Mitsui Fudosan Residential Develops First Hotel-licensed Serviced Apartments
Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Azabu Tokyo to Open on January 14

January, 13, 2022
Mitsui Fudosan Residential Co., Ltd.

Tokyo, Japan, January 13, 2022 – Mitsui Fudosan Residential Co., Ltd. (“Mitsui Fudosan Residential“), a leading global real estate company headquartered in Tokyo, announced today that it will be opening Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Azabu Tokyo (Minato Ward, Tokyo), the company’s first hotel-licensed serviced apartment building, on January 14, 2022.

The building has an extremely convenient location, just two minutes’ walk from Azabu-juban Station on the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line and the Toei Oedo Line, and close to Tokyo Tower and the cosmopolitan districts of Azabu-juban and Roppongi. It has been developed by Mitsui Fudosan Residential and after opening, it will be operated by Oakwood (Headquarters: Singapore; Chief Executive Officer: Christopher Ahearn), a global serviced apartment operator with businesses in 13 countries.

Through its property sales and rental housing businesses, Mitsui Fudosan Residential has advanced the creation of homes that meet the needs and wishes of a diverse range of people by listening to customers as a developer and then reflecting their feedback in products and services. By combining the planning, development, quality control, and operational expertise it has accumulated with Oakwood’s track record and experience of operating serviced apartments, it will deliver high quality serviced apartments.

Going forward, it will aim to realize a sustainable society and contribute to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by providing products and services that cater to diverse lifestyles, based on “Life-styling x Improving with age,“ the brand concept shared by of all of its housing businesses.

Also, as an environmental initiative for realizing a decarbonized society, this building will be the first building to incorporate design panels made using high-performance concrete developed by Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co., Ltd.

< Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Azabu Tokyo >

1. This is Mitsui Fudosan Residential’s first project involving hotel-licensed serviced apartments, which can be used for as short a stay as one night.
2. Oakwood has a strong track record, and this will be its 13th building in Japan
3. The guest apartments and communal spaces have been designed to cater to diverse lifestyles. All 171 apartments come with furniture and appliances and are available in four different types, from around 26 m² to around 107 m². They can meet a variety of needs from business and leisure to remote working and even temporary housing.

Exterior view

The main entrance

1．Hotel-licensed serviced apartments which can be used for as little as one night

Up to now, most serviced apartment*1 buildings have been designed as housing complexes for medium- to long-term occupation (rental periods of one month or longer). However, this building has been designed as a hotel and will be operated in accordance with the Hotel Business Act, which means users can stay for as short a period as one night. This means it can be used by people in the medium- to long-term, such as businesspeople from both Japan and overseas who need to work in the area, expats who have returned to Japan for a temporary stay, and people who need a temporary residence while their home is being reformed, to short-term users such as tourists and people on business trips. Furthermore, as work styles and lifestyles become more diverse, it also caters to remote work and multi-residence lifestyle needs.

*1 Serviced apartment: An apartment that comes with the furniture and appliances needed for day-to-day life and also includes services such as regular room cleaning, linen replacement, and a 24-hour front desk.

2．Operated by Oakwood, a company with a strong track record

As a company in the hospitality sector, Oakwood operates various brands. It provides accommodation facilities that meet the needs of customers including a large number of global companies, relocation specialists, people on business trips, and tourists. Its multi-award-winning buildings range from serviced residences equipped with elegant furniture to buildings that are notable for their refined design. These can be used for a wide range of purposes, from short-term to long-term stays.

Oakwood buildings also include amenities such as mineral water that comes in recyclable aluminum cans and ballpoint pens made of recycled paper wrapped around an ink cartridge. Furthermore, the company is also engaged in other initiatives aimed at achieving the SDGs, such as using environmentally friendly fine paper made from bamboo pulp for the stationery and leaflets provided in its facilities, and even using ink that has a low environmental impact.

3．Guest apartments and communal spaces that cater to diverse lifestyles

(1) Guest apartments

There are four types of apartments: Studio, One-bedroom, Two-bedroom, and Three-bedroom. All 171 apartments have a fully equipped kitchen, washer, and dryer, and are designed to be suitable for both business and leisure.

Studio apartments range from around 26 to 34 m² and are a convenient option for business trips and leisure stays. The one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments are around 80 m² or larger, making them suitable for uses such as family vacations, long-stay business trips, or temporary accommodation for people who have moved to the area.

