High-end hotel recommendation for 3-4 nights in Tokyo, emphasis on amenities
Dec 10, 2019, 8:23 pm
#16
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
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Totally off topic, but that's interesting to know, because the PanPac in SG is one of my favorite staycaytion hotels in the city ... and yet when I was searching for hotels for next JP trip there was not a single PanPac or even GHA Discovery (the alliance that PP belongs to) property in the entire country.
When Tokyu sold the Pan Pacific group, it apparently decided to keep that location.
For a while it was called Pan Pacific Tokyu Hotel (or some combo name like that). Somewhere along the way, Pan Pacific got dropped entirely and is now only bears the Tokyu name.
Dec 10, 2019, 8:42 pm
#17
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Japanese luxury hotel chains... that'd be an interesting thread.
Problem is, I don't know if there is one.
Jpn has so many hotel chains, yet I don't think a single one of them is consistently 5-star or even 4 star as you'd expect from Westin, Fairmont, IC, etc.
* New Otani - Ones at NASPA and in Yokohama are definitely not luxury hotels.
* Fujiya - The original Fujiya in Hakone has always had dated rooms with sketchy housekeeping.
* Hotel Nikko - Some are legit 4-stars, others (eg, Kawasaki) are really business hotels.
* ANA Hotels - mostly range from 3.5-star city hotels to business hotels.
* Royal Park - Was encouraged when I first stayed in their Minatomirai location, but Shiodome and Kyoto locations are not high-end.
* Okura - I understand their Tokyo location is 5-star, but their Kobe location had unit baths.
* Teikoku - I've only stayed at their Kamikochi one, but hard to classify them as a chain when they only have 3 locations.
* Prince - most inconsistent brand in the world probably... from Sakura/Kioicho Gallery to complete dumps at Sunshine City & Shinjuku.
* Righa Royal - Don't know enough about them.
Pan Pacific is probably the only one I can think of that had the potential to be a legitimate global luxury brand originating from Jpn. Too bad it's not Japanese anymore. Perhaps Royal Park has potential to be a reliably upscale chain, but they're not high-end based on my small sample size.
I think what really ruins the credibility of a lot of the above brands is the prevalence of unit baths which I really despise. I think they're ugly and often smell funky. Unit baths are good space savers, but why are Okura and ANA installing unit baths in rooms that are like 40m2?
Problem is, I don't know if there is one.
Jpn has so many hotel chains, yet I don't think a single one of them is consistently 5-star or even 4 star as you'd expect from Westin, Fairmont, IC, etc.
* New Otani - Ones at NASPA and in Yokohama are definitely not luxury hotels.
* Fujiya - The original Fujiya in Hakone has always had dated rooms with sketchy housekeeping.
* Hotel Nikko - Some are legit 4-stars, others (eg, Kawasaki) are really business hotels.
* ANA Hotels - mostly range from 3.5-star city hotels to business hotels.
* Royal Park - Was encouraged when I first stayed in their Minatomirai location, but Shiodome and Kyoto locations are not high-end.
* Okura - I understand their Tokyo location is 5-star, but their Kobe location had unit baths.
* Teikoku - I've only stayed at their Kamikochi one, but hard to classify them as a chain when they only have 3 locations.
* Prince - most inconsistent brand in the world probably... from Sakura/Kioicho Gallery to complete dumps at Sunshine City & Shinjuku.
* Righa Royal - Don't know enough about them.
Pan Pacific is probably the only one I can think of that had the potential to be a legitimate global luxury brand originating from Jpn. Too bad it's not Japanese anymore. Perhaps Royal Park has potential to be a reliably upscale chain, but they're not high-end based on my small sample size.
I think what really ruins the credibility of a lot of the above brands is the prevalence of unit baths which I really despise. I think they're ugly and often smell funky. Unit baths are good space savers, but why are Okura and ANA installing unit baths in rooms that are like 40m2?
If you want old school Japanese, there's the renovated hotel in Tokyo Station (gorgeous and in a historic building) that's now affiliated with Hyatt, probably through Small Luxury Hotels, although it tends to be full most of the time when I've tried random dates.
How about a luxury ryokan? OTOH, except for the garden and bath, they're really not so suitable for hanging around the property to use facilities or even to use the room beyond meals and sleeping. Most of them and the best examples tend to be outside of cities.
