ON ALPINE TERRAIN AND CHERRY BLOSSOMS YTL HOTELS Goes To Japan
SINGAPORE, March 10, 2010 – Continuing its mission to expand its collection of high profile, luxury properties, YTL Hotels announced today its acquisition of several operating assets plus 462-hectares in Niseko Village including the lease of an additional 155-hectare ski mountain in Hokkaido, Japan.
A prime winter and summer destination resort, the purchase includes the 506-room Hilton Niseko Village, the 200-room Green Leaf Hotel, two 18-hole championship golf courses – one of which was designed by Arnold Palmer, a 23-court tennis complex, the Niseko Village Ski Resort and ski school, and an equestrian center. Set at the foot of Mt. Niseko Annupur, the resort is the perfect base for skiers and snowboarders to access the mountain’s powdery slopes, regarded as some of the finest alpine terrain in the world.
In all seasons, rigorous activity is often followed in the evening by a soak in one of the resort’s several natural onsen hot springs and a traditional Japanese massage. According to James W. McBride, President of YTL Hotels and Properties, the company’s master plan for the resort is to create a sophisticated village atmosphere teemed with private houses, ski in ski out estates, onsen spas and a retail and restaurant center inspired by chic destinations like Vail in Colorado, Whistler in British Columbia, and St Moritz – the sister city of Niseko. ‘Along with the development of the MUSE Hotel De Luxe in the French resort town of Saint-Tropez, both these resorts will be highly complementary assets to YTL’s growing, international portfolio’ says McBride.
To enhance the extraordinary summer season in Niseko, the company is already formulating plans for it to have an appeal beyond just the powder and greens crowd. ‘We want to launch an International Food Festival that will attract chefs and gourmands from around the world, with the Pacific Ocean only 30 minutes away, offering some of the world’s best seafood and given Hokkaido’s reputation for being the bread basket of Japan’ says Sarah Cairns, YTL’s Executive Vice President for Marketing and Communications.
‘We are excited and very enthusiastic with our expansion plans. As a company with a very strong financial position, YTL Hotels took advantage of the economic downturn investing in the company’s future growth’ says McBride. ‘The locations of these new hotels and resorts were thoughtfully chosen, so we could integrate the local environment and culture seamlessly into our existing collection of properties, bringing out the best of each destination.’
In addition to the Hilton Niseko and the MUSE Hotel De Luxe in Saint-Tropez, YTL has expanded significantly in the last year – truly bringing to life its vision of creating treasured places and treasured moments with the addition of the Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai, China; The Chedi in Phuket, Thailand; and both Pulau Gaya and Pulau Tiga in Borneo. The former is a deluxe rainforest family resort near Mount Kinabalu, while Pulau Tiga is about 48 miles down south. Opening in 2011, both are great destinations for adventure, nature and water enthusiasts.
About YTL Hotels
YTL Hotels is the hospitality arm of YTL Corporation Berhad. The Company owns and manages a prestigious award winning collection of individually unique resorts, hotels and spas including the world’s no. 1 resort, Pangkor Laut. With their global expansion in 2010 in Saint-Tropez, Shanghai and Borneo, YTL brings a natural essence of culture, character and tradition to each destination embracing different luxurious experiences.