BY MAUREEN N. MARATITA
Journal Staff

Tsurui

One of Guam’s leading hotels will rebrand — forging a new relationship and investing significantly in its property.

The Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort in Tamuning will become the RIGHA Royal Laguna Guam Resort on April 21.

Noboyuki “Kevin” Tsurui, general manager of the Guam property, told the Journal, “I am excited that we are rebranding ourselves on the 21st of April.”

The RIGHA Royal will see an investment of “seven figures-plus” in the property, Tsurui said. The hotel will add a new bakery and another bar at its infinity pool. “A quarter of the room inventory will be upgraded by November,” he said.

Miyuki Rierson, director of sales and marketing at the hotel, said upgrades will progress further. “We will continue to refurbish the entire property.”

The hotel has re-carpeted the ballroom and recently painted the exterior of the property.

No changes will be made to management or staff at the hotel, Tsurui said.

Tsurui thanked the island for the support of the hotel. “I appreciate the patronage from the local people,” he said.

As to an improvement in business, he said, “I’m really glad that the governor of Guam lifted the restrictions to 250. We needed that.”

Since the number of people permitted to gather indoors was raised, the Sheraton has already seen an increase in bookings for graduation parties and weddings. “A lot of couples were waiting for that,” Tsurui said. 

The first of RHIGA Royal Laguna Guam’s 318 rooms and 85 suites will be renovated this year.
Photo by Justin Green

Guests from the military market has been a plus, he said. “That helped some.”

Tsurui was the general manager at the Aqua Resort Club in Saipan from 2015 until his return to Guam in 2019. Before moving to Saipan, he lived in Guam for 10 years, and as owner’s representative was involved in all five group hotel purchases from 2004.

“I’ve been enjoying Guam,” he said. “I’m very happy with the climate and friendly society of Guam. I really love the island of Guam — it’s beautiful.”

The Sheraton Laguna Guam became a Ken Corp. Ltd. hotel on June 1, 2006, after the purchase of the former Palace Hotel Guam. The hotel sits on 12.9 acres of land.

The RIGHA chain is well known in Japan. The Royal Hotels Ltd.’s first hotel opened in Osaka in 1935, and since then the hotel has expanded to 17 properties.

The RIGHA Royal Laguna Guam Resort will be the first international property “under current management,” Tsurui said. Properties in New York and Australia were sold, he said. mbj