TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 7, 2025--
Hotel Okura Co., Ltd., the leading global Japanese hotel operator, is pleased to announce the conclusion of a new management agreement with Asset World Corporation (AWC), Thailand's leading integrated lifestyle real estate group. Signed on December 19, 2024, the agreement paves the way for two new hotels – Okura Resort Chiang Mai in the historic city of Chiang Mai, and The Okura Prestige Sukhumvit Bangkok Hotel and Spa in Bangkok's trendy Thonglor district. Both properties are slated to open in 2028, expanding Hotel Okura's Thai offering to seven hotels and adding over 400 rooms to Okura Nikko Hotels' portfolio in the country.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250106083426/en/
Hotel Okura's relationship with AWC, a major operator of Thai development projects, has gradually strengthened since the 2012 opening of The Okura Prestige Bangkok. Their most recent joint venture is the Okura Cruise, a Chao Phraya River dinner cruise ship that launched on December 20, 2024.
Okura Resort Chiang Mai, located in Thailand’s second-largest city, will be the first Okura-branded hotel in Northern Thailand. The Okura Prestige Sukhumvit Bangkok Hotel and Spa will offer Japanese-style wellness services and long-term stays in the Thonglor district of Bangkok, home to many Japanese expatriates and other foreign residents. Both hotels will blend Japanese hospitality with local culture, aiming to create luxurious and sustainable experiences, and in line with the rise of health-conscious travel, both properties will also focus on wellness.
Okura Resort Chiang Mai will be situated on the bustling Chang Klan Road, a major tourist hub known for its night markets and local cuisine. It will feature over 200 rooms, with sizes ranging from 40 to 120 square meters; their design will blend ryokan-style elements such as tatami mats and open-air baths with influences from the Lanna culture of ancient Chiang Mai. The hotel will feature a cafe, rooftop bar, and other food and beverage facilities, offering Japanese cuisine and all-day dining. These amenities will provide guests with a blend of Japanese and Northern Thai culinary experiences.
The Okura Prestige Sukhumvit Bangkok Hotel and Spa will be located in Thonglor, a district of Bangkok popular with expatriates. The hotel will offer long-term stays and a wellness program combining traditional Japanese approaches with modern wellness techniques. It will feature over 200 rooms averaging 45 square meters in size, including suites with the atmosphere of a traditional Japanese-style ryokan and with western-style conveniences. Guests will be able to enjoy views across Bangkok from the sky lobby and rooftop bar, and dine on healthy meals at the outdoor pool cabana.
Toshihiro Ogita, President, Hotel Okura, said: “We are delighted to reach another milestone with AWC through the development of new projects in Thailand, building on the success of The Okura Prestige Bangkok. We are particularly excited to bring the Okura brand to Chiang Mai and Northern Thailand for the first time. Our commitment to offering world-class hospitality, blending the elegance of Japanese culture with local charm, is unwavering. Our global network of high-quality international hotels seamlessly blends the delicate beauty and subtleties of Japanese culture with convenience and functionality. These additional collaborations with AWC will surely offer exceptional experiences and excellent service to both Thai guests and tourists from around the world.”
The two hotels will operate as part of a larger framework agreement with AWC signed in May 2024 aimed at expanding Hotel Okura’s business in Thailand. By the time of their planned opening in 2028, Okura Nikko Hotels expects to be operating seven hotels and approximately 2,000 rooms in Thailand. Under its long-term partnership with AWC, Hotel Okura will continue to develop hotels aimed at welcoming residents of Thailand and overseas visitors. The two companies thereby aim to contribute to the further development of Thailand's tourism industry, offering unique experiences rooted in the spirit of Japanese hospitality.
About the New Hotels
Okura Resort Chiang Mai
Location: Chang Klan Road, Chiang Mai, Thailand
No of rooms: Approx. 220
Restaurants: Japanese cuisine, all-day dining, cafe, lounge, rooftop bar
Additional facilities: Fitness center, spa, outdoor pool
Banquet halls and meeting rooms: 8
Access: Approx. 15 mins by car from Chiang Mai International Airport
The Okura Prestige Sukhumvit Bangkok Hotel and Spa
Location: Sukhumvit 38, Thonglor District, Bangkok, Thailand
No of rooms: Approx. 240
Restaurants: Japanese cuisine, all-day dining, bar
Additional facilities: Fitness center, spa, outdoor pool
Banquet halls and meeting rooms: 3
Access: Approx. 40 mins by car from Suvarnabhumi International Airport; approx. 1 min on foot from BTS Skytrain Thong Lo Station
About Asset World Corp Public Company Limited
Asset World Corp Public Company Limited (AWC), Thailand’s leading integrated lifestyle real estate group and a member of TCC Group, is redefining the country’s landscape of hospitality, commercial workspaces, and iconic lifestyle destinations with its diversified portfolio, strategically located in prime areas across the nation. Committed to creating new landmark projects that not only set new benchmarks for the industry but also strengthen Thailand’s position as a global sustainable tourism destination, AWC collaborates with world-renowned partners, including Marriott International, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Nobu Hospitality, Okura Hotels, Banyan Tree, Melia International, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Accor, and Hyatt, to deliver unforgettable experiences. Its portfolio features flagship commercial properties such as The Empire, Athenee Tower, Asiatique The Riverfront Destination, and Phenix, along with premier F&B destinations like 'EA' Rooftop at The Empire, offering world-class top cuisine. AWC is committed to delivering exceptional experiences while championing sustainability in every part of its operations to create long-term sustainable value for all stakeholders through initiatives under three key pillars of Better Planet, Better People, and Better Prosperity (3BETTERs), driving innovation and responsibility to inspire millions and elevate Thailand’s tourism and real estate industry to new heights. For more information, visit www.assetworldcorp-th.com/en/home.
