When I realized I needed to make a quick 3 night trip to Tokyo my first thought was The Peninsula as I have always had great experiences with their properties; especially Bangkok. However, after a bit of research and a couple of emails to DavidO I decided to give the Shangri-La a try. When booking properties that offer club level I always opt for it, and this trip was no different. I booked a Horizon Club Deluxe room, and DavidO was able to secure a guaranteed upgrade to a Horizon Club Deluxe Bay View room.

Arrival and Check-in

Arriving at Narita at 4:00 PM on a Friday afternoon means the limo bus is out, unless you want to spend 2 or 3 hours in rush hour traffic making your way to downtown Tokyo. I took the Narita Express and was at Tokyo station in about an hour. The only downside was that it was brutally hot in the train stations due to energy conservation and lack of air-conditioning on a 92 degree day! By the time I walked from the station to the Shangri-La I was pretty well soaked! Fortunately the bellman saw me coming and after taking my luggage immediately gave me a cold bottle of water and a small hand towel for my elevator ride up to the lobby. When the doors opened I was met by one of the reception staff and led to another set of elevators and finally my room on the 37th floor, just down the hall from the Horizon Club. A fresh fruit plate, ice cold bottled water, a welcome letter and a small gift were all waiting on the desk. Check-in was swift and professional and my luggage was delivered promptly. Just prior to leaving the assistant mentioned the club was till serving cocktails if I was interested. Nice touch

Room

The Horizon Club Deluxe Bay View room is listed at 538 sqft. and having been to Tokyo previously and stayed at the Park Hyatt I was prepared for a comparatively small room. While well designed and thoughtfully laid out, the room still seemed a tight to me. The pictures on the Shangri-La website make the room appear more spacious than it really is. Aside from that, everything was done to a high standard. Big flat screen TV, Bose stereo, large glassed-in rain shower and tub with privacy shade, LOccitane products, separate TV adjacent to the vanity, great bed and linens, bedside controls similar to The Peninsula, and of course a high-tech toilet seat!

Horizon Club Lounge

Like everything in the hotel, the lounge is classy, comfortable and beautifully furnished. Tables and chairs are set up near the windows and offer an excellent view of Tokyo out towards the bay. Separate couches and tables allow seating for slightly larger groups, two computers are available for guests, and theres a small conference room for meetings. During breakfast and cocktail hour a small self-serve buffet is set up at one end of the room. This is where things were disappointing Breakfast offered the usual continental style fare, along with a limited made to order menu, that while well done, seemed uninspired. Evening hors doeuvres were just plain boring, and Im not picky or hard to please: small cheese selection, California rolls, a meatball concoction, nuts, an odd pate offering, etc. Glaringly absent was any real sushi or sashimi option? The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Ray does it better; Im not kidding. The drink selection was top shelf as expected, and a small selection of wine and Champagne were available. Service was excellent.

Restaurants

With all the dining options in Tokyo, I never had dinner at the hotel. I was told by another guest that he had an excellent meal at Piacere.

Health Club & Pool

Top quality equipment in a fairly small space with a view of the pool, and beyond that the Tokyo skyline and Imperial Palace. The pool itself is long and relatively narrow; good for a few laps and a great view! I didnt use the Spa.

Staff

The strong point of the hotel Everyone I encountered seemed genuinely happy to be there, addressed me by name when appropriate, and excelled at their job. None of the coolness I encountered at the Park Hyatt.

Conclusion

This is a tough one for me because I was so impressed with the staff. You can tell theyre proud of their property and they work hard to impress. I should have booked a Horizon Club Premier room; the corner location, the extra windows and additional square footage make a big difference. So thats on me. However, the Horizon Club Lounge food offerings just didnt measure up. With the premium you pay I expected more. And thats definitely on them. Based on a few conversations I overheard, I wasnt the only one who felt let down. I gave myself a few days to think about my stay, and for me the bottom line is this I went in really wanting to like the Shangri-La and in most ways it measured up. However unlike other comparable places Ive stayed, I just dont feel wowed and compelled to return.