Seibu Prince Hotels & Resorts is accelerating its international expansion plans with a target of reaching 250 hotels worldwide by 2035, positioning management contracts, brand integration, and strategic acquisitions as key drivers of future growth.
The hospitality group currently operates 96 properties comprising more than 26,000 rooms. Of these, 34 hotels are located outside Japan across 12 countries. The company plans to expand primarily through management agreements, enabling it to scale internationally while working alongside local owners and developers in key markets.
The growth strategy comes as Seibu Prince Hotels & Resorts continues to strengthen its global presence following the consolidation of its hospitality businesses under a single brand structure. In April 2024, the company merged three hotel entities—Prince Hotels & Resorts, StayWell Holdings, and Prince Resorts Hawaii—into one global brand, Seibu Prince Hotels & Resorts.
According to Yoshiki Kaneda, President of Seibu Prince Hotels Worldwide, the integration supports both domestic and international strategies while reinforcing the group’s long-term expansion ambitions.
The unified brand structure is intended to create a clearer proposition for hotel owners, investors, and partners seeking opportunities in the hospitality sector. By bringing multiple businesses together under a single global identity, the company aims to streamline market positioning while strengthening its ability to pursue international development opportunities.
Seibu Prince’s overseas growth trajectory gained momentum in July 2017 with the acquisition of Australia-based StayWell Hospitality Group. The transaction provided the company with a platform for expansion across Australia, India, Asia, and the Middle East, helping establish a broader international footprint beyond its home market in Japan.
The company’s current development pipeline includes four projects representing more than 700 rooms. Among these are one hotel project in Indonesia and two projects in Thailand, underscoring the company’s focus on high-growth destinations across the Asia-Pacific region.
Supporting the expansion strategy is a diversified brand portfolio designed to address different market segments and development requirements. The collection ranges from luxury and upper-upscale offerings to midscale and technology-focused accommodation concepts.
At the luxury end of the portfolio, The Prince Akatoki delivers Japanese hospitality experiences combined with cultural authenticity in an international setting, while The Prince serves as the group’s flagship luxury brand. The company also operates Grand Prince Hotel, which focuses on conferences, large-scale events, and social functions.
Prince Hotel remains the group’s core hospitality brand, while Prince Smart Inn represents its technology-enabled accommodation concept launched in 2017, emphasizing operational efficiency and convenience. Other brands within the portfolio include Park Regis by Prince, Park Regis, Park Proxi, and Leisure Inn, each targeting specific customer and development needs.
This multi-brand structure enables Seibu Prince Hotels & Resorts to match individual brands with particular locations, ownership models, and market requirements. For developers and investors, the diversified portfolio offers flexibility when evaluating hospitality projects across different destinations and segments.
The company further expanded its international platform in September 2025 through the acquisition of Seattle-based Ace Group International for approximately US$90 million. Ace Hotel continues to operate as an independent subsidiary while maintaining its established brand identity and creative direction.
The acquisition added eight properties to Seibu Prince’s global portfolio, including hotels located in Kyoto, the United States, Canada, Greece, and Australia. Known for its connections to art, music, and local culture, Ace Hotel has built a reputation for creating community-oriented spaces shaped by local artists, craftspeople, and cultural influences.
For Seibu Prince Hotels & Resorts, the transaction broadens its presence in the lifestyle hospitality segment while diversifying its international offerings. The addition of Ace Hotel also expands the company’s geographic reach across multiple markets and strengthens its position in the evolving lifestyle hotel category.
Beyond traditional hotel operations, the group benefits from its position within the broader Seibu Group, a travel and leisure conglomerate with extensive assets spanning transportation, recreation, and real estate.
The company owns and operates 30 golf courses, several ski-in, ski-out resorts, urban rail services, leisure facilities, and a portfolio of retail and office properties. This vertical integration enables Seibu Prince Hotels & Resorts to create hospitality offerings that combine accommodation with transport, events, and leisure experiences.
The group has also developed expertise in meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE), as well as weddings and social events. These capabilities provide additional opportunities for destination development and revenue generation across its hotel network.
Supporting customer engagement across its expanding portfolio is Seibu Prince Global Rewards, the company’s unified loyalty programme. Introduced following the group’s rebranding initiative, the programme combines domestic and international loyalty schemes into a single platform.
Members can earn and redeem points across hotels, restaurants, retail outlets, golf courses, ski resorts, and selected Seibu Group facilities in Japan. The programme operates independently of third-party loyalty partnerships and provides access to a broad ecosystem of travel and leisure experiences.
According to the Seibu Group Annual Report 2025, Seibu Prince Global Rewards has 2.31 million members. The programme features four membership tiers—Diamond, Platinum, Gold, and Blue—with status progression based on annual spending levels.
Central to the company’s global growth strategy is Omotenashi, the Japanese philosophy of hospitality that emphasizes anticipation, sincerity, and attention to detail. Seibu Prince Hotels & Resorts is incorporating this service philosophy across its international operations as it expands into new markets.
Examples of Omotenashi within the company’s hotels include personalized welcome gestures for returning guests, proactive assistance during changing weather conditions, special occasion recognitions, and personalized departure experiences. These service elements form part of the group’s hospitality culture and are being carried into its international expansion efforts.
As Seibu Prince Hotels & Resorts pursues its target of 250 hotels by 2035, management contracts, strategic acquisitions, portfolio diversification, and brand integration are expected to remain central components of its growth strategy. The company’s focus on working with local owners and developers, combined with its expanding international platform, reflects a long-term approach to scaling its presence across global hospitality markets.
