By Daniel de Bomford, Bernard Thompson and Paul Mannion
The perfect Japanese holiday varies from person to person. For some, it’s nights out in the world’s largest metropolis, finding hidden gems in the neon-lit alleyways and enjoying delicious food in the early hours of the morning. It might be the sights, smells and atmosphere of culture, taking part in a tea ceremony as incense burns, or the anticipatory silence as rikishi salt the sumo arena in preparation for an intense bout. For others still, it might be relaxing in nature, taking in the pristine vistas and crystal-clear oceans. Central to one’s travels is accommodation, and the right hotel can make or break a trip. Solare Hotel and Resorts is the perfect companion for travelers seeking an authentic Japanese experience that aligns with their own tastes and preferences.
Solare Hotels and Resorts is one of Japan’s leading hotel management companies, managing dozens of sites under 19 brands, as of April 30, 2025. President Tadashi Inoue states that transitioning to an asset-light model has enhanced the company’s management capabilities by allowing it to accumulate a significant amount of experience. He sees this experience, along with its brands, as its key strengths. By operating multiple brands, all properties can benefit from the operational efficiency that comes with being part of a chain. “The ability to offer a variety of brand options while pursuing operational efficiency as a chain and thereby meeting the diverse needs of property owners is an important weapon for an operator,” he explains. Owning multiple brands gives the company the ability to offer a variety of experiences in the same area. “We believe that we can give our customers a choice of hotels that meet their needs at any given time, and that will enable them to use our company even more frequently in the future than they do now,” Inoue says.
Servicing both travelers and investors
The president emphasizes this scale as an essential differentiator in the crowded hospitality market. “I believe that having a certain scale is very important in terms of credibility,” he says and adds, “The number of offices is important in terms of increasing experience in operations and further improving operational capabilities.” It achieved its remarkable growth through bold investment moves during the pandemic, when property owners sought someone to entrust their properties to. The industry was sluggish, and the company added 20 new properties to its portfolio. Now, the company aims to sustain this upward trajectory and expand to 100 properties.
The company aims to be a comprehensive hospitality partner, extending beyond hotel operations and seeking to appeal to investors. Inoue explains that Solare Hotels and Resorts launched Stay Design Advisors a firm specializing in asset management and consulting service for hotels. Generally, when entering a market and considering where to invest, investors consult with an asset manager. “Since we can handle everything from property search to management, we hope to become a provider of comprehensive hotel-related services,” he says.
Authenticity through variety
Beyond bold investments, Solare Hotels and Resorts is committed to delivering exceptional, authentic experiences to its guests, utilizing a diverse range of properties that cater to various tastes. “By offering a variety of choices, we want to provide our guests a pleasant and enjoyable stay that suits their individual needs and purposes at all times,” he says. By operating multiple properties in a single area, the company can provide a stay to suit any customer, whether it be a single business traveler or a foreign tourist craving authenticity.
The company partners with local partners, such as restaurants, to help guide customers to their ideal, authentic experience. Inoue points out that it is too late to ask customers once they have already arrived in the country; therefore, the company takes a proactive approach. “To elicit such information from our customers, we need to build closer relationships with them, so we are considering utilizing communication applications such as WhatsApp,” he says. It is continuing to develop new, convenient ways to contact customers outside of email or an Online Travel Agency (OTA). The company’s partnership strategy with OTAs is to partner with internationally recognized, major providers, like Booking.com. However, the company also seeks out OTAs from its guests’ home countries.
Planning the perfect trip can be challenging, but Solare Hotels and Resorts’ customer-centric service, combined with its diverse range of properties, offers flexibility that few other management companies can match. The market is competitive, but the company strives to offer a diverse range of options for customers seeking personalized experiences and property owners with varying needs. Inoue says the company seeks to provide every guest with a pleasant and enjoyable experience tailored to their purpose of stay through its diverse range of brands, “That is where our value lies, and we believe it is the reason we are in business.”
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AloJapan.com