Dec 10, 2019, 9:23 pm
#18
Join Date: Feb 2013
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Dec 11, 2019, 1:36 pm
#19
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 190
Thanks for all the recommendations. Though The new Okura looks nice, but it's almost as expensive as Aman, and out of budget.
I've never stayed at an old-school Japanese hotel chain before, so I may go with Imperial, but will read reviews first. Looking at Andaz & Shangri-La I don't think they fit my tastes that well. I think PH or MO, and I don't want to rule out FS yet but it does not look like it's got enough amenities (eg no pool).
I've never stayed at an old-school Japanese hotel chain before, so I may go with Imperial, but will read reviews first. Looking at Andaz & Shangri-La I don't think they fit my tastes that well. I think PH or MO, and I don't want to rule out FS yet but it does not look like it's got enough amenities (eg no pool).
Dec 13, 2019, 12:54 pm
#21
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Tokyo luxury hotels (newer consolidated thread)
Dec 13, 2019, 8:36 pm
#22
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: RDU
Posts: 679
I second the thread in the luxury hotel forum, it was very helpful when planning my trip.
Having stayed at PH, Andaz, and the Conrad... I will offer a contrasting opinion about the Conrad. The hard product is very nice (we got bumped up to King Deluxe Bay Suite due to lack of our booked room), but the service was lacking in comparison, even to the Andaz. We were there during cherry blossom and it felt very crowded everywhere (lobby, lounge, restaurant - we had to go to a sit in a separate restaurant for breakfast seating). In comparison, even though the Andaz/PH were pretty much at capacity, we never felt crowded or that service suffered. If you do not care so much about service, it is not bad.
As you have been in PH before, the Andaz pool is more pleasing IMO, but it now has the view blocked. The locker room/bath facilities are also smaller.
While I have not been to either personally, I would look at Hoshinoya/Aman as next properties on my list of ‘to try’.
Having stayed at PH, Andaz, and the Conrad... I will offer a contrasting opinion about the Conrad. The hard product is very nice (we got bumped up to King Deluxe Bay Suite due to lack of our booked room), but the service was lacking in comparison, even to the Andaz. We were there during cherry blossom and it felt very crowded everywhere (lobby, lounge, restaurant - we had to go to a sit in a separate restaurant for breakfast seating). In comparison, even though the Andaz/PH were pretty much at capacity, we never felt crowded or that service suffered. If you do not care so much about service, it is not bad.
As you have been in PH before, the Andaz pool is more pleasing IMO, but it now has the view blocked. The locker room/bath facilities are also smaller.
While I have not been to either personally, I would look at Hoshinoya/Aman as next properties on my list of ‘to try’.
Dec 17, 2019, 6:09 am
#23
Join Date: Jul 2008
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https://en.palacehoteltokyo.com/evia...itness-center/
https://en.palacehoteltokyo.com/room...s/club-lounge/
I think of the Palace Hotel as somewhere I would be fine at not ever leaving the property, noting that the service is very Japanese so won't be to everyone's tastes (but may not be a problem at all for OP).
Last edited by gengar; Dec 17, 2019 at 6:17 am
Dec 17, 2019, 7:10 am
#24
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: New York City
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Japanese luxury hotel chains... that'd be an interesting thread.
Problem is, I don't know if there is one.
Jpn has so many hotel chains, yet I don't think a single one of them is consistently 5-star or even 4 star as you'd expect from Westin, Fairmont, IC, etc.
* New Otani - Ones at NASPA and in Yokohama are definitely not luxury hotels.
* Fujiya - The original Fujiya in Hakone has always had dated rooms with sketchy housekeeping.
* Hotel Nikko - Some are legit 4-stars, others (eg, Kawasaki) are really business hotels.
* ANA Hotels - mostly range from 3.5-star city hotels to business hotels.
* Royal Park - Was encouraged when I first stayed in their Minatomirai location, but Shiodome and Kyoto locations are not high-end.
* Okura - I understand their Tokyo location is 5-star, but their Kobe location had unit baths.
* Teikoku - I've only stayed at their Kamikochi one, but hard to classify them as a chain when they only have 3 locations.
* Prince - most inconsistent brand in the world probably... from Sakura/Kioicho Gallery to complete dumps at Sunshine City & Shinjuku.
* Righa Royal - Don't know enough about them.
Pan Pacific is probably the only one I can think of that had the potential to be a legitimate global luxury brand originating from Jpn. Too bad it's not Japanese anymore. Perhaps Royal Park has potential to be a reliably upscale chain, but they're not high-end based on my small sample size.
