RLC partners with Japanese hotel operator

MANILA, Philippines – Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC), the property developer of the Gokongwei Group, has partnered with Japanese hotel operator Xymax Corp.

The move is strategic as both companies recognize the growing number of Filipino tourists traveling to Japan and the lack of budget friendly hotel rooms to meet the growing demand from Filipino travellers.

Under the partnership, Xymax would be able to sell its Karaksa Hotels in Japan to the Philippine market through the website of RLC’s Go Hotels.

Karaksa Hotels is a new economy Japanese hotel brand owned and developed by Xymax Corp.

It is similar to RLC’s no-frills Go Hotels brand with added innovations in room amenities and facilities to adapt to Japanese standards.

For instance, guest rooms of Karaksa Hotels come with high quality beds, hot and cold shower, bath amenities, free wifi and buffet breakfast for all guests.

It also comes with slippers and pajamas, which is part of the Japanese culture.

In some branches, the Karaksa Hotels have a leisure floor dedicated as social spaces to dine, hang out, relax and enjoy.

There are also massage chairs and trendy vending machines as part of the amenities found in the leisure floor.

Xymax plans to open 1,500 hotel rooms in the next three years after opening its first two Karaksa Hotels in top tourist destinations of the Kansai region, Osaka Shinsaibashi and Kyoto.

More Karaksa Hotels are scheduled to open in Tokyo and Hokkaido.

For Go Hotels, meanwhile, RLC is targeting to have 3,331 rooms by 2018.

RLC plans to open Go Hotels Davao this year; Summit Maxilom, Summit Tacloban and Go Hotels Iligan in 2017, while Summit Naga, Summit Amisa, Go Hotels Naga and Go Hotels Tuguegarao will be opened by 2018.

For malls, it is eyeing to open roughly 55 malls by 2020 as it continues to strengthen its retail business.