Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo has been recognized as a top hotel worldwide for its ambience and design. It won 'Best Hotel Ambience in the World' at the Prix Villégiature Awards 2022 and the Silver Award in the 'Entertainment & Creative/Art Space' category of the Kukan Design Awards 2022.
The Prix Villégiature Awards is an international hotel awards program with a history of nearly 20 years. This year, 22 prominent journalists from around the world nominated 247 hotels across five continents to select the Grand Prix in a variety of categories. On Oct. 17, 2022, an awards ceremony was held in Paris to announce the winners, where Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo was awarded first place in the category of 'The Best Hotel Ambience in the World.'
The hotel's expansive traditional Japanese garden played a large part in its nomination and subsequent win. The garden's standout feature is the 'Tokyo Sea of Clouds,' which enshrouds the entire area in mist several times a day. It also celebrates not just four seasons but seven. Whether it's cherry blossoms in March, fireflies in June, or the Forest Aurora light display in November, each month brings a new experience.
Shinsuke Yamashita, General Manager of Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo, expressed his delight and gratitude. "I am very honored that the Tokyo Sea of Clouds and the seven seasons were recognized both in Japan and abroad. I would like to thank everyone involved. Like many others, we have gone through a challenging time since the pandemic. We hope that many visitors will have the opportunity to experience the healing power of our stunning garden, and that these awards will help to promote tourism."
About Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo
Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo is one of the city's most iconic luxury hotels with 70 years of history. The property includes 267 guest rooms/suites, nine restaurants, 38 meeting/banquet rooms, and a full-service spa with a Japanese onsen. Its award-winning garden has a wide variety of botanicals, including more than 100 cherry trees and 1,000 camellia trees. The standout feature of the garden is the 'Tokyo sea of clouds,' a recreation of the natural phenomenon that can usually only be found in the mountainous regions of Japan. The hotel is owned and managed by Fujita Kanko Inc., a publicly-traded tourism industry corporation headquartered in Tokyo.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - September 7, 2022 - (Newswire.com)
The Kelly Foundation awarded $100,000 to Saint John's Program for Real Change, an organization that operates the largest shelter for women and children experiencing homelessness in the Sacramento region. The donation will go towards building strong family support structures leading to generational independence and less homelessness.
"Saint John's directly impacts the lives of women and children desperate for change, and we are excited to partner with an organization that helps the community thrive one life at a time," said Shawn Kelly Devlin, Chairman of the Board of the Kelly Foundation and of River City Bank. "We're confident this donation will support families in need to become self-sufficient after experiencing such challenging circumstances."
"We are proud to support the women and children of the Saint John's Program for Real Change and respect their ambition to better their lives after undergoing detrimental situations," said Steve Fleming, President and CEO of River City Bank.
After an expansion in 2017, Saint John's added 11 modular homes in 2021, which house up to 55 individuals. Saint John's now serves up to 320 women and children daily with an ongoing waitlist. Members receive extensive education, counseling and training to help lead them to a future of success both personally and professionally. In addition, the finest chefs from the Sacramento area partner with Plates Café each month to provide a one-of-a-kind gourmet meal in support of the women and children served at Saint John's Program for Real Change.
"The Kelly Foundation's grant is an investment that will heal lives for generations," said Julie Hirota, CEO of Saint John's Program for Real Change. "We appreciate the Kelly Foundation and River City Bank for believing in women and children who work so hard and choose to permanently escape the cycle of poverty and dependence."
The Kelly Foundation supports health and human services, education, culture, environment, and civic improvement through its funding. During the Foundation's 2022 fiscal year, approximately $850,000 in grants were provided to organizations that support the Sacramento region. Since merging with the RCB Foundation in 2009, the Kelly Foundation, of which River City Bank remains a major contributor, focuses on giving back to the greater Sacramento region through charitable donations.
About the Kelly Foundation The Kelly Broadcasting Company's KCRA-TV (Sacramento-Stockton-Modest, CA) went on the air on Sept. 5, 1955, and the owners of the Kelly Broadcasting Company established the Kelly Foundation in December 1988 as a formal vehicle for structuring charitable contributions. The Kelly family sold KCRA-TV in 1999 and has continued the Kelly Foundation ever since. In 2009, the River City Bank Foundation merged with the Kelly Foundation, and some executives of the Bank currently serve on the Foundation's Board. Jon S. Kelly founded River City Bank in 1973 and his daughter, Shawn Kelly Devlin, currently serves as President and Chairman of the Board. The Kelly Foundation is an expression of the importance the Kelly family places on being a good neighbor and citizen in regions where they do business. For more information on the Kelly Foundation, please visit KellyFoundationSacramento.org or call (916) 978-4892.
About Saint John's Program for Real Change Since 1985, Saint John's Program for Real Change has provided more than 30,000 homeless women and children with the essential tools to rise above their circumstances and make REAL, transformative change in their lives. Operating the largest shelter in the Sacramento Region, Saint John's Program is the one focused exclusively on women and children-the most vulnerable and rapidly growing segment of the homeless population in our region and nationwide. Dedicated to the eradication of homelessness, this 18-month comprehensive program includes mental health therapy, alcohol and drug counseling, parenting education, high school diploma preparation and attainment, budgeting classes, healthy relationship training and a proprietary Employment Training Program. Accommodating over 700 clients and their children each year with three levels of increasingly independent housing, 96% of Saint John's Employment Training Program graduates secure unsubsidized employment, a crucial step in their journeys to self-sustainability.
About River City Bank Named one of Sacramento Business Journal's "50 Fastest Growing Companies" for each of the past five years, River City Bank is the Sacramento region's premier business bank with assets of almost $3.8 billion. River City Bank offers a comprehensive suite of banking services, including loans, deposits and cash management tools to the business, consumer and commercial real estate sectors. With tailored, executive-level service and a long-term investment grade credit rating from Standard & Poor's, River City Bank redefines the banking experience and every touch point that surrounds it. River City Bank is the largest, independent, locally-owned and managed bank in the Sacramento region with offices in the San Francisco Bay Area and a presence in Southern California. For additional information, please visit www.rivercitybank.com or call (916) 567-2600. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.
