TUI has revealed it’s planning to open its very first hotel in Japan.
Called TUI Suneo Otaru, the hotel will have 50 rooms and be just half an hour away from the bustling city of Sapporo.
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The hotel will be on the island of Hokkaido and will form part of TUI’s expansion across Asia.
When the hotel opens in four years’ time, it will be in TUI’s easternmost location.
Found near JR Minami Otaru Station, Tui Suneo Otaru will be easily accessible from Sapporo which is 35 minutes away by train.
Sapporo has a beautiful mountain landscape in the north of the Japanese island of Hokkaido, which is known as being the snowiest place on Earth.
Sapporo is famous for its beer, skiing and annual Sapporo Snow Festival where they show off enormous ice sculptures.
Otaru is a smaller harbour city where tours along the canal are popular, as is its Sankaku Market.
During the summer, temperatures in Otaru can be as high as 26C, in winter it can be as low as minus seven.
One writer ventured to Hokkaido discovering snowparks, food festivals, and a unique Japanese bath.
TUI group chief executive Sebastian Ebel said: “Tui Hotels & Resort’s entry into Japan underscores our long-term commitment to expanding holiday experiences in new destinations and engaging new customers, particularly across Asia.
“With increasing demand for travel to Japan among our tour operator and cruise guests, expanding into the hotel sector represents a natural evolution of Tui’s presence in the region.”
TUI also revealed that while this will be its first hotel in Japan, it is hoping to expand with more locations in the country further down the line.
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The announcement coincides with rising numbers of tourists visiting Japan.
In 2024, Japan saw record-breaking tourism with approximately 36.87 million international visitors, which is a 47 per cent increase from 2023.
In the first half of 2025, Japan welcomed over 21.5 million visitors.
From the UK, visitors can fly directly with Japan Airlines, British Airways, and All Nippon Airways.
TUI recently announced it’s expanding its hotels across Asia with new resorts in Malaysia and Cambodia.
Both countries are known for being cheap holiday destinations for Brits, with meals costing between £1 and £3.
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The company’s second hotel in Cambodia is the TUI Blue Angkor Grace which opened in July 2025.
This follows the launch of its very first resort called TUI Blue Sihanoukville.
TUI Blue Angkor Grace has a spa, and a kids wellness centre designed for children between six months and 12.
There are 151 rooms for guests who will have access to hydrotherapy facilities including a magnesium-rich pool, ice baths as well as rooms for massages, scrubs and therapies.
TUI’s second hotel in Malaysia will be the TUI Blue Medini Johor, which is scheduled to open its doors in August 2026.
It will be in Medini, which is a central business district in the Iskandar Puteri area of Johor Bahru – ideal for anyone wanting to visit Legoland Malaysia.
TUI Blue Medini Johor will have 214 rooms, a pool area, a gym and restaurant.
Here are three cheap holiday destinations getting new TUI flights from the UK next year.
Plus, TUI launches ‘extreme day trips’ to Lapland from 11 UK airports – including first-time regional base.
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