Staying here now on redemption. In summary: An excellent Tokyo property, suitable for Gold and Platinum elites, and return visitors who are ok with the slight (but not particularly problematic) tradeoff in location. I would definitely look to return in the future.
I was originally planning to stay at the Prince Sakura Tower, but due to a change in plans I had to adjust my arrival day, and the Prince was fully booked.
Overall, the hotel is excellent, and appears to treat elites very well. As a Platinum, I was escorted to the lounge for check in, and I was upgraded to a junior suite on 25F (top guestroom floor), overlooking the harbor and HND. It's basically the size of two regular rooms (ie: two sets of windows), with a foyer, a half bath, and a full bath as described upthread. The single room would be above average in size for Tokyo standards. Of note, the suite does not have a proper desk, but a round table with power, phone, and lamp. (The hotel is not super busy at the moment, which I suspect facilitated the upgrade.)
Coming here, we took the bus up the hill, which with bags is the best way to do it. The bus actually says something like "Gotenyama Trust City", but it's pretty easy to figure out. Most of the rest of the time we've walked up and down, which isn't much longer than some walks I've had to other hotels.
Much of what has already been said upthread still applies, but I have a few updates to note.
The fitness center in the office tower now offers free access to MR Elite members. Definitely for Gold and Platinum. Unclear if for Silver (the wording on the Executive Lounge info sheet does not specify) or for guests in the same room ("extra charge applies for visitors", but what are "visitors"?).
Originally Posted by
FlyinHawaiian
By comparison, if you stay at one of the Ginza or Tokyo Station properties, you will be in the middle of a wide variety of shops and restaurants which is great for wandering. We found great options in the basement level of the Tokyo Station and the Daimaru department store next to it. I also highly recommend a trip to the food floor of a store like Mitsukoshi for an amazing selection of decent quality food at a reasonable price.
If department store food is your thing (and I mean that seriously, not disparagingly) note that Wing Takanawa is immediately adjacent to Shinagawa station, on the hotel side. There is a food hall in B1 East, and several dining options in West, including Tsukiji Tama Sushi (a reasonable mid market chain with some history). There is also a good food hall in the JR section of the station (within fare control). There are also quite a few standalone options, in addition to the "ticket vending machine" ramen and curry shops. Shinagawa is definitely not a food desert.
Interestingly, the hotel restaurant itself (20% off for Gold and Platinum) seems at least moderately popular with locals. In particular, for high tea many tables were filled with mostly women and trays of cakes.
Originally Posted by
bocastephen
Plat/Gold breakfast is in the lounge or the restaurant, we opted for the restaurant every day of both stays. I found the offerings somewhat basic with the essential buffet dishes one would expect, but still lags far, far behind the Sheraton Hong Kong breakfast.
I'm not sure what you consider basic, and I'd say the Ren HK has a better restaurant spread (not familiar with the Sheraton HK), but the Tokyo Marriott restaurant breakfast is really quite comprehensive, including
- Cooked to order eggs of any sort, not just omelets
- Cooked to order pancakes and waffles, including adzuki stuffed
- DIY Congee
- Fresh soy milk
- DIY Noodles (called "Pho", not sure if it actually was)
- A small selection of dim sum
- Two types of quiche
- The usual array of meats (bacon, sausage, etc) and accompaniments
- A wide array of baked goods and breads, including several types of muffins, donuts, baguettes, etc
- DIY rice with fish and other accompaniments (this is different than the congee station)
- Sliced meats, smoked fish, and cheeses (this is different than the rice station)
- Fruits
- Several types of salads
- Several types of smoothies and juices (the peach smoothie is really good)
I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff, but in short there are 4 different stations (plus a "grab and go" option).
Evenings in the lounge were ok, mostly fried foods, nothing with any local flavor and the lounge was often too crowded, which surprised me given the countless local food options that were a 10 minute walk away.
I'd agree the evening lounge offerings are "whelming", neither over nor under. There were one or two "local" foods, but a larger array of random stuff that seemed designed to appeal to the international (mostly American) visitors.
There is a decent open bar of mid range beer, wine, and champagne, and mid-shelf liquors (a fairly comprehensive collection, though it's not clear they restock a bottle of the hard liquor when it runs out).
Originally Posted by
SkiAdcock
FlyinHawaiian provided an exec lounge in the exec lounge sticky that had additional information. I've updated the exec lounge sticky to reflect that the lounge is open, but thought the additional info would be of interest to FTers. Thx to FH for the input.
"Tokyo / Marriott / OPEN; Breakfast in restaurant
The above is true as of January 2015.
The hours are 0600-2200
As of March 2017 the lounge hours are now 0600 - 2400. (As a Plat I still received the welcome coupon for two drinks at the bar, though.)
BTW "16:00 Late Check out is guaranteed without any charge", and I was offered it on checkin (though I declined due to an early train out).