-GM Interview-A hotel that breathes new winds of sensibility and generates new ideas and inspiration-Zentis Osaka

Away from everyday life, you will not only spend luxurious time and be healed. It is a hotel where your stay will refine your sensibilities and enrich your body and soul. We interviewed the GM (general manager) of the Palace Hotel Tokyo to learn more about the charms of such a hotel that is suited to the purpose of your trip.

This time, we interviewed Mr. Akiyama, GM of Zentis Osaka, a new brand newly launched by the Palace Hotel, which has operated Japan’s leading luxury hotel, the Palace Hotel Tokyo.

Service with “individuality” different from that of a full-service hotel

–First of all, you have moved from the Palace Hotel Tokyo, one of Japan’s leading luxury hotels, to the new Zentis Osaka brand. Is there anything you would like to challenge because it is a different category from the past?

Zentis Osaka opened in July 2020 under the brand concept of “Encounters of a New Kind, a place where sensibility takes a deep breath. Zentis Osaka opened in July 2020 under the brand concept of “Encounters of a New Kind, a place where sensibility breathes deeply.

The previous general manager and other opening team members had spent the past three years building the Zentis brand, so my arrival at the hotel was a very smooth transition.

Since the hotel has spent three years building up the brand, I would like to make the most of its individuality and make it a hotel where I can see the faces of its guests and staff in the future.

–What exactly do you mean by “individuality”?

At Zentis Osaka, our staff and services do not fit into a mold, and each individual has a lot of discretion.

For example, we work in a multitasking style, and sometimes the front desk staff goes out to the lobby, and sometimes they guide guests to the restaurant, etc. When they feel they should do something differently, they are free to do so without any restrictions.

Recently, a staff member was asked by a foreign couple who wanted to go eat “kushikatsu” (skewered pork cutlets) by a customer, and he recommended a restaurant about 10 minutes from here. The place was in a difficult location to find, so I was nearby and said to the staff, “The hotel is calm, so let him show you to the restaurant.

I thought he would probably tell me after I showed him the way, but sure enough, I received a call from a staff member saying, “A customer asks to eat with us. I thought he would probably say so, but sure enough, a staff member called me and said, “A customer wants to eat with us.

Of course, I said, “Not at all.

The staff member was not very good at English, but the customer told me later that he had a good time.

Of course, I think this kind of thing is acceptable. Our goal is to be a hotel where we can see the faces of our guests and staff, and conversely, we don’t want to be a hotel where, when invited by a guest, the staff member declines and says, “Excuse me, I’m at work.

The Palace Hotel’s DNA of attention to detail

–What is the unique appeal of the Zentis brand of lodging-oriented hotels?

I think the appeal of Zentis Osaka lies in the fact that the hotel concept is integrated throughout.

As a lodging hotel operated by the Palace Hotel, an independent hotel management company, we paid attention to every detail from the design stage, not only in terms of service, but also in terms of hardware.

I think this is exactly the DNA of the Palace Hotel that we have inherited.

For the interior design of the hotel, we commissioned Tara Barnard, a British designer who has worked on a number of luxury hotels around the world, and her suggestions surprised us in many ways.

She surprised us with many of her suggestions, such as a glass-walled bathroom and no sideboard or working desk next to the TV, which are commonplace in Japan.

But each design proposed by the designer is in line with our concept. By having our staff know this and welcoming our guests, I think it ultimately leads to our guests feeling a sense of comfort.

We also discussed with our partner company from the development stage the part of the design that is felt by the five senses, such as the sound design, and created it so that it would follow the hotel concept rather than just playing background music.

Once a hotel is completed, it is difficult to change the position of speakers,

But we discussed every detail during the design phase and gave it shape, and I think we were able to create a good piece of hardware.

–The guest lounge gives the feeling of living in an overseas residence. What are some of the special features of the lounge that make it relaxing without being overly formal?

When you enter the entrance, there is a large staircase in the middle, and the guest lounge spreads out behind it, with a fireplace and a terrace. It is truly an “English mansion,” isn’t it? This is one of the themes of Zentis Osaka’s design.

It is exactly the same as HafH’s “Home away from home,” and that is the axis of our design. A home is a place where anyone can feel at home.

Another important point is the terrace space. In fact, the Palace Hotel Tokyo by Palace Hotel has many spaces that allow guests to go outside, including the “Grand Kitchen” all-day dining room on the first floor, the “Prive” lounge bar on the sixth floor, and nearly 60% of the guest rooms have balconies.

Considering Japan’s four seasons, spring and fall are the times when terraces can actually be used. In summer it is too hot, and in winter it is too cold, making it a dead space that is difficult to use.

Nevertheless, we put the terrace there because we believe that by bringing in the greenery of plants and nature, we can provide the most relaxing and cozy space for our customers.

In fact, we have received comments such as, “Just the greenery on the terrace changes the atmosphere at all.

Another thing is that we at Zentis belong to the category of lifestyle hotels. In recent years, many of the lifestyle hotels operated by global chains have focused on a certain demographic, such as targeting Generation Z. However, Zentis Osaka aims to create a space where guests of all ages feel comfortable.

At Zentis Osaka, we aim to create a space that people of all ages can feel comfortable in, without narrowing down our clientele.

