TUI Opens First Hotel in Japan

TUI has announced the opening of its first hotel in Japan, named TUI Suneo Otaru. The hotel will provide 50 rooms and will be located just half an hour’s drive from the bustling city of Sapporo.


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The hotel will be situated on Hokkaido Island and will be part of TUI’s expansion in Asia. The opening is scheduled for 2029, making this location the easternmost in the TUI network.

TUI Suneo Otaru is located near the JR Minami Otaru station, making it conveniently accessible from Sapporo, where the journey takes just 35 minutes by train. Sapporo is famous for its mountainous landscapes in northern Hokkaido, known for its snowy conditions.

The city of Sapporo is known for its beer, skiing, and the annual Sapporo Snow Festival, where enormous ice sculptures are featured. Otaru, on the other hand, is a small port city popular for its canal tours and the Sankaku market.

Summer temperatures in Otaru can reach 26°C, while in winter they drop to -7°C. One of the authors, having visited Hokkaido, discovered snow parks, culinary festivals, and traditional Japanese baths.

“Tui Hotels & Resort’s entry into Japan underscores our long-term commitment to expanding holiday experiences in new destinations and engaging new customers, particularly across Asia,’ said TUI Group’s CEO Sebastian Ebel.

“With increasing demand for travel to Japan among our tour operator and cruise guests, expanding into the hotel sector represents a natural evolution of Tui’s presence in the region.”

TUI also reported that while this will be its first hotel in Japan, the company has plans for expansion with new locations in the country in the future.

Growth of Tourism in Japan

This announcement coincides with a period of growth in the number of tourists visiting Japan. In 2024, the country recorded a record 36.87 million international visitors, which is 47 percent more than in 2023. In the first half of 2025, Japan welcomed over 21.5 million visitors.

From the UK, travelers can fly directly to Japan on Japan Airlines, British Airways, and All Nippon Airways. TUI recently also announced an expansion of its hotels in Asia with new resorts in Malaysia and Cambodia, which are known for their affordable vacation packages for British tourists.


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TUI’s second hotel in Cambodia, TUI Blue Angkor Grace, opened in July 2025, following the launch of the first TUI Blue Sihanoukville resort. TUI Blue Angkor Grace features a spa and wellness center for children aged six months to 12 years, as well as 151 rooms with hydrotherapy-related amenities.

Another TUI hotel in Malaysia, TUI Blue Medini Johor, is set to open in August 2026 in the central business district of Medini, conveniently located for visitors to Legoland Malaysia.


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TUI is building its first hotel in Japan, with an opening scheduled for 2029. At this Time, the company is setting ambitious goals for tourism development in the region, considering the growing interest of travelers in Japan.