More than just a place to stay! Our PR representative introduces the appeal of the Richmond Hotel!

Hello! I’m Takeuchi from the Public Relations Division, Social Relations Department 3, Public Relations Business Headquarters.

On a personal note, in my second year as a working professional, I made my “business trip debut”!

Do you think of a “business hotel” as “just a place to sleep”? I did too until recently, but after staying at the Richmond Hotel—whose PR is handled by SUNNY SIDE UP—my perspective changed completely!

In this article, Takeuchi from the PR team will share the many highlights of the Richmond Hotel, which operates nationwide!

A “stay-style hotel” connected to the local community: Richmond Hotel Aomori

The first stop was the Richmond Hotel Aomori in Aomori Prefecture. As soon as I entered the hotel, the first thing I saw was rows and rows of apples! And even the elevator smelled like apples! I could not contain my excitement in this extraordinary space that lets you feel you have arrived in Aomori with all five senses.

In addition, on April 15, 2026, the Richmond Hotel Aomori fully reopened its breakfast venue and lounge after a complete renovation!

When you choose either the main breakfast dish, “splendid alfonsino shabu-shabu,” or Aomori’s specialty “kaiyaki miso,” a staff member brings a small pot to your table. Watching the flame gently heat it right in front of me and the steam rise, I found myself naturally chatting with the staff—an incredibly warm, memorable moment.

And what truly lifted my spirits was the “all-things-apple” menu! Dishes such as “apple and bacon risotto” and “stewed chicken with an apple brandy flavor” brought out the full appeal of apples as part of a meal.

All front desk staff at the Richmond Hotel Aomori have obtained the “Aomori Apple Certification (Advanced Level),” and the hotel has reportedly been certified as an “Aomori Apple Meister Hotel” by the Aomori Apple Measures Council (General Incorporated Association).

In addition, the live kitchen offered “shijimi clam ramen” made with clams from Lake Jūsan, as well as “igamenchi,” a local specialty passed down in the Tsugaru region—truly a morning where you can experience Aomori without ever leaving the hotel.

Workshops to experience local culture

Moreover, it is not only the food that makes the Richmond Hotel Aomori so fulfilling. Since April, the hotel lobby has hosted exhibitions, sales, and workshops by local artists, producers, and NPOs as part of its community contribution efforts. On the day I stayed, I joined a glass workshop using “apple-shaped glass” and “Nebuta washi” that had fulfilled its role after the festival.

While creating, I also struck up conversations with other guests, and in a relaxed atmosphere I was able to make an adorable keepsake. It was a way of spending time that is unique to a true “stay-style hotel,” where you can feel the living presence of local culture without leaving the property.

A lineup of local specialties! A Richmond Hotel breakfast experience that lets you enjoy the appeal of each region

Next, I visited the Richmond Hotel Higashi-Osaka. The atmosphere was completely different from Aomori—an energetic space where you can fully savor the charm of Osaka.

What impressed me most was that you can enjoy “Osaka-only local specialties” from breakfast! Not only kushikatsu and okonomiyaki, but even “chiritori nabe,” said to have originated in Osaka. Personally, I also loved the “mixed juice” that you shake well before drinking!

Business trips are often packed with schedules, leaving little time to enjoy sightseeing or local cuisine at a leisurely pace. However, being able to fully savor the flavors unique to the area at the hotel’s breakfast buffet is something only the Richmond Hotel can offer. Menus are tailored to each region across Japan, so you can head to work feeling energized from the morning.

A hotel that turns business trips into a “treat”

On this first business trip, I stayed at the Richmond Hotel and realized it is not merely a place to sleep, but a space where you can experience the local culture through “food” and “people.”

The appeal of a “stay-style hotel,” where your stay itself becomes time to experience the destination—through encounters with local people and traditional culture, as the Richmond Hotel Aomori aims to provide. And the local specialties at the Richmond Hotel Higashi-Osaka that let you feel Osaka’s lively energy from the morning.

I truly felt that the Richmond Hotel is not simply “a place to sleep,” but a presence that brings you much closer to the city you are visiting.

When you travel for business or leisure, please make the Richmond Hotel’s “breakfast” and “in-hotel experiences” one of your main highlights. Your business trip may just turn into a “treat”!

SUNNY SIDE UP handles PR communications for various products and services, including hotels. We welcome inquiries starting with questions about what can be achieved through the power of communication. Please feel free to contact us using the “CONTACT” button below.