The Square Hotel Ginza Becomes First Hotel in Japan to Introduce "Gen-pa" Palm Authentication Service, Enhancing Customer Experience

Solare Hotels and Resorts Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Osamu Inoue; hereinafter, "our company") announces that it has installed and commenced operation of three units of the "Gen-pa" palm authentication service provided by USEN-ALMEX Inc. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President: Masayuki Tsuboi; hereinafter, "USEN-ALMEX") of the USEN & U-NEXT GROUP at The Square Hotel Ginza (Chuo-ku, Tokyo), a hotel operated by our company with the concept of a "square connecting the city and its people." This marks the first time "Gen-pa" has been introduced in a domestic lodging facility. ■ Background for Implementation at The Square Hotel Ginza The Square Hotel Ginza, operated by our company, is a lodging facility used by many guests, including domestic and international tourists. We prioritize facility operations that allow guests to stay more comfortably and are committed to providing services that are both convenient and secure. Until now, our hotel managed access to the women's public bath by lending out dedicated card keys, but this posed challenges such as the burden of distributing and collecting card keys and dealing with lost or unreturned keys. Additionally, we received many requests from guests who wanted to use the facility without carrying a card key, leading us to consider a new solution that could balance convenience and safety. To solve these issues and further improve the guest experience, we have introduced USEN-ALMEX's "Gen-pa" palm authentication service at the entrance to the women's public bath at The Square Hotel Ginza. "Gen-pa" is a high-precision authentication service that supports dual authentication using both palm prints* and palm veins, completing authentication within 0.3 seconds by simply holding a hand over the device. This not only strengthens security for using the women's public bath but also enables smoother access. *Fine patterns on the palm. ■ Overview of This Initiative At The Square Hotel Ginza, we have installed and begun operating "Gen-pa" palm authentication devices in three locations: the hotel lobby, the entrance to the women's public bath, and the back-of-house area. ① During check-in, register the guest's palm information on the "Gen-pa" device in the lobby after authentication by a hotel staff member's palm. ② Authenticate by holding your palm over the device at the entrance to the women's public bath. ③ Enter the women's public bath after authentication. ■ About the "Gen-pa" Palm Authentication Service This is a service provided by USEN-ALMEX that authenticates by holding a hand over a device. It achieves "high-precision," "high-security," and "high-versatility" authentication by simultaneously capturing two biometric data points: palm print (surface) and palm vein (deep). For details, please refer to the service website. "Gen-pa" Service Site: https://usen-almex.jp/products/detail/gen-pa.html ■ About The Square Hotel Ginza This hotel proposes a new style of accommodation as a "square connecting the city and its people," where tourists and local residents can share the same space and time, and where people, food, goods, and information connect, with the hotel as the starting point. The Square Hotel Ginza: https://www.the-squarehotel.com/sgi/ ■ Future Development Starting with the implementation at The Square Hotel Ginza, our company will accumulate operational expertise with a view to expanding to larger hotel facilities within our group. In the future, we aim to establish "omotenashi" (hospitality) using cutting-edge technology as the next hotel standard and to realize a safer and more comfortable accommodation experience for all guests. Solare Hotels and Resorts Co., Ltd. owns 20 brands and operates 22 brands, including "UAN," "The Square Hotel," "hotel androoms," "LOISIR HOTEL," "ROYAL PINES HOTEL," and "CHISUN." It operates hotel businesses, including accommodation, retail, food and beverage, public baths, and spas, and engages in franchise development at 51 locations in Japan (as of May 18, 2026). URL: https://www.solarehotels.co.jp