Reflecting an increasingly important market segment, Harbour Plaza Metropolis is constantly thinking of new ways to make its Japanese guests feel of home.
Visitors of all nationalities receive a warm welcome at these stylish serviced suites, where the resident mix resembles a United Nations, including many from Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
But Japanese make up 30 per cent of Harbour Plaza Metropolis' long-term guests - and that number is steadily increasing.
'Initially, just a few Japanese were coming but now they are arriving in leaps and bounds,' said Stephen Chu, deputy general manager of leasing at Harbour Plaza Hotel Management.
'We want to make sure they feel welcome.'
The location of Harbour Plaza Metropolis hotel and serviced suite development, beside the Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) terminus at Hung Hom, is a big attraction for Japanese businessmen. Many Japanese firms have offices in Tsim Sha Tsui East, just five minutes' walk from the hotel, and factories in the Pearl River Delta areas of Dongguan, Guangdong and Shenzhen. Access to China is a walk across the footbridge from the hotel to the KCR station, then a 40-minute train ride.
'The convenience is one of the main reasons they come here,' Mr Chu said. 'Not only is it very easy to get around, but it also saves valuable time.'