About Hotel Okura Co., Ltd.
Hotel Okura Co., Ltd., founded in 1958, opened its flagship Hotel Okura Tokyo in 1962 as a first-class hotel that quickly became renowned worldwide for its blending of traditional Japanese beauty with the very best in accommodation, cuisine and service. It closed its doors in August 2015, and after four years of rebuilding work reopened as The Okura Tokyo in September 2019. Hotel Okura has extensive expertise in the hospitality world, including asset ownership and hotel development, as well as hotel management, the restaurant business and chain operations through its subsidiaries and other group companies. The brand unites member hotels under its “Best Accommodation, Cuisine and Service” philosophy to ensure that all guests enjoy Okura’s signature hospitality, which combines Japanese attention to detail and Western functionality. Please visit www.okura.com.
Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Hotel Okura, operates 81 properties (54 in Japan and 27 overseas) encompassing some 24,088 guest rooms (as of January 1, 2025) under three hotel groups: Okura Hotels & Resorts, Nikko Hotels International and Hotel JAL City. Please visit www.okura-nikko.com.
Asset World Corporation CEO & President Wallapa Traisorat (center left) and Hotel Okura President Toshihiro Ogita (center right) at the signing ceremony (Photo: Business Wire)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A wildfire whipped up by extreme winds swept through a Los Angeles hillside dotted with celebrity residences Tuesday, burning homes and forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people, some of whom abandoned their cars and fled on foot to safety with roads blocked.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who was in Southern California to attend the naming of a national monument by President Joe Biden, made a detour to the canyon to see “firsthand the impact of these swirling winds and the embers,” and he said he found “not a few — many structures already destroyed.”
Officials did not give an exact number of structures damaged or destroyed in the Pacific Palisades wildfire, but they said about 30,000 residents are under evacuation orders and more than 13,000 structures were under threat.
And the worst could be yet to come. The blaze began around 10:30 a.m., shortly after the start of a Santa Ana windstorm that the National Weather service warned could be “life threatening” and the strongest to hit Southern California in more than a decade. The exact cause of the fire was unknown and no injuries had been reported, officials said.
The winds were expected to increase overnight and continue for days, producing isolated gusts that could top 100 mph (160 kph) in mountains and foothills — including in areas that haven’t seen substantial rain in months.
“By no stretch of the imagination are we out of the woods," Newsom warned residents, saying the worst of the winds are expected between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 5 a.m. Wednesday.
As of Tuesday evening, 28,300 households were without power due to the strong winds, according to the mayor’s office. About 15,000 utility customers in Southern California had their power shut off to reduce the risk of equipment sparking blaze. A half a million customers total were at risk of losing power preemptively.
The fire swiftly consumed nearly 2 square miles (just over 5 square kilometers) of land in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in western Los Angeles, sending up a dramatic plume of smoke visible across the city. Residents in Venice Beach, some 6 miles (10 kilometers) away, reported seeing the flames. It was one of several blazes across the area.
Sections of Interstate 10 and the scenic Pacific Coast Highway were closed to all non-essential traffic to aid in evacuation efforts. But other roads were blocked. Some residents jumped out of their vehicles to get out of danger and waited to be picked up.
Resident Kelsey Trainor said the only road in and out of her neighborhood was completely blocked. Ash fell all around them while fires burned on both sides of the road.
“We looked across and the fire had jumped from one side of the road to the other side of the road,” Trainor said. “People were getting out of the cars with their dogs and babies and bags, they were crying and screaming. The road was just blocked, like full-on blocked for an hour.”
An Associated Press video journalist saw a roof and chimney of one home in flames and another residence where the walls were burning. The Pacific Palisades neighborhood, which borders Malibu about 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of downtown LA, includes hillside streets of tightly packed homes along winding roads nestled against the Santa Monica Mountains and stretches down to beaches along the Pacific Ocean.
An AP photographer saw multi-million dollar mansions on fire as helicopters overhead dropped water loads. Roads were clogged in both directions as evacuees fled down toward the Pacific Coast Highway while others begged for rides back up to their homes to rescue pets. Two of the homes on fire were inside exclusive gated communities.
Long-time Palisades resident Will Adams said he immediately went to pick his two kids up from St. Matthews Parish’s school when he heard the fire was nearby. Meanwhile, he said embers flew into his wife's car as she tried to evacuate.
