The Shangri-La Hotel in Tokyo has closed its doors until the middle of next month following Japan’s massive earthquake and tsunami, a spokeswoman said yesterday, spotlighting the impact of the crisis on tourism.
Foreign nationals have fled Tokyo, governments have advised their citizens to leave and airlines have cut flights to the Japanese capital following the twin disasters and continuing unease over an ongoing nuclear emergency. The luxury hotel, which opened last year, will remain closed until April 16.
About 300 staff are on paid leave, spokeswoman Maria Kuhn said, adding that uncertainty over power and goods supplies informed the decision. “We felt that with the logistical difficulties, transportation issues and the rolling black-outs, we were not able to offer our usual standard of service,” she said.
Embattled Tokyo Electric Power Co, operator of the stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, last week instituted rolling blackouts in the Greater Tokyo area, but not in the city center where the hotel is located.
Another luxury hotel, the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, remained open, but has temporarily closed facilities, including many of its bars and restaurants.
“Our restaurants and bars are now partially closed in order to support the energy-saving project directed by the Japan government,” a hotel spokeswoman said.
Much of usually neon-lit Tokyo has been dimmed since the crisis.
In a statement yesterday, the Mandarin Oriental said it planned to reopen closed facilities by Saturday in response to the “stabilization” of the city’s power and product supply chain.
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