Seibu Group's Prince Hotels and Resorts, one of the nation's largest hotel leisure businesses, is planning to file a lawsuit against the owner of the Tabata Prince Hotel, which opened last month in Tokyo, for infringement of the trademark law.
Seibu Group owns trademark rights for "Prince Hotel" and issued a warning on its website on April 13 stating: "Please be warned that the recently opened hotel named Tabata Prince Hotel in Tokyo's Kita Ward is neither capitally related nor affiliated to the Seibu Group's hotels."
The Tabata Prince Hotel (Prince Tabata Hotel in English) opened on April 1, and has rooms priced between ¥5,500 and ¥15,000 with a modest and casual atmosphere that contrasts strongly with the Seibu Group's luxurious high-end Prince Hotels. After the hotel began operations, Seibu Group received a number of inquiries and complaints from customers.