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Hoshino Resorts is reimagining travel in Guam to match today’s shift toward meaningful experiences over mere relaxation and value over bargain hunting. With a legacy stretching back more than a century, the Hoshino Resorts Group is bringing its revitalization-first philosophy to the global stage, kicking off with a bold makeover of Risonare Guam.
On May 7, the company hosted a press briefing for Korean media at Co-Society in Seoul’s Seongdong-gu neighborhood to roll out its brand vision and the Guam resort revitalization plan. Founded in 1914, Hoshino Resorts Group now operates 74 properties worldwide across six brands: luxury HOSHINOYA, onsen ryokan KAI, resort RISONARE, city hotel OMO, lifestyle hotel BEB, and mountain-lodge style LUCY.
At the heart of the group’s identity are locality and renewal. Rather than endlessly building new properties, Hoshino focuses on acquiring tired or struggling facilities and restoring their original charm and value. As Tomohisa Kato put it at the briefing, “A room cannot be the purpose of travel. We design the software—the guest benefits and experiences—first, and then invest in the hardware.”
Risonare Guam is the first overseas testbed for that approach. Spotting a slowdown in new investment on an island many Korean travelers know well, Hoshino has launched a sweeping overhaul that centers Guam’s nature and culture.
The most visible change is new on-site offerings. In phase one, the team removed the old pool and banquet hall to create Guam’s first beach club and an all-day dining spot called CHO CHO. CHO CHO, opening this summer, will spotlight traditional Chamorro dishes alongside locally influenced fare with Spanish roots. The beach club, coming this fall, will let guests step directly from the hotel onto a private stretch of sand to enjoy music and activities all day long.
This is just the beginning of a multi‑phase roadmap. Kato outlined plans to move from the current upgrades into a second-phase water park revitalization and conclude with a third-phase refresh of guest rooms. “Through operations as software, we breathe new life into old facilities, increase their value, and contribute to the local economy—that’s the real meaning of revitalization we pursue,” he said.
The changes also include smarter guest offerings. Hoshino addressed the rigidity of the old all-inclusive model, which often forced guests to use lodging and F&B benefits on a fixed schedule. The new Beach Club Package lets guests split benefits more flexibly—use lunch one day and dinner the next, for example—so they can explore Guam beyond the resort without feeling tied down.
In a video message, Yoshiharu Hoshino, CEO of Hoshino Resorts Group, said, “The Guam market matters deeply to us. Korean guests—who make up about half of Guam’s visitors—are our most valued partners. We’re seriously thinking about how to make sure Koreans enjoy their stays. We’ll keep investing in new facilities that reflect the needs of the Korean market, leveraging our strengths in revitalization.”
Those bold moves appear to be paying off: Korean arrivals to Hoshino properties are rising across the board. Internal data show a roughly 19% increase in Korean guest stays across the group from 2024 to 2025. Bookings for 2026 have surged as well—by the end of April, reservations already reached 81% of total 2025 bookings.
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