“She vacated her car and left it running,” Adams said. She and many other residents walked down toward the ocean until it was safe.
Adams said he had never witnessed anything like this in the 56 years he’s lived there. He watched as the sky turned brown and then black as homes started burning. He could hear loud popping and bangs “like small explosions,” which he said he believes were the transformers exploding.
“It is crazy, it’s everywhere, in all the nooks and crannies of the Palisades. One home’s safe, the other one’s up in flames,” Adams said.
Actor James Woods posted footage of flames burning through bushes and past palm trees on a hill near his home. The towering orange flames billowed among the landscaped yards between the homes.
“Standing in my driveway, getting ready to evacuate,” Woods said in the short video on X.
Actor Steve Guttenberg, who lives in the Pacific Palisades, urged people who abandoned their cars to leave their keys behind so they could be moved to make way for fire trucks.
“This is not a parking lot,” Guttenberg told KTLA. “I have friends up there and they can’t evacuate. … I’m walking up there as far as I can moving cars.”
The erratic weather caused Biden to cancel plans to travel to inland Riverside County, where he was to announce the establishment of two new national monuments in the state. He remained in Los Angeles, where smoke was visible from his hotel, and was briefed on the wildfires. The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved a grant to help reimburse California for the firefighting cost.
Some trees and vegetation on the grounds of the Getty Villa were burned by late Tuesday, but staff and the museum collection remain safe, Getty President Katherine Fleming said in a statement. The museum located on the eastern end of the Pacific Palisades is a separate campus of the world-famous Getty Museum that focuses on the art and culture of ancient Greece and Rome.
Film studios canceled two movie premieres due to the fire and windy weather, and the Los Angeles Unified School District said it temporarily relocated students from three campuses in the Pacific Palisades area.
Recent dry winds, including the notorious Santa Anas, have contributed to warmer-than-average temperatures in Southern California, where there’s been very little rain so far this season. Southern California hasn’t seen more than 0.1 inches (0.25 centimeters) of rain since early May.
Watson reported from San Diego and Har from San Francisco. Associated Press writers Christopher Weber and video journalist Eugene Garcia in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
The Palisades Fire burns a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A lone sunbather sits and watches a large plume of smoke from a wildfire rise over the Pacific Palisades, in Santa Monica, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Will Adams watches as flames from the Palisades Fire close in on his property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
The Palisades Fire burns a property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter battles the advancing Palisades Fire as it burns a structure in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter battles the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A surfer takes off on a wave in Santa Monica, Calif., during sunset under a blackened sky from the Palisades fire in the Pacific Palisades on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Vehicles are left stranded off the side of the road after residents tried to flee from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighters make a stand in front of the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A firefighter tries to contain the Palisades Fire from a rooftop in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A residence burns as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A firefighter hoses down flames from the Palisades Fire in front of a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Water is dropped on the advancing Palisades Fire by helicopter in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A firefighter tries to contain the Palisades Fire from a rooftop in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Will Adams uses a garden hose to keep flames from damaging his home as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Flames rise as the Palisades Fire advances on homes in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Firefighters prepare for structure protection as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A line of vehicles crowds the road as residents flee from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Firefighters battle the advancing Palisades Fire as it damages a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Firefighters prepare for structure protection as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A firefighter makes a stand in front of the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter makes a stand in front of the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Heavy smoke from a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades rises over the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)
A residence burns as a firefighter battles the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)
Smoke from a wildfire is seen from the Venice Beach section of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A lone beachgoer walks along the coast as a large dark plume of smoke passes over the beach from a wildfire from Pacific Palisades, from Santa Monica, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Smoke from a wildfire is seen from the Venice Beach section of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Firefighters battle the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter protects a structure from the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Firefighters protect structures from the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Smoke from a wildfire is seen from the Venice Beach section of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A swimmer watches as a large dark plume of smoke passes over the beach from a wildfire from Pacific Palisades, in Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
People flee from the advancing Palisades Fire, by car and on foot, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Smoke from a wildfire is seen from the Venice Beach section of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Smoke from a wildfire is seen from the Venice Beach section of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A firefighter battles the advancing Palisades Fire around a structure in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter battles the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A field catches fire under a tree during the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter battles the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A pair of firefighters try to protect themselves from flying embers from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Firefighters try to protect themselves from flying embers from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Firefighters stage in front of the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter battles the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles,Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
People wait with some belongings while fleeing the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter battles the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A person flees from an advancing wildfire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Smoke from a wildfire is seen from the Venice Beach section of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A woman cries as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A firefighter tries to extinguish a fire as it damages a property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Heavy smoke from a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades rises over the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)
Smoke from a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades rises over the 405 freeway in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
FILE - Flags fly under heavy winds before sunset as a plume of smoke from the Franklin Fire rises over the ocean Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes,File)
Tall palm trees sway during extreme gusty winds in the Van Nuys section of Los Angeles on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A tree blocks a street after falling amid strengthening winds Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Northeast Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Christopher Weber)
FILE - Marvin Meador walks on the remains of his fire-ravaged property after the Mountain Fire swept through, Nov. 7, 2024, in Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File)