Sumitomo Realty and Development said Thursday that it will open part of a 1,717-room hotel complex directly connected to Tokyo's Haneda airport, the largest of its kind in Japan, on Dec. 21.
The complex, connected to the airport's international terminal or Terminal 3, will begin operations at its two hotels — Villa Fontaine Grand and the higher-end Villa Fontaine Premier — with reservations services starting from Friday, the developer said.
The facility, scheduled to fully open in January, will also comprise a large-scale conference hall, a shopping area, a bus terminal and an open-air bath with a view of Mt. Fuji.
The complex was initially scheduled to open in April 2020 but the plan was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The real estate developer said it decided to go ahead with the opening, with the government's recent policy shift to remove its cap on daily arrivals starting Tuesday, the company said.
The number of foreign visitors to Japan topped 100,000 for the fifth consecutive month in August following a relaxation of border controls. The level was still down more than 90% from the same month in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
But the figure is expected to rise ahead with the removal of the daily entry cap.