Media OutReach
Dusit Thani Kyoto named Four-Star Hotel in Forbes Travel Guide’s 2025 Star Awards
Luxury hotel earns another prestigious accolade for its exceptional service and world-class facilities
BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 17 February 2025 – Dusit Thani Kyoto, a luxury urban oasis operated by Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, has built on its recent One Michelin Key recognition by earning a 2025 Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Award—further cementing its reputation as one of Kyoto’s most exceptional hotels.
Founded in the United States in 1958, Forbes Travel Guide (formerly known as Mobil Travel Guide) is a globally respected authority in luxury hospitality, renowned for pioneering the five-star rating system in 1960. Its anonymous inspectors evaluate hotels based on more than 900 objective standards, ensuring a trusted benchmark of excellence in the travel industry.
The Four-Star rating is awarded to properties that demonstrate exceptional service and outstanding facilities. Dusit Thani Kyoto earned this distinction through rigorous, undercover assessments by Forbes Travel Guide’s inspectors, who experienced the hotel just as a typical guest would—paying their own way to ensure impartiality.
Opened in September 2023, Dusit Thani Kyoto is set in the peaceful Hongwanji Monzen-machi district, just 850 metres from the city’s bustling Kyoto Station. Operating under Dusit’s luxury Dusit Thani brand, the hotel seamlessly blends Thai-inspired gracious hospitality with Japan’s deep-rooted culture of omotenashi (wholeheartedly looking after guests) and features 147 meticulously designed guest rooms that balance timeless elegance with contemporary comfort.
The hotel also serves as a hub of gourmet dining experiences. Guests can embark on an interactive omakase journey at Kōyō, which showcases Kyoto’s 24 micro-seasons through the finest ingredients. Den Kyoto elevates mixology with handcrafted cocktails infused with Thai herbs, while Ayatana, the hotel’s signature Thai fine-dining restaurant, delivers an exquisite celebration of Thai flavours and culinary artistry. Committed to sustainability, Ayatana sources premium seasonal ingredients from the Kansai region, including fresh herbs and vegetables from Ohara Farm and organic tea leaves from its own tea farm in Wazuka.
Alongside versatile event spaces that accommodate up to 240 guests, the hotel also boasts a signature Devarana Wellness centre, where expert therapists blend ancient Thai massage therapies with traditional Japanese healing rituals, ensuring a truly restorative experience.
“Receiving Forbes Travel Guide’s distinguished Four-Star Award just over a year after our opening is a remarkable achievement and a testament to our unwavering commitment to excellence, heartfelt service, and creating truly memorable experiences for our guests,” said Makoto Yamashita, Cluster General Manager, Dusit Thani Kyoto and ASAI Kyoto Shijo. “Inspired by this accolade and our One Michelin Key status, we remain committed to raising the bar, delivering exceptional service, and ensuring our hotel continues to be a place of warmth, elegance, and meaningful connections for all who visit.”
For more information about the hotel, please visit Dusit Thani Kyoto.
Hashtag: #dusitinternational #dusitthanikyoto
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About Dusit Thani Kyoto
Opened on 1 September 2023, Dusit Thani Kyoto is located in a historic area near the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Nishi Hongwan-ji Temple. The hotel offers a unique fusion of Japan’s exquisite traditions and the gracious hospitality of Dusit’s Thai origins. Guests can enjoy beautifully designed, comfortable rooms alongside a rich variety of culinary experiences, including three distinctive restaurants, a tea salon, and a hidden bar. The Devarana Wellness centre provides rejuvenation for the mind and body, while exclusive experience programmes immerse guests in the true essence of Kyoto.
Our commitment to delivering “Everything You Deserve” ensures that guests not only enjoy the charm of Kyoto as a travel destination but also find a tranquil oasis for their hearts and senses. Notably, in July 2024, Dusit Thani Kyoto became the first Thai-origin hotel brand in Japan to receive a prestigious “Michelin Key” for its ‘outstanding’ facilities and service.
For more information about the hotel, please visit 
Dusit Thani Kyoto.
About Forbes Travel Guide
Forbes Travel Guide is the only global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants and spas. Our anonymous professional inspectors evaluate based on hundreds of exacting standards, with an emphasis on exceptional service, to help discerning travelers select the world’s best experiences. The only way to get a Five-Star, Four-Star or Recommended rating is by earning it through our independent inspection process.
For more information about Forbes Travel Guide, please visit ForbesTravelGuide.com.
GoTyme Bank becomes the first digital bank in the Philippines to enable Apple Pay, expanding secure and seamless digital payments for 10 million customers
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Media OutReach Newswire – 18 August 2026 – Paymentology, the leading global issuer processor, today announced the successful launch of Apple Pay for GoTyme Bank in the Philippines. Through this launch, GoTyme becomes one of the first issuers in the Philippine market to enable Apple Pay, giving 10 million customers an easy, secure and private way to pay using their Apple devices.
