I chatted with Mao / Mao Jinyun of MIMARU Marketing Apartment, Brand Management Division. I asked her questions about her company and the MIMARU Brand.
Q: What do you think makes a hotel tremendous/unique?
If it only provides accommodation or something above accommodation, we provide a “MIMARU lifestyle” regarding guests’ accommodation.
Q: What are the three primary value propositions of your hotel? E.g., price vs. value offers.
A: In the Japanese market, our most significant value is that our rooms are spacious enough to accommodate 4 to 8 people. We have different services from others, like plenty of rental items and friendly front staff from 26 different countries. Most importantly, we are willing to be close to our guests.
Q: What contributes to exceptional customer service – “Omotenashi?”
A: In our opinion, the traditional Japanese Omotenashi is unsuitable for our guests, as it is too distant. We want to build a trusting relationship with our guests, where they are not afraid to share everything with us and know that we will give the correct feedback.
Q: How is your hotel different from others?
A: As an apartment hotel, we have rooms that hold a minimum of 4 adults and two children and that range up to 8 adults and two children at our location. It is a very convenient accommodation for those coming as families or in large groups.
Whereas most Japanese have traditionally smaller rooms and try to conserve space while providing the bare necessities, our hotel allows for a comfortable stay as if our guests were staying in a typical apartment, with a full kitchen and kitchen utensils included. We also provide a variety of free rental items, such as a rice cooker, hot pot set, and more (pending availability).
With an international staff, we can provide various services tailored to our guest’s language and cultural needs while providing our perspective as non-natives to guests travelling abroad.
Q: Tell me a bit about the history of the Mimaru.
A: Our parent company was in the real estate business and needed to solve the problem of vacant properties. Our research found that more foreign tourists were visiting Japan with a combination of people, but the Japanese accommodation market did not meet their need to share a room. So, we started to plan this hotel for foreign multi-travellers.
Q: How many are there in Japan? All cities.
A: 3 cities (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka), 28 properties.
Q: Tell me about the armour in the lobby.
A: Our lobby and premium room concept are based on Osaka Castle’s. The two armours are that of Osaka Castle’s most famous samurai: Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Sanada Yukimura. Mr. Toyotomi is the architect who designed and built the castle, while Mr. Sanada was the castle’s last defence before its original destruction.
Q: Be subjective and offer what you think is unique/memorable about visiting Japan and your hotels.
A: When guests stay at a MIMARU hotel, they can speak with our staff about their experiences while living in Japan, receive suggestions, and try them for themselves. It also helps that our team is very international and can relate to our guests from that perspective. Therefore, giving our guests a piece of our experiences here in Osaka and at other Mimaru’s is even more satisfying.
Written by: Rick Coles
