A 25-year love affair with Mariana Resort

Every hotel has guests that stay faithful, visiting every year to the extent that some even call the Commonwealth their home away from home.

This is the case for Japanese couple Hiroshi Homma, 85, and his wife Takako, 77. The couple has been regular guests at Marianas Resort and Spa since the 1990s.

Hiroshi and Takako first visited Saipan 25 years ago and during those more than two decades they’ve visited Saipan a grand total of 55 times—twice and sometimes even thrice a year. They’ve returned to their second home despite increasing expenses and major changes since Japan Air Lines pulled out from the islands more than a decade ago.

Japanese couple Hiroshi Homma, 85, and his wife Takako, 77, pose at the frontage of the Mariana Resort and Spa in Marpi. (Jayson Camacho)

“Marianas Resort & Spa is our second home and we want to continue coming back. We know the history of Mariana Resort before it became a big hotel, back then it was small. We have many memories here including with the rest of our family. We hope that Mariana Resort’s management continues and that they keep the hotel,” Hiroshi said.

Kan Pacific Saipan’s land lease on the Marpi land expires on April 2018. Mariana Resort was hoping to get an extension of its lease, but the Department of Public Lands made a recent decision to solicit competitive bids instead of granting a new lease agreement to Kan Pacific. This has resulted in Mariana Resort holding off on investments worth millions of dollars.

Hiroshi said that once Kan Pacific leaves, he and his wife will not be continuing their annual visits to Saipan.

“Twenty-five years ago we first came to Mariana Resort to play golf, but we were not staying here and stayed at a different hotel. However, we did not like the other hotel, and after coming to Mariana Resort we enjoyed it because of the golf, the horseback riding, and the staff and services,” Hiroshi said.

“They were very nice to us. So we stayed at Mariana Resort and continued to stay here on every visit. We continued traveling to Saipan twice a year. Our grandson on his first visit here, he was only six months old, he is now 19 years old and loves Saipan especially Mariana Resort,” he added.

The Hommas’ other grandson came here about 15 times and brought his friend along to stay at the Mariana Resort.

“The one we love the most is the staff and the warm welcome we always receive when we come back. We also like the different cultures that interact at the hotel where everyone is smiling and not only the Japanese employees. We like the golf course, the view, and the hotel,” Hiroshi said.

“We call it our second home because we are retired and usually in Japan we look for places to stay when we visit and return again…Back then it was a lot cheaper to fly to Saipan when Japan Air Lines was flying from Nagoya to Saipan but now nothing, but we still come because we love the service, the island, and our second home [Marianas Resort],” Hiroshi said.

Takako also said that her family members visited Saipan as well.

Hiroshi said that they are usually here for two weeks but seldom leave the hotel because it accommodates all their needs.

Hiroshi said he and his wife, who live in Fuchu, Tokyo, usually spend between $7,000 and $10,000 whenever they visit Saipan. The expenses, however, increase whenever they bring other family members.

“We love it here and hate to see it go. If somebody else takes over we won’t be coming back because Mr. [Yoshihiro] Kitami [president of Kan Pacific] is very nice to us including his employees and we enjoy it here. We hope they (the CNMI government) reconsider and let Mariana Resort stay,” Hiroshi said.

Marianas Resort and Spa general manager Gloria Cavanagh said that repeater guests are always important to the hotels.

“Mr. and Mrs. Homma have been coming here for over 20 years. Marianas Resort has been here through thick and thin and they are guests that have been returning back and we would like to see them stay in the future,” Cavanagh said.