Studio

One-bedroom

Two-bedroom

Three-bedroom

(2) Reception lobby and lounge

The interior design was overseen by MITSUI Designtec Co., Ltd. Visitors can enjoy artworks that express the changing of the seasons in Azabu, based on the concept motif of “AZABU INSPIRATION – The Changing Scenery of Azabu,“ which incorporates greenery and elements of the local area, within the building.

[Reception lobby]
The entire wall facing the main entrance comprises an artwork by the designer SAL. The work features a hemp leaf pattern concealed within clouds and it is layered with sash-like bands representing each of the four seasons through cherry blossom, rose, maple, and pine designs. This combination of traditional Japanese and modern elements ensures guests are greeted by a high quality, elegant, and relaxing space.

[Lounge]
The lounge features large windows that let in natural light, giving a sense of space. Combined with the refined interior design, this creates a comfortable environment where guests can take a break and refresh themselves.

Reception lobby

Lounge

(3) Exterior design

The exterior has been designed by LIV ARCHITECTS. It incorporates a hemp leaf motif to create a three-dimensional design that changes significantly depending on the position and angle from which it is viewed. Lighting installed on the balcony ensures that the appearance at night is distinct from during the day, creating a building with a variety of appealing expressions that adds color to the Azabu cityscape.

Exterior view (early evening)

Exterior view (night)

■Contributing to reducing CO2 emissions by using high-performance concrete for design panels

Sustain WALL Zero*2, a precision-crafted design panel developed by Sumitomo Mitsui Construction, was used for the first time in the design panels surrounding the building’s external machinery. Sustain WALL Zero leverages the ultra-low shrinkage, ultra-low heat generation, ultra-low carbon, high-fluidity and high-strength characteristics of the Portland cement-free*3 concrete Sustain-Crete®*4, to realize high-quality design with low environmental impact. Sustain-Crete® has also been developed by Sumitomo Mitsui Construction.

• 2 Sustain WALL Zero: Trademark registration pending
• 3 Portland cement: The official name of the cement most commonly used in concrete. The amount of CO2 emitted during the manufacture of concrete is largely determined by the amount of Portland cement used.
• 4 Sustain-Crete®: Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Develops Sustain-Crete®, a High-performance Concrete that Contributes to Sustainability (Sumitomo Mitsui Construction press release, February 26, 2018)

■Location Map

■About the Mitsui Fudosan 9BOX Infection Control Measure Standards

The Mitsui Fudosan Group has so far carried out thorough measures against COVID-19 according to each facility. However, the Group considered the necessity for easily understood infection prevention measures based on medical and engineering knowledge so that its facilities could be used with peace of mind even if a new variant were to spread in the future, and formulated the Mitsui Fudosan 9BOX Infection Control Measure Standards to be shared across the Group. The Group has developed diverse facilities such as office buildings, retail properties, hotels, resorts, logistics centers, and homes. By presenting measures that are easy to share not only within the Group but with all of society, it hopes to help solve society-wide issues.
Mitsui Fudosan will continue working to achieve a sustainable society through safe and secure neighborhood creation.
[Reference]https://www.mitsuifudosan.co.jp/english/corporate/news/2021/1001_01/

■Mitsui Fudosan Group’s Contribution to SDGs

https://www.mitsuifudosan.co.jp/english/corporate/esg_csr/
The Mitsui Fudosan Group aims for a society that enriches both people and the planet under the principles of coexist in harmony with society, link diverse values and achieve a sustainable society, and advances business with an awareness of the environment (E), society (S) and governance (G), thus promoting ESG management. By further accelerating its ESG management, the Group will realize Society 5.0, which the Japanese government has been advocating, and contribute significantly to achieving the SDGs. Additionally, the Group formulated the following Group guidelines related to “Realize a Decarbonized Society“ and “Diversity & Inclusion Promotion“ in November 2021. The Mitsui Fudosan Group will continue to work toward solving social issues through neighborhood creation.

[References]
・Group Action Plan to Realize a Decarbonized Society
https://www.mitsuifudosan.co.jp/english/corporate/news/2021/1124/
・Diversity & Inclusion Promotion Declaration and Initiative Policy
https://www.mitsuifudosan.co.jp/english/corporate/esg_csr/society/02-5.html

* The initiatives covered in this press release are contributing to one of the UN’s SDGs.