News
Our Hospitality — 333 business locations certified under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's OMOTENASHI Japan Service Quality ★★, the highest number held by any company —
■ Taking the Toyoko Inn experience to the next level!
The Toyoko Inn brand concept is a nationwide network of "home away from home" locations. Whether our guests are staying for business or leisure, we aim to provide them with a sense of security, enjoyment, and support while they are with us. To this end, our staff are united in their dedication to taking the Toyoko Inn experience to the next level through a strong focus on omotenashi.
Omotenashi refers to Japanese-style hospitality that goes above and beyond the expected level of service, providing intangible value such as joy and emotional connection. At Toyoko Inn, we strive to take the hotel experience to the next level by focusing on key value-adds such as: greeting guests warmly with a smile on arrival; ensuring rooms are cleaned to a sparkling standard, just as at home; employing local staff who act as regional ambassadors by offering tips and suggestions; providing delicious free breakfasts featuring local specialties; and giving every guest a cheerful send-off as they head out for the day. As Japan's largest hotel chain in terms of room numbers, we are committed to providing the same high level of hospitality service across all of our hotels.
■ Working for more than a year to gain the Navy Blue Grade certification for all hotels
At Toyoko Inn, we are working toward certification under the OMOTENASHI Japan Service Quality system administered by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. This certification gives us an objective evaluation of the services we provide and how we engage with guests, offering valuable feedback as we strive to further enhance our omotenashi.
There are three levels of certification: Gold, Navy Blue, and Purple. Initial certification is available only at the Gold or Navy Blue levels. We are aiming for Navy Blue certification, the higher of the two initial levels, for all our hotels.
- ★（Gold certification）:
Service providers whose services exceed customer expectations (third-party certification, fee required)
- ★★（Navy Blue certification）:
Service providers offering uniquely creative or customized services (third-party certification, fee required)
- ★★★（Purple certification）:
Service providers delivering omotenashi (hospitality) services at quality levels that far exceed customer expectations (third-party certification, fee required)
To receive Navy Blue certification, our hotels had to meet a rigorous set of criteria, including appointing at least one person per hotel who has completed the Associate Hospitality Coordinator training course run by the NPO Japan Hospitality Movement Association (JHMA), and undergoing an anonymous inspection process. Some hotels did not meet the requirements on the first anonymous inspection and were retested at a later date. By 30 June, 2024, after more than a year of preparation, some 333 Toyoko Inn hotels had received Navy Blue level certification, just one level below Purple.
The OMOTENASHI Japan Service Quality system was introduced in 2016 by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in a bid to raise overall quality standards in domestic service industries.
It provides an objective evaluation of service quality standards, with results presented in an intuitive visual format. The ultimate aim is to revitalize domestic service industries and boost regional economies.
OMOTENASHI Japan Service Quality system website https://omotenashi-jsq.org/
Navy Blue Level Certification
Under the OMOTENASHI Japan Service Quality system, Navy Blue certification is awarded to service providers that offer uniquely creative or customized services, along with high-quality personalized service, complementing traditional "non-personal" factors such as equipment and facility standards. The judging panel was particularly impressed with our ability to identify and respond quickly to issues at our hotels, as well as our committees of hotel managers dedicated to improving service standards in customer relations.
Testimonials from Associate Hospitality Coordinators
• Our hotel failed the first anonymous inspection. The hospitality coordinator course helped me identify the issues we needed to address. It also helps me explain to newer staff, those who have been with us for only a year or two, how the gap between expectations and reality affects customer satisfaction. Meanwhile, employees with three to five years of experience can re-evaluate their approach to normal daily tasks from the customer perspective, and gain a new appreciation of the meaning and significance of hospitality services.
• I'm sure I'll be revisiting the course text often in the future. Even when I'm busy, I try to remind myself of the meaning of "hospitality" whenever possible. I reflect on what I learned in the course from a beginner's perspective and make lists of what I'm doing well and what I could improve. I think it's important to return to the basics and start afresh from time to time.
• This course reminded me about the fundamental essence of the service industry, which is something that I am prone to forget. It also taught me many useful concepts that I had only a vague understanding of before. It has been a valuable opportunity to rethink the way I approach my work. I interact directly with customers, but I also provide training and guidance to reception staff, so I’m eager to pass on what I've learned, for example, during team meetings.
■ Always striving to improve our omotenashi hospitality standards
Toyoko Inn is united in our commitment to being the "home away from home" hotel that travelers naturally choose. By focusing on service quality predicated on the true meaning of hospitality, we aim to provide a next-level hotel experience to every guest.