Tracing 90 Years of RIHGA Royal Hotel History vol.5
“Creating a modern hotel for distinguished guests in Osaka”… In response to requests from Osaka’s political and business establishment, the Hotel New Osaka, predecessor of the RIHGA Royal Hotel, was established in 1935 as a project symbolizing the “Great Osaka” era. Since then, the RIHGA Royal Hotel has continually evolved with changing times and built up a tradition. Here we trace its 90-year history.
ROYAL HISTORY Vol. 5: Breaking New Ground as the RIHGA Royal Hotel Group
Name Change Aimed at Becoming One of a Kind
During the bubble economy boom of the late 1980s, the Royal Hotel began expanding as a chain. Since “Royal” is a commonly used adjective and noun, The Royal Hotel, Limited could not claim exclusive rights to the name. As a result, hotels and hotel chains unrelated to The Royal Hotel, Limited were using similar names like “XX Royal Hotel” throughout Japan. This led to the decision to create a new brand name for the chain expansion.
The new name was “RIHGA,” announced in 1990 (Heisei 2). RIHGA was coined as an acronym for Royal International Hotel Group & Associates, and the hotel chain’s name was changed from the Royal Hotel Group to the RIHGA Royal Hotel Group.
That same year also marked the 55th anniversary of the company’s founding. Commemorative events included a concert by the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by the world-class maestro Takashi Asahina, and participation in the Midosuji Parade. At the International Garden and Greenery Exposition (the “Flower Expo” of 1990) held in Osaka’s Tsurumi Ryokuchi district, the company took charge of cuisine and service at the Guest House, Japanese Government Garden, and restaurants in the International Exhibition Hall. It was also a memorable year where, during the Expo, Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress (now Their Majesties the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emeritus) and His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince (now His Majesty the Emperor), who served as Honorary President of the Flower Expo, honored the hotel with visits on three occasions.
Opening of a Series of Group Hotels
In 1990 (Heisei 2), the year of the hotel chain’s name change, the RIHGA Royal Hotel Niihama was opened, followed by the RIHGA Royal Hotel Kokura in 1993 (Heisei 5), and the RIHGA Royal Hotel Hiroshima and RIHGA Royal Hotel Waseda in 1994 (Heisei 6). The RIHGA Royal Hotel Hiroshima carried on the legacy of its predecessors, the Hotel New Hiroshima and Hiroshima Grand Hotel, as the region’s premier hotel. It featured the largest banquet facilities in the Chugoku-Shikoku region and continues to serve as a key venue for large celebrations and international conferences.
Also opening that same year, the RIHGA Royal Hotel Waseda (renamed the RIHGA Royal Hotel Tokyo in 2002) was designed by renowned American designer John Graham. This is a small luxury hotel featuring a consistent European classical style down to its furnishings. Its refined spaces are so photogenic throughout the hotel that they are used as filming locations for movies and television dramas.
The Kyoto Grand Hotel was later renamed the RIHGA Royal Hotel Kyoto, and to further establish the RIHGA brand as a chain, the flagship Royal Hotel was also renamed, becoming the RIHGA Royal Hotel in 1997 (Heisei 9).
In this way, the company opened a series of group hotels bearing the RIHGA name, and with the 21st century approaching, renewed its company-wide commitment to pursuing the essence of service industry excellence more than ever before.
Taking on Important Responsibilities on the International Conference Stage
Even after the brand name change, the hotel continued to serve not only as accommodation for His Majesty the Emperor and His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince during their visits to Osaka, but also as a venue for major international conferences. In 1995 (Heisei 7), it was designated as the official hotel for the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Osaka Meeting. In addition to hosting the leaders’ dinner, the hotel accommodated leaders and ministers from four countries: the United States, South Korea, New Zealand, and Thailand. Events during the meeting included a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Murayama attended by leaders and ministers from 18 countries, as well as informal summit meetings and multilateral/bilateral conferences, making RIHGA Royal Hotel an internationally significant venue. The hotel received the honor of being the only venue other than the Osaka State Guest House in Osaka Castle Park to host events attended by all the leaders.
Since the opening of the Hotel New Osaka, the hotel has continually played a role as a state guest house, and that continues to this day. The experience gained from APEC led to recognition as a hotel that could be trusted with important responsibilities even on the international stage where national prestige is at stake.
<References>
(1) ・Hiroshi Takata (Professor, Osaka Gakuin University) and Junichiro Tokue (Professor, Toyo University), “History of Hotels in Osaka: Focusing on Guesthouse Hotels” Japan Foundation for International Tourism, (Nol30) 2023.
Text by Eriko Michida, 140B
