Entering Japan through Kyoto’s historic centre
Oaks Hotels, Resorts & Suites, one of the brands in the Minor Hotels portfolio, is simultaneously opening its first two properties in Japan: Oaks Vacation Club Kyoto Gojo and Oaks Vacation Club Kyoto Shijo. Both are located in central Kyoto, close to the city’s major historic sites, shopping streets and local dining scene.
With this double opening, Oaks establishes itself in a second Asian country. For Minor Hotels, the move strengthens the group’s presence in one of the region’s most sought-after destinations. It comes a few weeks after the appointment of Craig Wood to head Minor Vacations, whose roadmap referred to the arrival of two new properties in Kyoto.
Oaks Vacation Club Kyoto Shijo: 27 rooms with kitchenettes
Oaks Vacation Club Kyoto Shijo has 27 rooms ranging from 30 to 35 sq m, from the Deluxe Double Room to the Family Suite. All feature a kitchenette, and their layouts are designed to accommodate couples, families and groups.
The property is a ten-minute walk from Karasuma Station, one of the access points to the city’s transport network.
Oaks Vacation Club Kyoto Gojo: 20 rooms near Nishiki Market
Oaks Vacation Club Kyoto Gojo offers 20 rooms ranging from 20 to 42 sq m, from the Standard Double Room to a Japanese Suite. The property is an eight-minute walk from Shijo Station.
It is also one block from Nishiki Market, one of Kyoto’s best-known food destinations. This location reflects the brand’s approach: a base for guests that opens onto the neighbourhood and its surrounding dining options.
Dillip Rajakarier: a strong start for the Oaks brand
Dillip Rajakarier, Group Chief Executive Officer of Minor International, the parent company of Minor Hotels, said the destination fits the brand’s positioning. He explained that Kyoto draws travellers who want to explore at their own pace, and that the Oaks brand is designed precisely for this. According to him, spaces suited to families, couples and solo travellers, combined with central locations, give guests the freedom to wander through a traditional market, sample a local speciality or venture down an unfamiliar street. He added that entering Japan with two properties in Kyoto represents a strong start for the Oaks brand.
A brand of more than 60 properties undergoing a reshuffle
Oaks Hotels, Resorts & Suites claims more than 60 properties across Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan and the Middle East, with further destinations announced. The brand positions itself on flexible stays, in both city and resort settings, with formats aimed at leisure guests and business travellers alike.
This expansion in Asia comes as several long-standing Oaks assets are switching brands within the group. The former Oaks Shores Resort has become Avani Queenstown, the Avani brand’s first property in the New Zealand resort town, while the former Oaks Ibn Battuta Gate has been repositioned as NH Collection Dubai Ibn Battuta, in partnership with Seven Tides.
Our analysis – The “Vacation Club” name chosen for the two Kyoto properties links these openings to the group’s vacation ownership business, which was reorganised when Minor Hotels renamed Anantara Vacation Club as Minor Vacation Club, a programme now open to several brands in the portfolio, including Oaks. Japan is thus emerging as a test market for combining branded hospitality and vacation ownership within Minor Hotels.
Both properties can be booked at oakshotels.com.
At a glance by The Hospitality Tribune
Oaks Hotels, Resorts & Suites enters Japan with two Kyoto openings
Minor Hotels brand opens Oaks Vacation Club Kyoto Gojo and Oaks Vacation Club Kyoto Shijo
47 rooms in total in central Kyoto: 27 at Shijo (30-35 sqm), 20 at Gojo (20-42 sqm)
All Shijo rooms include a kitchenette; Gojo sits one block from Nishiki Market
Japan becomes Oaks’ second Asian market
Oaks now counts more than 60 properties across Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan and the Middle East
