tokyo Guide talked about their experience. When Michelin published its first Tokyo Guide in 2007, it used the connection of corporate Michelin in France to gain access to high-end ryotei in Tokyo. After the initial visit, they revealed to ryotei that there were from Michelin and they would like to work toward listing their restaurants in the new Tokyo Guide. Most ryotei told Michelin that they were not interested in listing on the Michelin Guide, and told Michelin not to publish their name, location, contact information, and anything associated with their restaurant. Them most ryotei told Michelin that Michelin is no longer welcome at their place.