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Sono International inks deal to operate hotel in Nagoya after renovations

Published: 11 Feb. 2026, 14:01

KIM MIN-YOUNG
[email protected]

Sono International logo [SONO INTERNATIONAL]

Sono International, the hospitality arm of Daemyung Sono Group, has signed a management contract Tuesday to operate Compass Hotel Nagoya in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, and will reopen it as Sono Moon Nagoya from July after renovations.

The 10-story hotel has 130 rooms and is located about seven minutes from Nagoya Station, a major transportation hub, according to the company Wednesday. It is also close to tourist attractions such as Nagoya Castle and Atsuta Shrine, as well as the central commercial district of Sakae.

The property, which opened in 2019, will undergo partial renovations of guest rooms and common areas before its official relaunch in July under Sono’s urban-style brand, Sono Moon Nagoya.

Sono International operates hotels and resorts with a total of about 12,000 rooms across 21 locations in Korea, along with leisure facilities such as ski resorts, golf courses and water parks.

Overseas, the company began operating Sono Belle Haiphong in Vietnam under a management contract in 2019. It has since expanded by operating the Normandy Hotel in Washington, D.C., in 2022, and 33 Seaport Hotel New York in 2023. In 2024, it acquired Hotel Dame des Arts in Paris and Waikiki Resort Hotel in Hawaii.

In 2025, Sono International acquired Cross Hotels & Resorts, which operates 16 hotels and resorts with a total of 1,507 rooms, mainly in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Pattaya in Thailand and in Bali, Indonesia. The company plans to add 11 more hotels in Asia by 2029.

Sono International also plans to pursue a synergy strategy with affiliate T’way Air to offer an integrated travel experience linking flights and accommodations.

“Japan is an important market with global tourism infrastructure and strong travel demand, making it highly significant to Sono International’s global expansion strategy,” said a company official. “Building on the capabilities we have accumulated over the past 40 years, we will successfully operate Sono Moon Nagoya and continue to strengthen our competitiveness as a global hospitality company through expansion at home and abroad.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]