Sono Hospitality Group's Sono International said on the 11th it will enter the Japanese market by opening "Sono Moon Nagoya" in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, in July. It will operate the existing "Compass Hotel Nagoya" under a consignment arrangement.
Sono Moon Nagoya has 130 rooms across 10 above-ground floors and is a seven-minute walk from Nagoya Station, adjacent to major attractions such as Nagoya Castle and Atsuta Shrine as well as the Sakae central commercial district, making it a location evaluated as capable of capturing both tourist and business demand.
Sono International's strategy is to establish itself in the Japanese market based on 40 years of accumulated hotel and resort operations experience. Sono International operates hotels, resorts, and various leisure facilities with about 12,000 rooms across 21 regions in Korea and has also expanded overseas operations in Vietnam, the United States, and elsewhere.
In 2025, it acquired Cross Hotels & Resorts, which operates 16 hotels and resorts centered in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Pattaya in Thailand and in Bali, Indonesia, and it plans to add 11 hotels in Asia by 2029.
The group also plans to pursue a synergy strategy that provides an integrated travel experience connecting everything from flights to lodging through coordination with affiliate T'way Air.
A Sono International official said, "Japan is a market equipped with international tourism infrastructure and travel demand, and it is of great importance in Sono International's global expansion strategy."