–What is the focus of the compact yet functional guest rooms?

The standard guest room size at Zentis Osaka is 25 square meters, but the challenge was how to make that 25 square meters look spacious.

Most of the rooms in this category of lodging hotels are 3.5 meters wide and long.

By making the guestrooms at Zentis Osaka nearly square, measuring 4 meters wide by 6 meters deep, we were able to create a comfortable space where suitcases can be spread out and guests do not feel cramped.

–I hear that you are also particular about the size of the bath towels?

Yes, we are.

When one of our staff members brought the bath towels from the Palace Hotel Tokyo to Zentis Osaka, I suggested that they should be a little smaller because, although I did not feel this way at the Palace Hotel Tokyo, they were large for a 25-square meter room and took up a lot of the bathroom area.

On the other hand, there were those who said that hotel bath towels should be large and enveloping, and after repeated discussions, we came up with a size that was just right for the bathroom. But if we were going to make them smaller, we decided to focus on quality. We held numerous meetings with the towel company to ensure that the towels would not be too thick and would maintain a slightly fluffy texture, etc., and after many discussions, we ended up with the current size and texture.

–The result is a completely original towel!

In addition to bath towels, we are also particular about the feel of pajamas, which are essential for a good night’s sleep.

New ones are better, of course, but we also want to make sure that the texture is maintained even after being washed in a laundry.

Our staff actually wear and sleep in the pajamas and feel them. We have adopted the ones that our staff actually wear, sleep on, and feel.

The new products have been well received by our customers, and we have even received requests to purchase more.

–The word on the package of amenities was unique and made me chuckle. On the body towel for washing your body, “YOUR SHOWER DANCE PARTNER” and so on.

Intellectual curiosity and playfulness are keywords in creating a hotel, and we have created these devices in even the most casual places.

–Room 001″ is a place to get ready for the day. How did you come up with this idea?

The project began with the suggestion that a lodging-based hotel should have a coin-operated laundry room. At first, the designers proposed a conference room next to the laundry room. However, one of the staff members asked, “Do guests staying at Zentis have meetings? A staff member asked, “Do guests staying at Zentis have meetings? After re-discussing the idea, we came up with the idea of using the laundry room for washing, ironing, and getting ready for the day. If people were going to get ready for the day, we wanted to make sure that every detail was just as it should be at Zentis Osaka, and the concept of “a place where people can get ready in the best possible way” was born.

“Room 001″ was created as a multipurpose room for the exclusive use of guests, with a shoe shine service and a corner where they can freely try out fragrances.

This room has become the signature of Zentis Osaka.

Becoming a cultural center that “stimulates the senses

–What is the purpose of events such as “Salon de Zentis” and “Zentis Craftsmanship,” which are held regularly and open to non-guests?

Based on the hotel concept of “Encounters of a New Kind, a place where the senses take a deep breath. Based on the hotel concept of “Encounters of a New Kind,” the hotel is a place where people, visions, values, and ideas that have never been encountered before can be encountered. We aim to be a place where intellectual encounters with such “something new” will breathe new life into our guests. We have been holding events as a place to embody these ideas.

We also plan events based on the theme of “stimulating the five senses,” which ultimately revolves around three keywords: Art, Music, and Craftsmanship.

First, “Art” was chosen as a keyword because Dojimahama is an area with many museums and galleries, including the Nakanoshima Art Museum. We collaborate with artists and deepen exchanges with local residents through events.

As for music, we have held “Salon de Zentis” 11 times so far, a record event where people can enjoy a variety of masterpieces left by world-famous artists.

This event was originally started by an introduction from a client, and it is another embodiment of the Zentis concept of “something” born from encounters between people.

The event is for 30 people, not a large number of participants, but it has become a very intense event with many repeaters.

最後にCraftsmanship(職人技)。

Finally, there is Craftsmanship.

Zentis” is a word coined from “Z,” which symbolizes the ultimate, “entis,” the Latin word for essence, and the Japanese words “zento” (forward) and “en” (edge). The name “Zentis Craftsmanship” was coined from the words “Zento” (Zento) and “en” (en).

Zentis Craftsmanship” has been holding flower arrangement events using kintsugi and lost flowers under the theme of “a place where one can encounter the essence of things.

In addition, Zentis Osaka does not work independently of Zentis Osaka alone, but rather, we share the events and initiatives we conduct at Zentis Osaka with the staff of the Palace Hotel Tokyo, which is also affiliated with the Palace Hotel across property boundaries, so that they are all working in the same direction.

Choose a hotel that fits your lifestyle at HafH

–Finally, what does HafH mean to Zentis Osaka?

Looking at hotel reviews, I feel that thanks to the spread of services like HafH, there are more and more guests who tailor their hotel stays to their own lifestyles.

The theme of this interview is “a hotel that becomes a purpose of travel,” and I think that is exactly what we are aiming for and it matches very well with HafH.

I think this is exactly what we are trying to achieve, and I think HafH is a perfect match.

We are aiming to create a hotel that will bring new ideas and inspiration to your senses. We would be very happy if you could come to our hotel with this as the purpose of your trip.

Zentis Osaka
1-4-26 Dojimahama, Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan

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