As one of the country’s fastest-growing digital banks, GoTyme continues to accelerate its digital payments strategy by expanding secure, seamless and convenient payment experiences for Filipino consumers. Customers can now securely add their GoTyme debit card to Apple Wallet and make contactless payments in stores, within apps and online wherever Apple Pay is accepted.
Apple Pay uses industry-leading tokenisation technology, meaning card numbers are never stored on devices or shared with merchants. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, with every transaction authenticated through Face ID, Touch ID or a device passcode, providing an additional layer of security while delivering a fast, frictionless checkout experience.
Nate Clark, President and CEO at GoTyme Bank commented: “At GoTyme Bank, we’re constantly looking for ways to make banking simpler, safer and more rewarding for our customers. Bringing Apple Pay to GoTyme Bank customers in the Philippines gives them an easy and secure way to pay wherever they shop while continuing to earn rewards points on all their transactions. This is another step in our commitment to making everyday banking more beautiful and convenient for our customers.
The launch comes as digital payments continue to reshape the Philippine economy. According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), digital payments now account for more than half of all retail payment transactions, as consumers increasingly embrace mobile-first banking and contactless payments. Meanwhile, smartphone penetration continues to rise, supporting growing demand for digital wallets and tokenised payment experiences. As digital commerce accelerates, enabling secure mobile payments through services such as Apple Pay is becoming an increasingly important differentiator for financial institutions.
Minh-Ha Truong, Head of Growth, APAC at Paymentology, added: “As a long-standing partner to GoTyme, we’re proud to support another significant milestone in its growth journey. Bringing Apple Pay to market demonstrates how modern, cloud-native issuer processing enables digital banks to rapidly deliver innovative payment experiences while maintaining the highest standards of security, scalability and performance. Together, we’re helping shape the future of digital payments in the Philippines.”
The launch further strengthens GoTyme’s position as one of Southeast Asia’s leading digital banks and highlights the value of Paymentology’s cloud-native issuer processing platform in helping banks and fintechs rapidly introduce innovative payment capabilities that meet evolving customer expectations.
Hashtag: #Paymentology
https://www.paymentology.com/
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Media OutReach
New Documentary Under the Hakka Liugdui Sun From Discovery to Debut on August 20 in Southeast Asia
Set against the sun-drenched landscapes of southern Taiwan, Under the Hakka Liugdui Sun highlights how the people of Liugdui have thrived alongside the land for over 300 years. Following local scholars, farmers, and artisans, the documentary explores how this community adapts its deep-rooted traditions—from water stewardship to food heritage—in response to environmental and economic change, offering vital modern insights on sustainability, rural revitalization, and cultural continuity.
Across three episodes—Water, agriculture, and food—the documentary explores how the people of Liugdui blend tradition with modern innovation. Viewers meet groundwater experts, farmers pioneering sustainable crops, and artisans repurposing local materials like betel nut, alongside culinary practitioners who preserve Hakka identity through ancestral rituals, communal feasts, and family traditions that unite generations.
Audiences will discover a community that views tradition not as something fixed in the past, but as a living legacy that continues to evolve. From innovative groundwater management and botanical dyeing to ritual feasts and modern interpretations of Hakka cuisine – the documentary celebrates the creativity, resilience, and values that have sustained Liugdui for centuries.
Under the Hakka Liugdui Sun premieres in Southeast Asia on Discovery Channel, Thursday, August 20 at 7:10pm; TLC Channel, Monday, August 24 at 7:10pm; and Discovery Asia, Tuesday, August 25 at 9:25pm.
Hashtag: #Discovery
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About Discovery Channel
The launch press conference broke away from tradition with a vibrant runway show featuring celebrity “Hot Spring Travel Navigators,” including acclaimed chef Edward Lee from Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars, visual identity creative director Yen Po-Chun, TSUTAYA BOOKSTORE Taiwan Chairman Kazuma Otsuka, and actor-host Andrew Chau. Together with local businesses, they showcased regional agriculture, specialties, and lifestyle products.
The official launch celebration kicks off on September 4 at Guguan Park in Taichung, featuring a themed parade with over 500 participants and the lighting ceremony for the Lishan–Guguan Light Art Festival, which stars a massive eight-meter “OhBear” light installation. The festivities continue on September 5 with a guided tribal trekking tour in Guguan, offering participants an exclusive NT$500 accommodation discount.
To promote four-season wellness tourism globally, the campaign partners with the East Asia Hot Spring Association for an international symposium on September 4. Key promotions also include complimentary LINE POINTS for new followers, curated packages starting at NT$299, and a flash sale of 800 limited NT$1 Hot Spring Vouchers for the Double 11 Shopping Festival. Furthermore, cross-sector collaborations offer half-price entry to national forest areas, limited-edition Taiwan Railway bento boxes, and Guanziling mud spring skincare products to enrich the travel experience.Hashtag: #TaiwanFourSeasonSprings
https://www.trimt-nsa.gov.tw/zh-tw/
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