Blackstone Inc has bought a Ritz-Carlton resort in Okinawa and is purchasing another hotel on the Japanese island in a deal worth about ¥20 billion , according to people with knowledge of the matter.
 
The US alternative asset manager bought the 97-room Ritz-Carlton, which is located in a country club, from Kanehide Holdings Co, a closely held company involved in a broad range of industries in Japan’s southernmost prefecture. The transaction will include the Kanehide Kise Beach Palace and money to be spent on renovations, the people said, asking not to be identified as the matter is private.

Blackstone declined to comment. A representative for Kanehide confirmed in an email that it has sold the Ritz building, and declined to comment further.

The deal comes during a tourism boom in Japan that’s been driven by a weak yen. More than 30 million travellers visited the country in the first 10 months of this year, already beating annual records. The burst of activity has drawn business and investment interest in Japanese hotels, which have been among the most popular real estate assets in Asia this year. 

Okinawa’s subtropical climate and numerous beaches make it a popular vacation destination, both domestically and for travellers across Asia. About 886,700 tourists visited Okinawa in the April to October period this year, a 12.5% increase from a year earlier, according to local government data.

Japan saw ¥767 billion in hotel transactions in the first six months of 2024, a 46% jump from a year earlier and the most in at least a decade, according to MSCI Real Assets.

Blackstone has also marked its most active year in Japan, with about US$7.7 billion in transactions across its real estate and private equity business in the country. Last week, the firm said it bought a mixed-use complex in central Tokyo from Seibu Holdings Inc for about ¥400 billion.

  - Bloomberg