The Atsuta revolution that starts with business hotels. "Charichari"'s position connecting attractions

Business hotel with "Charichari" Report "Excel Inn Nagoya Atsuta"

Haruki Kariya, President and CEO of Excel Inn Co., Ltd. (Manager of Excel Inn Nagoya Atsuta)

Following on from our last coverage of the Atsuta Miyajuku Kai , we once again visited the business hotel Excel Inn Nagoya Atsuta in Atsuta Ward.

The person who agreed to be interviewed was Mr. Haruki Kariya, manager of Excel Inn Nagoya Atsuta .

Kariya majored in aerospace engineering as a student, then joined a foreign consulting firm where he gained experience consulting for large manufacturing clients. After several years of consulting experience, he was involved in the launch of several venture companies, and then took over the family business as CEO of Excel Inn Co., Ltd., where he still serves as manager, while also running a hotel cleaning business and an IT venture company . He is a truly talented multi-player .

Just hearing about Kariya-san's life story could fill several articles.

When Mr. Kariya became manager, the business environment was not necessarily smooth sailing and was tough, but thanks to his experience and skills in business improvement, he has since improved the business environment and, in order to increase the appeal of the Atsuta area, is currently undertaking various activities, centered around hotel renovations.

At Excel Inn Nagoya Atsuta, a port for the shared bicycle service " Charichari " (abbreviated as "Charichari"") is neatly installed next to the entrance .

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The "Charichari" lined up next to the barrier-free entrance are said to be improving the scenery.

Benefits and unexpected results of having ports

The decision to install a "Charichari" port at Excel Inn Nagoya Atsuta came after a suggestion was made by a sales representative whom Kariya met when he attended a meeting as a member of the Atsuta Miyajuku Association.

By installing a port,
・People who walk around the Tokaido can tour a wider area by bicycle. ・It will be one source of income for the port owner. ・Maintenance will be done by the operating company Charichari, so it will not be a hassle for the port owner. ・The coloring of the port and the bicycles is nice, and it seems that the scenery will be nicer than if it were just a bicycle parking lot.
These are the benefits they felt.

The striking red bicycle catches the eye of hotel guests, local residents and tourists on foot.

After actually installing the bicycles, they have achieved the effects they expected in that they have become a source of income and require little maintenance . They also say that the neat and tidy view of the bicycles always gives a good impression to the hotel, and that they feel the effects are quite pleasant .
Another surprising thing that came as a surprise after the project was set up was that although the bicycle rental port was intended as a means of transportation for tourists, a certain number of people actually use it who live near the hotel, and it appears to be useful for transportation for people living nearby .

Kariya says that there are many people in Atsuta who say, "I want to go, but it's a bit far away.""Charichari" seems to be effective as a form of short-distance mobility.

A clean and relaxing business hotel

A bright and clean front desk

Once inside Excel Inn Nagoya Atsuta, you'll be greeted by a clean and bright front desk. When you take the elevator to the guest room area, you'll find a very cozy atmosphere with warm lighting, calming colored walls, and wooden interiors, and the guest rooms continue in the same tone.

It was equipped with a comfortable bed and a desk where I could do business, making it a more than adequate environment for a business hotel room.

The guest room area has a relaxed and calm atmosphere.

A comfortable room

We want to renovate the hotel and revitalize Japan from this business hotel.

When we asked Kariya about the appeal of tourism in Atsuta Ward, he gave us the following answer.

Kariya-san was smiling throughout the session, but his talk was sharp and focused on the future.

"Atsuta Ward is home to Atsuta Shrine , Atsuta Horaiken , a concert hall within easy reach, and a tourist spot under construction in front of the station ... there are many tourist spots, but there hasn't been much change or innovation in the last 10 years.
As the Atsuta Miyajuku Association, we are working to create attractive content, but we are also thinking about how we can promote the attractions of this hotel to users in ways that we can do ourselves.
For example, there is an "Night Visit to Atsuta Shrine" where you learn about the history inside the hotel and then go out to visit Atsuta Shrine at night, which is interesting from a different perspective than visiting during the day, and is content that can only be provided by staying overnight.

Although the concept cannot yet be made public, the interior of the hotel will be renovated, and by autumn of 2024 the hotel will be transformed into a place where guests can refresh and unwind while learning about Atsuta's history and charm .
However, rather than changing its customer base at all, the hotel will remain a business hotel that is particularly suited to the current large numbers of business users and users involved in manufacturing.

I want to strengthen Excel Inn Nagoya Atsuta as a hotel that people want to visit and stay at, so that people can feel energized and work hard here, and I want to energize Japan . I think that is the way to give back to the manufacturing industry that I was closely involved with during my time as a consultant.

The renovation of Excel Inn Nagoya Atsuta will be one to keep an eye on.

Hotel interiors currently undergoing attractive content development

Increase the amount of innovative content available and connect it with "Charichari"

Kariya says that having a venue and funds alone does not guarantee innovative content.

"It's all about people. Innovation doesn't work without passionate people."

First of all, I will innovate hotels to the extent that I can. "Charichari" has become a form of short-distance mobility, but it is still limited to being a means of transportation that connects transportation and life, connecting stations to stations, stations to hotels, and hotels to workplaces.

He wants to increase the number of places with content in Atsuta Ward and create content that makes people think, "I want to go to Nagoya just for this." And he has high hopes that "Charichari" will be a means of transport that connects these content areas .

As a multi-player with a high-level perspective, Kariya is aiming for a future for Atsuta that is likely to be filled with even more shining, polished content.

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We are planning a project that will elicit a reaction such as, "Who would have thought that such content could be found in what appears to be an ordinary business hotel?"

Calling for Port Owners! "Charichari"'s Challenges for Contributing to the Community

The more port owners there are, the more possibilities there are for model tours of Nagoya.

"Charichari" is expected to be a popular form of transportation for tourists in Atsuta Ward, but there are still some issues to be addressed. The first issue is that the number of ports and bicycles is still not sufficient . Ideally, bicycles should be within easy reach, and there are voices calling for more bicycles to be available at ports that are frequently used.

The second is the creation of model courses using bicycle sharing . While bicycle sharing offers flexibility as a form of transportation, there is currently a lack of information on how people can enjoy it. Such initiatives are also essential for revitalizing local areas through bicycle sharing.

In any case, we understand that they are satisfied with the current "Charichari", and we take this as encouragement in the hope that they will continue to evolve the service even further. We would be delighted if any business operators or urban development groups who are willing to set up a port would contact us in order to improve the convenience of tourism in the town.

Interview and writing: Kojiro