Despite the ongoing hotel war in Tokyo with many international hotels debuting, the chief of the Preferred Hotel Group in Chicago is optimistic about its expansion here.
"Competition is healthy for the industry," John Ueberroth said in a recent interview in Tokyo with The Japan Times. He was attending the International Hotel Forum July 10-13 to sell his group's appeal to the Japanese hotel and tourism industries.
Representing over 300 independent luxury hotels and resorts in over 50 countries, Preferred Hotel has a few four-star hotels in Tokyo -- including the Royal Park Hotel, Palace Hotel, Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo and Yokohama Royal Park Hotel -- under the Summit Hotels & Resorts name, one of the group's original categories. Ueberroth also foresees a chance of expanding the group's member hotels in areas other than Tokyo and implementing a network of ryokan inns.