By Chieko Aoki, Founder & CEO of Blue Tree Hotels

I was born in Japan and raised in Brazil—two countries with rich yet distinct cultures of hospitality. While the essence and objective of hospitality in both cultures are the same—serving others with joy and a spirit of usefulness—the way that spirit is expressed differs deeply.

From an early age, my ikigai, my reason for living, was rooted in a sense of responsibility to care for others. This feeling was born when I was just six years old, helping my Japanese immigrant parents navigate life in a new country. Over the years, this sense of responsibility evolved and became the foundation of my personal and professional journey.

When I founded Blue Tree Hotels, I brought with me the precision, value for connections, depth, and respect of Japanese Omotenashi, and blended it with the Brazilian spirit—warm, flexible, spontaneous, and full of emotional connection. From that blend, we created a new approach to hospitality—one that is human-centered, culturally enriched, and deeply committed to making a difference in people's lives.

At Blue Tree, we believe that hospitality is much more than a service—it's a way of caring. We take care of people: guests, team members, investors, partners, and everyone who interacts with our hotels. And we do this with two core pillars: hospitality and responsibility.

This belief led us to create what we call the Alma Blue Tree—the soul of our company. It is symbolized by a blue tree, rooted in strong principles and values. From its roots grow branches and leaves that represent the daily actions we take to ensure the well-being, comfort, and safety of everyone we serve.

The Alma Blue Tree is guided by three roots and a total of 21 principles:

• The 7 Attitudes of Welcoming Well

• The 7 Rules of Serving Well

• The 7 Steps of Caring Well

Each root has a clear responsibility: 

The first is to create opportunities for the development of our people—so they can grow and realize their dreams.

The second is to help evolve Brazilian hospitality, valuing our unique gifts: warmth, spontaneity, and contagious joy.

The third is to contribute to raising the overall standard of service in Brazil. We believe that by influencing service excellence, we help build a more functional, united and  prosperous nation.

In a world increasingly driven by automation and artificial intelligence, human warmth is not just valuable—it is essential. Technology can enhance efficiency, but only human connection can comfort, heal, and transform lives.

I truly believe that women, just like the hospitality and service sectors, have an essential role in building a better world. We are capable of leading with empathy, forging bonds, and creating inclusive, joyful communities. Men and women in travel and hospitality business together, with common purpose, can build faster the world as John Lennon interpreted in his song “Imagine”.

I will continue using hospitality not only as a business strategy, but as a purpose of life—a tool for unity, care, and collective well-being.

Long live hospitality. Long live human connection.