Originally Posted by
TRAVELSIG
OK- this month I have completed stays at both the Four Seasons Tokyo and the Ritz Carlton Tokyo. Here are my comments:
1) Four Seasons is a very small hotel which only has pluses in this respect:
a) Very personalized service
b) No crowds
c) Very little non hotel traffic
d) Location that none of the other luxury hotels in Tokyo can match for convenience
2) RC is a beautiful hotel with stunning views in a not-so-convenient location and with queues for the elevator, for checkin, checkout, and service that while extraordinarily polite starts every conversation with "may I have your room number please"
3) There is an area off the restaurant on the 7th floor of the FS which is similar to a lobby and in practicality is used only for guests
4) The RC while we were there was completely thronged by restaurant guests and visitors from the shopping centre attached to the hotel not to mention massive weddings. I think this hotel must have an extremely impressive F&B profit centre from outside guests (the lobby lounge is in the shopping mall) but it is about as exclusive as any shopping centre in central Tokyo
5) Service at the FS is completely intuitive- things get done without even you asking. At the RC I had to phone 3 times for my shoe shine to be picked up and returned.
6) The service accompanying guests to/from each train or metro or airport express etc and also the service to buy tickets is an incredible time saver and cannot be underestimated- this service (offered as far as I know only by the FS Tokyo) alone is an excellent reason to stay at the FS.
7) The onsen on the top floor of the Four Seasons are beautiful and very useful in an exclusive and relaxing environment. No other luxury hotel in Tokyo has something as easily accessible, free, and fun to use.
8) While I do agree that the pool for example at the Park Hyatt is beautiful- the first time you spend 20 minutes in traffic to then arrive at Shinjinku (worlds busiest metro station) to then spend another 25 minutes on the train to arrive at Ginza where there are literally hundreds of good restaurants ranging for every budget- vs. walking out the front door of the Four Seasons- you won't care about a pool anymore.
9) Location, location, location. FS.
10) Taxis, trains, whatever it may be- the concierge and the team at the FS are able to manage it all- when we left some important medicine at the RC in the fridge the FS instantly took care of everything- incidentally it was not that easy with the RC in comparison.
Lastly- the minimalistic decor of the FS is really very relaxing for work or leisure- the other luxury hotels (Park Hyatt excluded) tend to be quite busy in the rooms etc.
I'll trade the 10 points above for a pool (in Japan anyway they always want you to wear a diving cap in the pool which I don't like at all)...
A few additional observations.
One thing the FS does not have is spectacular views (like some other properties). The hotel is on lower floors of a high rise building. So it's not a good place for someone seeking great views. My husband and I like to stay on lower floors. Especially as we've gotten older. In case of emergency. We were on the 40th or so floor of a hotel in Manhattan on 9/11 - and that really spooked us. Also - Tokyo can have earthquakes (unpredictable). We want to be able to evacuate a room easily if the need arises without having to call for help. So our room - which had a great view of shinkansen trains - was perfect for us. I really enjoyed watching Tokyo station "wake up" in the morning.
There is no line to check in at the FS because you get checked in in your room. About as good as it gets (especially if you've had a long trip to Tokyo and feel like you've been hit over the head with a baseball bat on arrival).
The meet and greet service is very nice - especially for first time visitors who've just had a long trip. A FS rep collected us and our baggage - got us tickets for the limo bus - and made sure we got on the right one. At the other end - a porter met us at the bus stop (across the street from the hotel) - and took us and our luggage to our room.
But it was the departure service that really wowed us. When we first left the hotel to go to Osaka - a porter took us and our luggage and deposited us in our seats in the shinkansen. OK - that's nice. But the staff also inquired about our ultimate departure from Japan - almost 2 weeks later. Got all the details. Well - 2 weeks later - without so much as a confirming phone call - a porter from the hotel met us at Tokyo Station at our shinkansen. And he then escorted us to our Narita Express train (a somewhat long and confusing trip through Tokyo Station - especially if you have to find elevators). This totally blew our minds.
I also agree about location. The FS is not only across the street from Tokyo Station (a fascinating place IMO with lots of restaurants - for example the Ramen Street collection). It's an easy walk to Ginza - the Imperial Palace/Gardens - the Bridgestone Museum - the Mitsubishi Museum - the part of town under the railroad tracks where all the little food places open up at night (forget the name of the area) - etc. It's a somewhat longer (but very doable) walk to Tsukiji and the Hamarikyu Gardens (where you can catch the boat to Asakusa). It is also very close to numerous subway stations that have lots of trains that can get you to other parts of town quickly.
I really don't have bad things to say about other hotels in Tokyo - but only have good things to say about the Four Seasons
. Robyn