Subsidiary of Tokyo-listed Seibu Holdings, Seibu Prince Hotels & Resorts made its maiden trip into Southeast Asia on September 3 with the opening of Park Regis by Prince Singapore. Originally Park Regis Singapore, this 203-room hotel is situated in the energetic Clarke Quay district beside Merchant Road. Before its opening, the hotel underwent major renovations with an eye towards modernising guest rooms and implementing environmentally friendly policies.
The guest room renovations include 50-inch smart TVs with casting capabilities and complementary high-speed Wi-Fi, therefore enabling visitors to easily stream their preferred material. The hotel has also switched most single-use plastics, including water bottles, for sustainable substitutes like in-room water filters in an effort to lessen its environmental impact.
Alex Barnett, director of worldwide brand and communications at Seibu Prince Hotels Worldwide, claims that the significant renovation and rebranding have somewhat raised hotel rates. Before the remodelling in 2019, the base room rates were roughly $200 per night; today they begin at roughly $230 per night. The hotel stays competitive despite the price rise since it provides a selection of room types meant for business and leisure guests. Serving mid-to high-tier customers, the four room types span 215 square feet to 463 square feet.
Comprising more than 50 hotels, 25 hot spring resorts, and 28 golf courses, Seibu Prince Hotels & Resorts is among the biggest hospitality companies in Japan. Having more than 80 years of expertise in the Japanese hospitality sector, the company is positioned to enter global markets, especially in the luxury class where demand for Japanese-style hospitality is rising.
President and CEO of Seibu Prince Hotels Worldwide, Yoshiki Kaneda, thinks that one major difference the company can provide in foreign markets is Japanese-style hospitality, sometimes referred to as “omotenashi.” Omotenashi stresses on guest service enthusiasm, selflessness, and sincerity; these principles have been deftly incorporated into Park Regis operations by Prince Singapore. The hotel has instituted digital room keys, for instance, which let customers check in via the mobile app and head straight to their rooms, therefore removing the need for front desk queueing. For the Seibu Prince Hotels collection, this is first and fits the brand’s emphasis on improving the guest experience by means of convenience and personalisation.
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Apart from digital room keys, customers can make use of an AI-powered chatbot accessible via the app of the hotel group. Further simplifying the client experience, this chatbot can manage several guest service queries, provide flight details updates, and suggest neighbouring attractions.
Seibu Prince Hotels & Resorts has also deliberately tried to bring its Japanese hospitality knowledge to its overseas locations. For example, the business has started sending Japanese personnel to teach native staff members at its abroad sites. One prominent example is The Prince Kitano New York, where a team of professional chefs comprises 12% of the personnel, all Japanese. The company’s foreign development plan has revolved mostly on this dedication to upholding strong service standards, independent of location.
Park Regis’s rebranding by Prince Singapore fits with Seibu Prince Hotels & Resorts’ larger plan to develop their native Prince brand outside of Japan. Under the same Seibu Prince Hotels & Resorts unified brand, the company merged its worldwide subsidiaries, Seibu Prince Hotels Worldwide, StayWell Holdings, and Prince Resorts Hawaii earlier this year. In 2017, Seibu Holdings paid Australian hotel operator StayWell Holdings A$50 million, so acquiring the Park Regis and Leisure Inn brands. StayWell ran thirty hotels spread over seven countries at the time of the purchase. The first of these hotels to be rebranded under Prince is Park Regis by Prince Singapore.
With an eye towards important capital cities such Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Jakarta, Kaneda has described ambitious plans for the group’s global growth ahead. With Park Regis opened by Prince Menteng in Indonesia in early 2025 and The Prince Akatoki Riverside Bangkok in Thailand by the end of that year, the brand is actually expected to launch in two other Southeast Asian nations by 2025.
Seibu Prince Hotels & Resorts is also advancing outside of Asia. Following a refresher of its 150 rooms, the group reopened The Kitano Hotel New York as The Prince Kitano New York in February. Comprising Park Avenue, the hotel is near famous sites including the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and Grand Central Terminal. Owned and run by Seibu Holdings, the facility has evolved into a flagship for the worldwide brand presence in the United States.
Targeting notable expansion, Seibu Prince properties & Resorts wants to quadruple its worldwide portfolio from 80 properties to 250 by 2035. In keeping with its Japanese roots, Kaneda’s ambition is for 100 hotels in Japan and 150 abroad, therefore positioning the business as a worldwide leader in hospitality.
