【OMO7 Asahikawa】"Travel is Magic" with the Community. Through New Employee Training at Asahiyama Zoo, Deeply Understand the City's Charm and Become a Bridge Connecting Travelers

During the park stroll

OMO7 Asahikawa by Hoshino Resorts (hereinafter OMO7 Asahikawa), an "urban" hotel for fully enjoying Asahikawa, held its 2026 new employee training on April 1st at its neighbor, Asahiyama Zoo (hereinafter Asahiyama Zoo). The aim is for OMO7 Asahikawa's new employees to plan and propose unique services that convey animal ecology, through lectures by zookeepers and behind-the-scenes tours of the Hippopotamus House. Furthermore, staff hired in 2025, who also participated last year, joined this training to deepen their understanding with the experience and knowledge gained over the past year. After the training, they planned and presented original Asahiyama Zoo lectures, and will continue to collaborate to disseminate the charm of Asahikawa City to even more people.

Content of the New Employee Training Held at Asahiyama Zoo

1. Special Lecture by Zookeepers and Behind-the-Scenes Tour Conducted

Behind-the-scenes tour at the Hippopotamus House

OMO7 Asahikawa has guest rooms themed after animals found at Asahiyama Zoo, such as the "Polar Bear Room" and "Penguin Room." Furthermore, every day at 8 PM, an "Asahiyama Zoo Lecture" is held, with themes changing seasonally, where unknown characteristics and ecology of animals are taught, incorporating information heard from zookeepers. To work at OMO7 Asahikawa, which offers such content, new employees received a special lecture for about an hour from zookeepers, covering the history of Asahiyama Zoo, its philosophy of "conveying life," and the desire for visitors to feel the beauty and preciousness of life, as well as the equality between humans and animals, through the animals' natural forms. Afterwards, a behind-the-scenes tour of the Hippopotamus House was also conducted, allowing them to experience the philosophy of Asahiyama Zoo firsthand.

2. Utilizing Knowledge Gained from Training to Plan Original "Asahiyama Zoo Lectures"

Asahiyama Zoo Lecture presentation scene

After participating in the new employee training at Asahiyama Zoo, four employees hired in 2025 planned and presented original "Asahiyama Zoo Lectures." Six new employees hired in 2026 also participated in the presentation, experiencing the future "Asahiyama Zoo Lecture" initiatives from a guest's perspective. This will be utilized for future services.

Comments from 2026 New Employees

"Overall, it was a very valuable opportunity. During the behind-the-scenes tour of the Hippopotamus House, I learned about the ecology and characteristics of hippos in their sleeping area, which is usually inaccessible, and it was very interesting." (Koki Nishioka)

"I love Asahiyama Zoo and visit often, but experiencing Director Nakata's lecture and the behind-the-scenes tour of the Hippopotamus House, I discovered charms and secrets I hadn't noticed before." (Ayara Kudo)

"This was my first visit to Asahiyama Zoo, and I was surprised to see animals so up close. In the lecture, I felt the passion and thoughts of the zookeepers towards the animals, so next time I want to try my best to convey that to our guests." (Seungmi Lee)

Comment from Taiyo Terui, General Manager of OMO7 Asahikawa by Hoshino Resorts

"Hoshino Resorts' mission is 'Travel is Magic.' While there are various reasons for traveling to Asahikawa, many customers visit Asahiyama Zoo. Asahiyama Zoo offers unique experiences and special attention from the zookeepers, and we want to understand these fundamentally and convey them to our customers in our own way. This training was planned to deepen new employees' understanding and empathy for Asahiyama Zoo, while also allowing them to experience the importance and fun of conveying the charm of the region. We expect them to grow into staff who deeply love Asahikawa, disseminate its charm with local people, and connect travelers with Asahikawa."

【Overview of New Employee Training at Asahikawa City Asahiyama Zoo】

Date: April 1, 2026 (Tuesday)

Time: 13:30~

Venue: Asahikawa City Asahiyama Zoo

OMO7 Asahikawa by Hoshino Resorts

Number of participants: 6 new employees in 2026

4 employees hired in 2025

Content: Lecture by Asahiyama Zoo keepers

Behind-the-scenes tour of the Hippopotamus House

Park tour

Creation of Asahiyama Zoo Lecture

What is "OMO"?

"OMO" is Hoshino Resorts' "urban" hotel brand deployed nationwide, where staff who deeply love the city collaborate with local people to create a new kind of hotel. Guests encounter unexpected charms and unknowingly fall in love with the city. Currently, 17 facilities are in operation. Following the opening of "OMO5 Yokohama Bashamichi" in January 2026, "OMO7 Yokohama" is scheduled to open in April.

OMO Brand Map

Service Scope Indicated by Numbers and Icons

The numbers and icons after OMO indicate the scope of services. These numbers allow guests to choose the optimal hotel according to their travel purpose and how they want to spend their time. OMO supports a wide range of urban tourism trips.

Service scope indicated by numbers

OMO7 Asahikawa by Hoshino Resorts

Asahikawa is a hub city with good access to Furano and Biei. It is an "urban" hotel where you can fully enjoy Hokkaido's climate and the new and old cultures passed down in this land, such as the famous "Asahikawa City Asahiyama Zoo" with its behavioral exhibits and delicious food found by hopping through back alleys.

OMO7 Asahikawa OMO Base

Location: 9-chome, 6-jo-dori, Asahikawa City, Hokkaido 070-0036

Phone: 050-3134-8095 (OMO Reservation Center)

Number of rooms: 237 rooms / Check-in 15:00 / Check-out 11:00

Price: From 25,000 yen per room per night (tax included, meals not included)

Access: 13-minute walk from JR Asahikawa Station

Opening date: April 28, 2018

URL: https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/omo7asahikawa/