Event Description
Everything works differently in Japan and that is especially true when introducing international brands and concepts. As a pioneering developer who has introduced multiple new hotel brands to Japan, Seth Sulkin has had to cope with the exacting standards of big franchisors like Marriott and IHG while at the same time adapting them to the needs of the Japanese market. Mr. Sulkin will discuss how he chooses brands for each project, geographic and cultural differences throughout Japan and how the boom in international visitors to Japan is transforming the hotel industry.
He will also talk about how he goes about choosing general contractors, architects and interior designers and how the high cost of land in Japan influences design choices. He will discuss why it is almost impossible to build stand-alone luxury hotels in Tokyo, how developers and investors increasingly prefer renovations of existing hotels to new builds and why office to hotel conversions are so rare in Japan.
CES: Estimated 1 LU for AIA Members
Speaker
Seth Sulkin, CEO, Pacifica Capital K.K./ Pacifica Hotels G.K.
Moderator: Whitney Voss, AIA, Vice President, AIA Japan; Associate, Gensler
Speaker Bios
Seth R. Sulkin is President and CEO of Pacifica Capital K.K., a Tokyo-based developer of hotels and commercial properties with more than 30 years of real estate investment experience in Japan. He is also CEO of Pacifica Hotels G.K., a franchise operator of Marriott and IHG hotels. In October 2017, he developed and opened Moxy Tokyo Kinshicho, the first lifestyle hotel in Japan. He is also the developer of numerous other international hotels under a variety of brands including Westin, Courtyard by Marriott, Holiday Inn & Suites, Garner and City Express by Marriott. His projects range from Hokkaido to Okinawa and everywhere in between.
Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Mr. Sulkin is a member of the Executive Committee of ULI Japan. Fluent in Japanese, he received a master’s degree from Stanford University’s Center for East Asian Studies and attended the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies in Yokohama.
Whitney Voss is an American architect based in Tokyo and an Associate at Gensler, where she leads design for complex international projects across hospitality, retail, and mixed-use development. Her work is grounded in cultural responsiveness, technical rigor, and a deep commitment to contextual design.
Whitney began her career at SHoP Architects in New York, where she helped lead the design of multiple U.S. embassy and consulate facilities for the Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations. These highly complex, high-security projects—such as the U.S. Embassy in Honduras and the U.S. Consulate in Milan—exemplify her belief in architecture as a diplomatic tool and a means of building international understanding.
Over the past decade, she has contributed to projects spanning Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Africa, bringing a cross-cultural perspective to every phase of design and project delivery. Her portfolio reflects a breadth of experience—from large-scale institutional master plans to resilient architecture in extreme climates. She consistently seeks to create spaces that are both locally grounded and globally relevant.
Whitney is licensed in New York and currently serves as Vice President of the AIA Japan Chapter. She earned her Bachelor of Architecture from Rice University and has presented her work at U.S. federal and academic forums. She has lived and practiced in Japan since 2023.
