Hoshino Resorts (Headquarters: Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture / CEO: Yoshiharu Hoshino) has officially announced the launch of "LUCY," its sixth brand following HOSHINOYA, RISONARE, KAI, OMO, and BEB. LUCY, a mountain hotel providing peak comfort for peak adventures, will begin rolling out nationwide starting in the spring of 2025.
Through hotel operations in mountainous locations, LUCY aims to make the heat-stirring experiences unique to the mountains – ever-changing scenery and encounters of starry skies and wildlife beyond imagination – more accessible to a wider audience, thereby proposing a new style of travel.
Background of the Launch
Japan is known as a country skilled in cultural tourism. While the market scale continues to grow annually, the inbound tourism market, which is attracting significant attention, sees approximately three-quarters of its activity concentrated in the major cities of Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hokkaido, and Fukuoka (*1).
However, with 35 national parks (as of June 25, 2024) and a rich natural environment, it is crucial for Japan to strengthen "nature tourism" moving forward. In line with this, the Ministry of the Environment announced a project in 2016 initiating efforts to enhance facilities and services within national parks.
Furthermore, in the realm of "mountains," a key aspect of nature tourism, Japan boasts a very rich history and culture, from unique mountain worship and enjoying the changing seasons to the modern leisure activity of "mountain climbing." Japanese mountain huts are, in fact, already established as a type of accommodation in nature tourism, numbering as many as 361 (*2). As a first step, with the goal of improving the comfort of lodging functions in these mountain huts, Hoshino Resorts has decided to launch "LUCY," a new brand specializing in "mountain tourism" within the broader category of nature tourism. We aim to make the mountains a destination for everyone.
*1 Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Accommodation Travel Statistics Survey (January 2025 Preliminary Report [2nd], February 2025 Preliminary Report [1st])
*2 Source: Ministry of the Environment, Final Report of the Study Group on the Ideal State of Mountain Environment Conservation in National Parks, etc. (FY2019)
LUCY’s Concept
With the desire to make mountain stays more accessible to a wider audience, LUCY aims to provide a "comfortable lodging experience" that has been considered difficult to achieve in mountain environments.
To this end, the brand defines its facility category as "mountain hotels" and has established brand promises regarding functionality:
6 Promises for a Comfortable Mountain Getaway
1. Private rooms
2. Warm water bidet toilets
3. Shower & powder room
4. Nourishing meals with meat, fish, and eggs
5. Convenient shop for provisions inside the hotel
6. Unlimited charging & Wi-Fi
Mountains offer numerous unforgettable moments, such as ever-shifting landscape, unprecedented starry skies, and encounters with flora and fauna. With the goal of providing facilities and services that make these moments even more special and memorable as heart-stirring experiences, the brand concept has been set as a mountain hotel providing “peak comfort for peak adventures."
Origin of the Brand Name "LUCY"
The brand name “LUCY” is inspired by Isabella Lucy Bird (1831 – 1904), the renowned 19th-century English explorer, writer, photographer, and naturalist who ventured through Japan. Bird landed in Japan in 1878, shortly after it ended its isolation policy and shifted towards opening its doors to the world. She is said to be the first Westerner to traverse Japan from Hokkaido to the Kansai region, starting from Tokyo. Her interest and curiosity in travel and Japan and spirit of venturing into the unknown resonate with our desire to become a catalyst for more people to embark on such new travel experience. Therefore, her middle name was chosen as the brand name.
About the Logo
The mark, which gently encloses a woman gazing at the mountains, expresses LUCY's concept of supporting the heart-stirring experiences encountered in the mountains with comfort and hospitality.
Future Developments
As the first LUCY brand property, LUCY Ozehatomachi by Hoshino Resorts will open on September 1, 2025, at Hatomachi Pass, the entrance to Oze National Park located in Katashina Village, Gunma Prefecture. Future developments are planned in several other mountain tourism destinations, including the famous Tateyama area, Toyama Prefecture.
 Lucy by Hoshino Resorts
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