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Pacifica Hotels signs franchise agreement with Marriott International to open Westin Hokkaido Furano Resort. TOKYO, Sept. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Pacifica Hotels G.K. and its subsidiary Furano Hospitality G.K. today announced the signing of a franchise agreement with Marriott International to open Westin Hokkaido Furano Resort. This will be the first Westin Resort property in Japan as well as the first Westin in Hokkaido. With 195 beautifully designed guest rooms and suites, multiple restaurants, indoor and outdoor baths, a spa and numerous other facilities for guests, "We expect Westin Furano to immediately become the leading hotel in Furano and to help expand the area's profile among inbound visitors," says Seth Sulkin, CEO of Pacifica Hotels G.K. and Furano Hospitality G.K. "Furano is a wonderful, year-round resort, popular in the summer for its huge lavender fields and in the winter for high-quality powder snow." Construction on the hotel started in August 2026 and opening is scheduled for summer 2029. The location is just a short walk from the Kitanomine Gondola Station and guests will enjoy wonderful views of the nearby mountain range. The food selection will include an Omakase counter restaurant as well as an all-day dining outlet, where guests can enjoy fresh cuisine made from Hokkaido's bountiful seafood, meat, dairy and vegetable products. The signing of this project marks Pacifica Hotels' entry to operation of upper upscale hotels and resort properties. "We are committed to building and operating great hotels where guests want to be," said Mr. Sulkin. "We see a huge opportunity to help Furano develop further as an international destination." About Pacifica Hotels G.K.: Japan's leading third-party operator of international branded hotels, Pacifica operates numerous brands under franchise agreements with Marriott International and IHG. Pacifica's track record includes operation of hotels under the brands: Moxy, Fairfield by Marriott, Courtyard by Marriott, City Express by Marriott, Garner by IHG and Holiday Inn & Suites. For further information, please contact: Mr. Akio Nakamura, Executive Director, Pacifica Hotels G.K. [email protected] Westin Hokkaido Furano Resort. A completed image of Westin Hokkaido Furano Resort scheduled to open summer 2029. Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. Africa Finance Today do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.

LG Electronics and Marriott International enhance traveler entertainment experience with new guest room technology platform. News Summary * Marriott International Inc. and LG Electronics have jointly developed a new cloud-based guest room entertainment and technology platform to support a modern, scalable guest room experience across Marriott's participating hotel portfolio. * The first step in an expanded strategic collaboration between the companies, this new initiative combines LG's hospitality technology and connected-device capabilities with Marriott's guest experience and enterprise technology infrastructure. * As Marriott focuses on its test and learn strategy, the new platform is rolling out initially in a pilot program in 40 hotels in the United States and Canada with the goal of a global rollout. Marriott International and LG Electronics announced a long-term strategic collaboration focused on enhancing the guest experience, beginning with a cloud platform for guest room entertainment and technology. Marriott plans to adopt the jointly developed platform across its participating hotel portfolio, bringing a modern approach to in-room entertainment, and laying the foundation for device management and connected guest experiences across Marriott properties. "Our collaboration with LG reflects Marriott's commitment to building technology that elevates the guest experience across our portfolio," said Drew Pinto, Marriott International Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue and Technology Officer. "By combining LG's connected-device capabilities with Marriott's hospitality expertise and enterprise platform, we are creating a more seamless, personalized guest room experience while helping hotel teams operate more efficiently. This work is an important step toward building a smarter technology ecosystem that evolves alongside the needs of our guests." State-of-the-Art Technology Meets Global Hospitality Expertise Given Marriott's long-standing relationship with LG, the company was selected to expand its work with the world's largest hotel company to support its hospitality tech ecosystem starting with an innovative guest room entertainment and technology platform for next-generation guest experiences. Marriott is shaping the platform around guest experience, property operations, and enterprise integration needs, while LG is co-developing the platform, device management, and technical support behind it. "A prime goal is to make the TV part of a connected guest room experience rather than a standalone device," said John Won, LG Electronics Senior Vice President and head of LG's U.S. commercial display solutions B2B business. "This new guest room technology platform helps turn the displays into a more unified experience for travelers, providing entertainment, hotel content, and room functions with a seamless, easy-to-use system." The technology enables seamless authentication and management of LG smart hotel TVs and set-top boxes across participating Marriott properties, while reducing reliance on traditional on-premises video distribution infrastructure. LG's connected device capabilities are integrated with Marriott's infrastructure to enable future smart-room experience. Beyond enhancing the guest room experience, the platform provides Marriott with a centralized enterprise management environment for its in-room technology. Marriott associate teams will now have the ability to monitor device health, performance, and status across individual guest room televisions, entire hotel properties, specific brands or groups of hotels, and even its broader property portfolio. This centralized approach enables faster issue identification, more efficient content and application updates, and improved operational visibility across Marriott's global hospitality network. A key feature of the technology is its in-room entertainment system, which supports linear TV, streaming, and FAST channels including over 40 OTT applications and 250 channels. The television experience will also offer personalized advertising through LG Channels and client-side ad insertion capabilities. Strategic Vision The guest room technology will launch with an initial pilot across Marriott brands in 40 locations in the United States and Canada before potentially expanding more broadly in Marriott's global portfolio, at participating hotels. As the collaboration evolves, Marriott and LG intend to explore opportunities to extend connected digital experiences and centralized management capabilities into public and shared spaces throughout hotel properties, creating a more unified technology ecosystem across the hospitality environment...- Continue reading (Members Only) - Unlock Advantages with a LHN Membership - Read more here Small tip to landing good senior-level hotel management positions in 2026 & 2027. Many of its members have remained with Leading Hoteliers since the inception of its job lead service nine years ago. They continue to renew their memberships, staying on board even after securing new positions, and for good reason. Daily, its editors dispatch bulletins detailing new job vacancies, projects, and industry shifts, including hotel launches, expansions, strategies, and market trends. Leading Hoteliers recognize that numerous long-standing, senior-level members utilize these bulletins as conversation starters, reaching out to hotel chains and potential employers, sometimes with unsolicited applications and messages. LHN endorses such proactive engagement. It's an excellent, informal method to gain early interest from prominent hotel groups and upcoming projects, indicating your interest and broadening your opportunities for intriguing interviews or discussions about potential roles, particularly at the upper echelons of management. Its editors also keep these proactive efforts in mind, shaping many bulletins to cover "new openings, new projects, and new market developments." While membership spots for 2026 are limited, it's not too late to renew.- Read more here LEADING HOTELIERS NETWORK / JOBLEAD-SERVICE

Marriott International and LG Electronics have developed a cloud-based guest room entertainment platform to modernise in-room experiences across Marriott's participating hotels. The collaboration combines LG's hospitality technology with Marriott's enterprise infrastructure, enabling seamless device management and connected guest experiences. The platform launches initially as a pilot programme in 40 hotels across the United States and Canada, with plans for potential global expansion. It features linear TV, streaming services, over 40 OTT applications, and 250 channels. The system transforms televisions from standalone devices into integrated room management tools. The technology provides Marriott with centralised monitoring of device health and performance across properties. Hotel teams can track individual televisions, entire properties, or portfolios, enabling faster issue resolution and more efficient updates. Future plans include extending the platform into public and shared hotel spaces.