Originally Posted by jib71

Well, since you wrote that "all of those things" the OP listed as negatives are things that you liked about the place, I inferred that you're not disputing the reality of those things. Perhaps it's wrong for me to assume that they're facts.

Do you believe that they're illusions? Desirable illusions?

It may seem OT, but I think it's valuable to understand the lens through which we should appreciate Prince Hotels.

Originally Posted by ainternational

Upon my first arrival into Japan in the summer of 2008, eager to explore this great country, I stayed at the request of the company at the Prince Hotel in Akasaka. I still rather vividly remember checking in to what seemed like a lobby with more marble than was possible. A million little boxes behind the front desk were apparently mailslots or some such for each room. I remember waiting nearly 30 minutes to check in due to lines and then finally getting up to the room only to feel like I'd stepped into a time machine.

The room looked and felt like a 1960's movie about the future. Space travel to be specific. The room immediately pulled me back to being younger going to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, where they had mockups of the ISS and shuttles. This room felt like an architect's rendition of what space travel should be like from decades ago. Complete with sliding doors, bubble windows, etc.