Fumiko Motoya Seizing Opportunities in Tough Times
Wisdom and spirit" of the "famous president" who built one of the largest hotel chains in Japan in her lifetime.
50 years since the founding of the group, and it has never posted a loss
In the corner of the CEO’s office, decorated with auspicious items such as a calligraphy written by Sota Fujii, the seven-time champion (22), and a painting of former sumo grand champion Kisenosato (38), the powerful female CEO of the hotel chain boasting the largest number of guest rooms in Japan began speaking in a forceful tone.
“I’ve been so busy lately that I didn’t even have time to think about our 40th anniversary celebration. I even forgot my 77th birthday last year. Oh well.”
Founded 50 years ago, APA Hotels has grown into a leading hotel chain in Japan under the leadership of President Fumiko Motoya. Known for her flashy fashion that evokes the image of medieval nobility or royal families, she has actively appeared in media and commercials to increase the hotel’s visibility. President Motoya describes herself as a publicity figure.
Even during the pandemic, APA continued to expand actively, and its network now boasts over 128,000 rooms. For the fiscal year ending November 2024, the hotel achieved a record sales figure of 220 billion yen and an operating profit of 70 billion yen—remarkable figures for a hotel business. What is even more astonishing is that for over 50 years since the company’s founding, it has never posted a loss.
“By managing, operating, and strategizing the brand in-house, we have been able to maintain a high profit margin of over 30%. Thanks to this, we have even ranked 19th in global hotel rankings, including high-end foreign brands.”
APA’s first hotel opened in Kanazawa in 1984, making it a latecomer in the hotel industry. So how did the company achieve such rapid growth?
“In a word, it’s originality. We couldn’t win by imitating other hotels, so we looked to other industries for inspiration. One industry we particularly focused on was aviation. We introduced a membership card with a cash back feature, inspired by the airline industry. I learned that airlines prefer to increase occupancy by lowering prices rather than flying planes with empty seats, so we adopted a variable pricing system and invested in developing a pricing analysis system.”
