HISTORY

TOKYO

1964

Completion of Kitano Arms

Around the time when Japan was in the midst of a period of high economic growth, with the Tokyo Olympics just around the corner, the predecessor of the hotel, Kitano Arms, was born in the district of Hirakawacho of Chiyoda city, in the center of Tokyo.
The designer is Professor Emeritus Junzo Yoshimura of Tokyo University of the Arts; it was the first furnished luxury apartment hotel after the war with plenty of parking space in the basement and a pool on the roof. At that time, there was no such Western-style apartment hotel, and many customers moved in from the start.

NEW YORK

1964

Hotel management concept
in New York

Lots of large American companies were building pavilions for the New York World Expo of that year, to which 39 countries would participate.
The late Tsuguto Kitano was involved in the construction of the Japan Pavilion at the World Expo in New York, the first overseas construction and he realized that it was hard for a Japanese person who was not good at English and was not accustomed to a foreign country’s culture to live in New York at that time.
He then thought that a hotel where Japanese people could stay and feel at ease would help reduce the distance between the countries. He also wanted to spread the concept of Japanese hospitality across the world… and so this is how “Hotel Kitano” was born.

NEW YORK

1973

Hotel Kitano Grand Opening

He acquired The Murray Hotel, which was originally owned by a mining company affiliated with the Rockefeller family, and renovated the interiors. Located in the centre of Manhattan, Hotel Kitano is reasonably close to the world’s largest office and entertainment districts.
At that time, it was unprecedented for Japanese people to own and run a hotel on the east coast of the United States, so it was often talked about. John Lindsay, the mayor of New York City at the time, welcomed the owner with the “Key of New York City”, and Tsuguto Kitano also appeared on TV.
World War II was just over and the wounds of the past not yet healed in both Japan and the United States; we could say that Japanese companies operating hotels in the United States became a bridge to overcome the past and open up a new era for Japan and the United States.

NEW YORK

1995

THE KITANO Renewal Open

The Kitano Hotel, which has welcomed a large number of guests not only from New York but also from other countries since its opening, decided to expand adding guest rooms, conference rooms, bars and restaurants in 1995. It reopened as “The Kitano”.
This is a step into a new era.

NEW YORK

2013

THE KITANO HOTEL NEW YORK
40th anniversary of founding

As the only Japanese hotel in New York City, we reached the milestone of 40 years since foundation. In New York, where corporate trading is thriving, we have been able to continue to operate the hotel for a long time without changing the management, thanks to the support of our customers.
In recognition of our efforts, we were once again awarded a welcome award by the then Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg. We continue to provide our own hospitality and welcome a wide range of government and cultural characters from around the world.

TOKYO

2019

THE KITANO HOTEL TOKYO
Opening

Completed in 1994, Kitano Arms, a pioneer of luxury apartment hotels, reopened its doors as “The Kitano Hotel Tokyo” , a luxury boutique hotel.
The location remains the same, Hirakawacho district in Chiyoda city, Tokyo, and we will continue to carry on the history and provide personalized services to make our customers feel like at home.