JAL Hotels Company Limited (President: Shosuke Machida) has announced the formation of a business tie-up with Asahi Royal Hotel (Chairman: Akiyoshi Takeuchi, Kochi), which is managed by Asahi Kanko Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of Asahi Foods Co., Ltd, a leading company in Shikoku. Board members from both companies officiated at a contract-signing ceremony on Feb 28, 2002. The agreement takes effect on April 15, 2002.

Asahi Royal Hotel, this year celebrates the fifth anniversary of its opening on July 7, 1997, located in the center of Kochi city, 5 minute walk from Harimaya Bridge. The Sky restaurant and bar on the top floor of the 22-storey, 99-meter-tall building enjoys a 360-degree panoramic views of Kochi Castle to the west and, the city of Kochi to the north, as well as the Kagami River, and the entrance of Urato Bay from the ocean, to the south. Especially the panorama at night is spectacular.

The 188-room hotel offers 110 single rooms (19?u), 42 twin rooms (26?u), 20 comfort single rooms (19?u), 6 double rooms (26?u), 4 triple rooms (40?u), 5 deluxe twin rooms (36?u) and1 suite room(100?u), which are decorated in restful colors with elegant furnishings. Amenities include the large “Golden Pacific” banqueting room (1,000 seats), plus 4 wedding ceremony halls, namely the Lobby chapel (1F), Garden chapel (5F), Sky chapel (22F), and Shrine (6F). A number of other banqueting rooms of variety sizes are also available for wedding receptions.

The NHI chain is aiming to expand its hotel network in all the major cities in Japan. The alliance with Asahi Royal Hotel provides it with an important strategic base in Shikoku. For Asahi Royal Hotel, NHIs worldwide sales network will increase the number of guests and strengthen its sales, in addition to the hotel`s well-appointed facilities and high-quality service.

JAL Hotels Company Limited has a capital of 4,272 billion yen, and its 2000 sales amounted to 129 billion yen. The company operates two hotel chains; “Nikko Hotels International” and “Hotel JAL City”, with a total of 49 hotels (30 in Japan and 19 Overseas) and 15,191 rooms. Since April 2000, JAL Hotels has entered into a strategic alliance with Le Meridien and the network covers a total of 169 hotels in 63 countries worldwide.

JAL Hotels intends to open a number of new hotels in the near future. They include Hotel Nikko Bayside Osaka (641 rooms) on April 27, 2002, Hotel Nikko Kumamoto (191 rooms) on May 31, 2002, Hotel JAL City Miyazaki (210 room) in November, and JR Tower Hotel Nikko Sapporo (350 rooms) and Hotel Nikko Niigata (202 rooms) in Spring 2003.

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