Tokyo boutique operator TRUNK (HOTEL) will open an 18-story, 107-room property in Sapporo on September 17, 2027. The project takes the brand outside the Japanese capital for the first time.
Located in the central Odori district, the development is the brand’s fourth property and its largest footprint to date. Tokyo architecture practice GENERAL DESIGN CO., LTD. Designed the building alongside TRUNK Atelier, the operator’s in-house unit. They deployed a concept labeled Midcentury Folklore across 18 suites and 89 standard guest rooms.
Waterways and Michelin Dining
Inside the tower, an entire floor houses TRUNK(BATH HOUSE), configured around an urban spa concept. Guests enter through a reception lounge and bar before reaching a 40-meter central waterway. This channel feeds 10 communal bathing spaces, each fitted with dedicated water temperatures, audio setups and lighting profiles. Separate male and female zones each feature saunas, cold plunge pools and open-air decks.
Dining operations center on a partnership with Michelin-recognized Sushi Saito. The outpost is the restaurant’s first kitchen in Sapporo, featuring a chef counter format that pairs Tokyo preparation methods with Hokkaido seafood. A second all-day dining venue sits on the lounge and bar floor. That room will feature live music performances, an outdoor terrace and heated transparent domes for the winter season.
Banqueting and Private Event Spaces
Event facilities occupy two dedicated floors. A private studio level houses a cinema, a karaoke suite and modular rooms for small corporate functions. On the 10th and 11th floors, three distinct banquet halls operate under the names HINATA, MIYABI and KODACHI. Upper levels also incorporate a standalone dessert room, a private sushi bar, an outdoor pizza terrace and a six-meter-tall ceremonial chapel facing park greenery.
Japanese boutique operators have historically clustered in central Tokyo neighbourhoods like Shibuya and Cat Street to capture dense international footfall. Moving into regional capitals shifts the commercial calculation. Operators must balance domestic corporate travel against peak winter ski flows, using larger food and beverage operations to sustain occupancy when seasonal tourism dips.
Rival international chains and Hokkaido landlords are expanding across Sapporo and nearby resort nodes like Niseko. TRUNK’s entry accelerates competition for high-spend domestic travellers. The main execution risk sits in building out large-format hospitality real estate with complex amenity footprints in a secondary market. Construction costs and seasonal labour constraints in Hokkaido remain structurally tighter than in Tokyo.
Portfolio Track Record
TRUNK built its track record in Tokyo, establishing brand equity through boutique design, high-density public lounges and curated tenant partnerships. Scaling beyond the capital tests whether that neighbourhood-driven model translates to an 18-story greenfield tower.
Crews continue work in the Odori commercial core ahead of the scheduled opening date on September 17, 2027.
