Section L, a Japanese apartment-hotel brand, has emerged as a trailblazer in the extended stay market, offering breezy stays that feel like home. Co-founder and CEO Howard Ho opened Section L in Tokyo with the vision of ‘hotels without strangers’ during the COVID-19 pandemic. The brand has grown from one property to 14, with plans to expand to 5,000 rooms in the next five years.
Tested by fire through the COVID-19 pandemic, Section L is all about breezy extended stays that feel like home, enhanced by efficient technology. Co-founder and CEO Howard Ho opened Section L in Tokyo with the vision of ‘hotels without strangers’ at the cusp of the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020.
It has grown from one 28-key property to 14 properties with a total of 340 rooms, including an upcoming opening in Shibuya-Hatagaya in July 2026. Ambitious expansion plans are afoot: Ho is targeting to hit 5,000 rooms in the next five years, with the addition of Kumamoto, Kyushu, Fukuoka, and Kyoto to the portfolio.
Born in Taiwan, Ho spent several years there and in Vancouver for his education before attending the Nolan School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University in New York. One for adventure and pushing boundaries, it was a wine class in the curriculum that had caught the then 18-year-old’s eye – under a special New York state by-law, those under 21 could drink alcohol when it is served in an educational context. He never took that class.
Ho said: ‘As soon as I entered hotel school, I was swept up in everything else. I enjoyed it so much, especially the behind-the-scenes of how a hotel runs. ’ Upon graduation, Ho started off as a management trainee with the Four Seasons Aviara in San Diego before landing senior roles in asset management and branding under several hospitality groups, including The Shangri-La Group, where he was part of the team that created and launched the Hotel Jen brand.
These formative years taught him that corporate culture could be operationalised. He recalled resetting a hotel ballroom during his time at Four Seasons. It was 3am and a 1000-person wedding banquet had left rose petals all over the floor. He said: ‘My team leader worked with us to cover every inch of the ballroom.
He made sure the whole carpet was cleaned, and every scuffed corner was fixed. I saw the kind of pride that could permeate an organisation from the front to the back of house. ’ In 2017, Ho moved to Japan and spent three years scaling a Japanese rental startup into a management company with an inventory of hotel and rental units on homestay and experiences platform Airbnb.
It was a eureka moment: a lodging didn’t need to look like a hotel – reception counters and on-site restaurants were no longer deal breakers. He said: ‘I realised if I were to start a hotel business, I don’t necessarily need to raise all this capital and have a full service five-star hotel with expensive staff. All I needed was to help existing owners better utilise their residential assets.
’ This was how Section L came to straddle ‘the dependability of an international chain and the warmth and hospitality of an Airbnb. ’ Every unit in the brand’s 10 apartment-hotels and four long-stay residences is equipped with a washer-dryer, a living-dining area, and a fully stocked kitchenette. But it wasn’t just solid hardware. For Ho, who has even done stand-up comedy stints in a Tokyo club, human and cultural connections were important.
Social events such as daily happy-hour gatherings, Hanami picnics during sakura season, and Easter egg hunts enabled guests to make friends. Quirky features like a Super Nintendo console in the lobby and a suite equipped with a Finnish sauna added to the fun residential appeal. Before each property’s opening, the team will visit 10 to 15 small businesses – restaurants, shops, cafes – surrounding the hotel. Ho explained: ‘On the first visit, we introduce ourselves.
The second time, we go back with a professional photographer to do a proper photo shoot of the place, print everything on postcards and give them to the owner as a gift. We also use these postcards to promote the places. When guests check in, they know about our city. ’ While COVID-19 was a blip in Section L’s trajectory, Ho now considers the pandemic the crucial fire that moulded the brand.
He shared: ‘It informed our perspective about the extended stay business and that we were on the right track; even during COVID we were running at 80 per cent occupancy even though it was at lower rates and filled by domestic guests. ’ Section L hotel lobbies with pictures of surrounding shops, cafes, and restaurants. (Photo: Section L
Please follow us on Google to support usSection L Japanese Apartment-Hotel Brand Extended Stays Breezy Stays Home-Like Stays Efficient Technology Human And Cultural Connections Social Events Quirky Features Partnerships With Local Businesses COVID-19 Pandemic Expansion Plans Cornell University Nolan School Of Hotel Administration Four Seasons Aviara The Shangri-La Group Hotel Jen Brand Wine Class Stand-Up Comedy Stints Hanami Picnics Easter Egg Hunts Super Nintendo Console Finnish Sauna City Promotion Domestic Guests International Guests First Or Second Time In Japan
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