[Event Report] Why Was ‘LIVELY HOTELS’ Born? First Fan Meetup ‘Explore LIVELY Meetup’ Held!
This article is written by an external writer who participated in the event.
LIVELY HOTELS is one of Japan’s leading lifestyle hotel collections.
Rather than simply providing a place to stay, these hotels offer experiences that help guests “update” themselves.
This time, we held our very first fan meetup for guests who use and love LIVELY HOTELS!
The stage for this memorable first event was the flagship of LIVELY HOTELS, THE LIVELY BAR TOKYO AZABUJUBAN.
Here, we looked back on the background of the brand’s creation.
Toward a Society Where Everyone Can Pursue Self-Realization.
A Talk Session Tracing the Brand’s Origins
To commemorate this first event, Takeshi Yamasaki, President and CEO of Global Agents, the company behind LIVELY HOTELS, took the stage. Global Agents celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2025.
“Today, we want to show you our behind-the-scenes side. Please enjoy it casually!” he said with a smile.
Global Agents began with its social apartment business.
Unlike conventional shared houses at the time, which often sacrificed privacy, social apartments combined private living spaces with shared common areas for interaction. This new type of residence offered the value of experiences that help people grow through human connections and mutual influence.
We believe that a truly rich society is one where anyone can move toward self-realization.
From this idea, social apartments were born, and they have now expanded to about 50 buildings and 3,000 units nationwide.
So why start a hotel business?
The answer: to give more people the feeling that “life is moving forward.”
With that desire in mind, we embarked on the hotel business.
There were even off-the-record stories that could only be heard at the fan meetup!
Next came a talk session on the hotel’s concept and brand vision,
led by President Yamasaki and Ms. Kano from the Hotel Business PR team.
LIVELY HOTELS is based on the concept of being “a place where you can update yourself.” Encounters with interesting design, warm staff, and new local information—along with meeting new people and having new experiences—are all elements that help guests update themselves.
Among them, the “THE LIVELY” brand, which opened in Fukuoka, Osaka, and Tokyo in 2019, is a lifestyle hotel featuring elegant yet playful design. The brand realizes its concept through seasonal food and drink menus, space design incorporating art and live DJ music, and events open to both guests and non-guests.
Within these carefully crafted spaces are hidden design elements symbolizing each location. For example, at the front desk of THE LIVELY BAR TOKYO AZABUJUBAN, there is a piece of punching art depicting a map of Azabu-Juban.
Guests, upon hearing this, couldn’t help but gather around to take a closer look.
There is also great attention to detail in the guest room layouts.
Double rooms at THE LIVELY BAR TOKYO AZABUJUBAN are about 20 square meters, slightly compact. To make the most of the space, a dynamic design was used to maximize functionality while balancing privacy and openness.
Instead of a unit bath, the rooms feature a shower room, and an L-shaped sliding door between the bathroom and bedroom allows for both privacy and a sense of spaciousness.
A large mirror and a TV stand with a retractable desk help create a relaxed, non-business-like atmosphere. Through such design choices, the rooms manage to be both comfortable and functional despite the limited space.
The talk then moved to another unique initiative: creating an original aroma based on the theme of “the excitement of travel and staying true to yourself” to enhance the brand’s experiential value. This aroma is used in hotel entrances and lobbies. Guests enjoyed smelling the fragrance from test strips placed on the tables as they listened to the story.
Although this report can’t include all the details, guests were surprised by an unexpected backstory behind the “THE LIVELY” brand name. It was a session that conveyed the President’s strong desire to change the conventional idea of a hotel.
LIVELY HOTELS Talk in Full Bloom. A Lively Social Time
Now came the much-anticipated social time with guests! Holding free beer and light snacks served at THE LIVELY BAR TOKYO AZABUJUBAN, guests and staff shared their passion for LIVELY HOTELS.
At LIVELY HOTELS, all properties offer free beer after check-in. This service is meant to give guests a sense of excitement for the journey ahead, while encouraging interaction with staff and fellow travelers in a thoughtfully designed lounge.
And so—cheers with beer in hand!
Some guests had stayed at LIVELY HOTELS in places like Tokyo and Fukuoka, while others were repeat visitors to the same hotel many times over. Several mentioned enjoying hotel stays where they could experience seasonal changes in art and music.
Finger foods like croissants and prosciutto—also served at breakfast and the bar at THE LIVELY BAR TOKYO AZABUJUBAN—were provided. Guests chatted over bites, discussing questions like “What do you like about LIVELY HOTELS?”, “Which hotels have you stayed at?”, and “What amenities would make you happy?”
There was even a room tour, visiting not only the double rooms but also the largest “Lively King Room” with a 240 cm king bed, as well as the top-floor THE LIVELY BAR TOKYO AZABUJUBAN.
Comments like “I love leaning against this cushion” and “This looks perfect for a family stay” filled the air as guests explored the property. With the earlier talk about room design fresh in their minds, they opened and closed doors and desks, experiencing the dynamic design firsthand.
Before anyone realized, it was time to wrap up the event. The parting gift for guests was an original drawstring bag made especially for this Meetup.
To help guests relive the hotel stay feeling at home, the bag was filled with the blend tea provided in THE LIVELY rooms and an exclusive original coffee.
Drawstring bags are also perfect travel companions. The time spent packing them—wondering “What should I put inside?”—is one of the joys of traveling. Please take it along on your next trip!
Written by: Yuki Ishikawa