Koharu Resort receives TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence 2016

THE debut project of a Malaysian developer has been a hit with international travellers. The Koharu Resort Hotel & Suites has been awarded the coveted Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor.

The recognition was given based on rave reviews by travellers the past year on the resort’s superior customer experience.

● The power of quality service

Developed by Bukit Kiara Properties Sdn Bhd (BKP), Koharu has had three winter seasons since opening, and is now one of the top choices for skiers in Hakuba, the heart of the ski region which hosted the Nagano 1998 Winter Olympics.

Its occupancy ranges from 80% to 90% in the winter season with many repeat customers booking as far as a year ahead. Already full for this coming Christmas and New Year, the resort is popular with nationalities from around the world, in particular Australians during their December and January holidays, and Hong Kong nationals, Singaporeans and Malaysians during the Chinese New Year holidays.

Upon full completion, Koharu (which means “early spring” in Japanese) will boast self-contained hotel suites atop a 0.6ha freehold plot. The units comprise studios, 1- and 2-bedroom apartments and 2-storey maisonettes. 

In addition to the 16 apartment suites already in operation, the developer plans to build two 4-bedroom luxury villas for a client in the 2016-2017 season. Another three 4-bedroom terraced villas will follow in the 2017-2018 season, increasing the number of "keys" or rooms from the current 19 to 39. When fully completed, the resort will have between 70 and 80 keys.

BKP has not been actively marketing the sales of this resort. Instead, the developer has chosen to focus on continual improvements in operations and this, BKP group managing director Datuk NK Tong told TheEdgeProperty.com, led to the Certificate of Excellence recognition by TripAdvisor.

“I felt extremely grateful that our customers had bestowed that award on us through their generous reviews, and thankful to our property managers for their great work. I didn't see it coming as the Certificate of Excellence is only given to the top resorts around the world, as rated by customers for service excellence,” said Tong. 

On the service that Koharu Resort provides, Tong said it is an alignment of dedication and service excellence between the English-speaking expat team and the local Japanese management.

“I am very happy with their results, and I am often surprised myself at the lengths they go to, to please our customers.

“These stories I found out by myself, when I reviewed the unsolicited comments and stories that customers shared on our TripAdvisor page for Koharu Resort. These same stories were also the ones that got us noticed by TripAdvisor, and eventually led to winning this Certificate of Excellence,” he added.

Tong noted that it is still in the early days for tourism in Japan. The annual tourist numbers projected for 2020 have almost been surpassed already. The 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics is also around the corner.

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