Nagasaki Joe

Marriott has partnered with Sekisui House to open nine new “Fairfield by Marriott” hotels in Japan in 2023, with four of them in Kyushu. This will bring the number of Marriott hotels in Kyushu from one (Sheraton Grande Ocean Resort in Miyazaki) to seven including the new Ritz-Carlton Fukuoka (opening in June) and the Sheraton Kagoshima Hotel (opening in May). Marriott will add an eighth hotel in Kyushu with the opening of the Nagasaki Marriott Hotel in early 2024.
https://www.travelvoice.jp/english/r...he-next-spring

JapanFlyerT

Good to have more Marriott options west of Osaka, but not a fan of Fairfield (albeit I only have been to one). Priced higher than the equivalent Japanese brands, and hardly any elite benefits for Bonvoy members with status. The fact they don't include breakfast is a dealbreaker for me.

AlwaysAisle

Many non-Japanese hotels are opening locations outside of Tokyo/Osaka/Fukuoka/Nagoya area. Looks like Marriott is one of the most aggressive in terms of a number of new properties opening in Japan. I hope this will encourage Japanese lodging companies to have little more than basic business hotels outside of Tokyo/Osaka/Fukuoka/Nagoya area.

Over at Hilton, first ever Hilton Garden Inn in Japan opened in Kyoto last December (Hilton Garden Inn Kyoto Shijo Karasuma). I saw the press coverage of the opening and it looks better than any Hilton Garden Inn I have seen in the U.S. This Hilton Garden Inn is at the central location of Kyoto, cannot beat the location, and the rate is far more reasonable compared with ROKU Kyoto which is beyond my budget. I will welcome any lodging with a more reasonable price. From that perspective, I welcome Marriott opening those Fairfield Inn in Japan.

Nagasaki Joe

The Hilton Garden Inn Kyoto looks very nice and the price is great when you also consider the location. I've not stayed at a Fairfield Inn yet, but there will soon be a few of them nearby me in Kyushu, so I'd like to check them out. Are you able to apply for US credit cards? If you are, then you could apply for the Hilton Aspire Card and get an annual free-night certificate and $250 resort credit, which would make it much easier to stay at properties like ROKU Kyoto once in a while.

JapanFlyerT

I have been tempted by Hilton and Hyatt, but their footprints in Asia are fairly small, so I usually end up at IHG, Marriott and Choice.
That said, Hyatt Place and Centric are now on my list of possible uses of my annual Hyatt cat 1-4 award.

allset2travel

Welcome these upcoming new openings.

It was refreshing to find and stay in a Four Points by Sheraton in Hakodate last month. Small room, but nicely appointed. Recommend.

bmwe92fan

It's been my experience that outside of the US the "brands" can vary quite a bit -- for example the Marriott Courtyards outside of the US tend to be far superior to their US counterparts IME -- for example the courtyard in Ginza is FAR beyond any Courtyard in the US I've stayed in....

Bottom line is -- I'm hopeful that more Marriott branded properties pop up in Japan -- especially Western Japan where we have family!

dtremit

Is breakfast not included for everyone? I thought that was Fairfield brand standard globally.

(I did wonder why there were so many absolutely identical Fairfield properties in Marriott's Japan portfolio -- guess I now know why.)

JapanFlyerT

No, it is not included in the standard rate and not a benefit for Platinums and up. Moreover, some Fairfields do not offer any food service on site.

For example, Fairfield Kyotamba:Please note - Our hotel does not offer breakfast as a Marriott Bonvoy Loyalty Program benefit. We also do not accept cash payment.

Please note - There is no dining outlet in our hotel. Local restaurants are available nearby. The hotel parking lot is limited. Please ask staff for alternate parking if hotel lot is full.

Yet the website also has this:

Dining Fairfield by Marriott Kyoto Kyotamba

Enjoy Food and Drinks Offered at Fairfield by Marriott Kyoto Kyotamba

At This Hotel

マーケットプレイス (The Marketplace)

Japanese

The Marketplace offers a convenient selection of snacks and drinks. There are also restaurants around the hotel where you can enjoy local specialties. Please ask our staff for recommendations.

Nagasaki Joe

On the Marriott app, I find the following for the Marriott Kyoto Kyotamba: "Eco Bag Plan with Breakfast Box", so they do offer food, but it's at a slightly higher rate of about 500 yen more for the room.

jib71

I would like to see the international chains in Shikoku, where I've been spending some time recently - Outside of Shikoku's main cities, a lot of the hotels appear to be in a state of neglect. Some are frankly grotty, and many more have shut down recently. Newly built properties like the above would be welcome at some roadside service areas ("michi no eki"), but perhaps there aren't enough visitors to the region to justify the investment.

Nagasaki Joe

We were in Ureshino the other day staying at an onsen ryokan. After checking out, we headed to the Ureshino-Onsen Shinkansen Station (located between the Takeo-Onsen and Shin-Omura stations on the West Kyushu Shinkansen) to have a look around and were surprised to see the new Fairfield Inn by Marriott already built just a few feet in front of the station. It's not open yet but will open during the summer. With its location in an onsen town, I can't see myself staying here since it has no onsen of its own, but I can see myself staying here while making day trips to the local higaeri onsen to try out their baths. If the new Fairfield Inn in Kagoshima is any indication, a weekday stay here could cost around 15,000 yen/night or around 16,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.

Fairfield Inn in front of the Ureshino-Onsen Shinkansen Station

Q Shoe Guy

I am sure I saw the exact same building outside of Nikko. I guess we will see more all over the countryside being built by Sekisui ?

JapanFlyerT

I'd prefer if they were all those rates, though given they don't include breakfast I am not sure if it is such a great deal. During Covid they looked more competitive with J biz hotels at ¥10,000-¥12,000.
Now cash rates can go from ¥15,000-¥22,000, and points rates are basically the same range, from 15,000-22,000 points (Kyoto/Osaka are at the high end).

Nagasaki Joe

Yes, there are three Fairfields in Tochigi Prefecture with one in Nikko. Marriott and Sekisui appear to have an aggressive expansion plan. Fairfield seems to be popping up everywhere now.
Since they have a higher price point, I'm not sure who their target customer is, especially in an onsen town like Ureshino. That said, their base room is 269 sqf. compared to APA Hotel's base room of 183 sqf. which includes a cramped plastic unit bath. I stayed at an APA about three years ago and found the room rather claustrophobic and uncomfortable, perhaps good for business travelers but less so for leisure travelers. I'm not desperate to stay there, even with breakfast included. With a more woody and spacious interior, I'm guessing that Fairfield is targeting guests who want a more upscale and comfortable experience and are willing to pay a little more for it. However, in Ureshino (or many other onsen towns) you can get a decent onsen ryokan with two meals for two people for 24,000 yen, so I find their presence in Ureshino puzzling, but I'm sure they've thought this through and have a plan, I just don't know what it is.