I think what really ruins the credibility of a lot of the above brands is the prevalence of unit baths which I really despise. I think they're ugly and often smell funky. Unit baths are good space savers, but why are Okura and ANA installing unit baths in rooms that are like 40m2?
Problem is, I don't know if there is one.
Jpn has so many hotel chains, yet I don't think a single one of them is consistently 5-star or even 4 star as you'd expect from Westin, Fairmont, IC, etc.
* New Otani - Ones at NASPA and in Yokohama are definitely not luxury hotels.
* Fujiya - The original Fujiya in Hakone has always had dated rooms with sketchy housekeeping.
* Hotel Nikko - Some are legit 4-stars, others (eg, Kawasaki) are really business hotels.
* ANA Hotels - mostly range from 3.5-star city hotels to business hotels.
* Royal Park - Was encouraged when I first stayed in their Minatomirai location, but Shiodome and Kyoto locations are not high-end.
* Okura - I understand their Tokyo location is 5-star, but their Kobe location had unit baths.
* Teikoku - I've only stayed at their Kamikochi one, but hard to classify them as a chain when they only have 3 locations.
* Prince - most inconsistent brand in the world probably... from Sakura/Kioicho Gallery to complete dumps at Sunshine City & Shinjuku.
* Righa Royal - Don't know enough about them.
Pan Pacific is probably the only one I can think of that had the potential to be a legitimate global luxury brand originating from Jpn. Too bad it's not Japanese anymore. Perhaps Royal Park has potential to be a reliably upscale chain, but they're not high-end based on my small sample size.
I think what really ruins the credibility of a lot of the above brands is the prevalence of unit baths which I really despise. I think they're ugly and often smell funky. Unit baths are good space savers, but why are Okura and ANA installing unit baths in rooms that are like 40m2?
Dec 17, 2019, 7:13 am
#25
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Join Date: Feb 2013
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Imperial is a small chain: Tokyo, Osaka, and a related property in Hawaii IIRC plus I think a fourth hotel. I'm not aware that Palace has sister properties, but it wouldn't surprise me if there were a few of them.
If you want old school Japanese, there's the renovated hotel in Tokyo Station (gorgeous and in a historic building) that's now affiliated with Hyatt, probably through Small Luxury Hotels, although it tends to be full most of the time when I've tried random dates.
How about a luxury ryokan? OTOH, except for the garden and bath, they're really not so suitable for hanging around the property to use facilities or even to use the room beyond meals and sleeping. Most of them and the best examples tend to be outside of cities.
If you want old school Japanese, there's the renovated hotel in Tokyo Station (gorgeous and in a historic building) that's now affiliated with Hyatt, probably through Small Luxury Hotels, although it tends to be full most of the time when I've tried random dates.
How about a luxury ryokan? OTOH, except for the garden and bath, they're really not so suitable for hanging around the property to use facilities or even to use the room beyond meals and sleeping. Most of them and the best examples tend to be outside of cities.
Dec 17, 2019, 7:26 am
#26
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: New York City
Programs: JGC
Posts: 445
I second the thread in the luxury hotel forum, it was very helpful when planning my trip.
Having stayed at PH, Andaz, and the Conrad... I will offer a contrasting opinion about the Conrad. The hard product is very nice (we got bumped up to King Deluxe Bay Suite due to lack of our booked room), but the service was lacking in comparison, even to the Andaz. We were there during cherry blossom and it felt very crowded everywhere (lobby, lounge, restaurant - we had to go to a sit in a separate restaurant for breakfast seating). In comparison, even though the Andaz/PH were pretty much at capacity, we never felt crowded or that service suffered. If you do not care so much about service, it is not bad.
As you have been in PH before, the Andaz pool is more pleasing IMO, but it now has the view blocked. The locker room/bath facilities are also smaller.
While I have not been to either personally, I would look at Hoshinoya/Aman as next properties on my list of ‘to try’.
Having stayed at PH, Andaz, and the Conrad... I will offer a contrasting opinion about the Conrad. The hard product is very nice (we got bumped up to King Deluxe Bay Suite due to lack of our booked room), but the service was lacking in comparison, even to the Andaz. We were there during cherry blossom and it felt very crowded everywhere (lobby, lounge, restaurant - we had to go to a sit in a separate restaurant for breakfast seating). In comparison, even though the Andaz/PH were pretty much at capacity, we never felt crowded or that service suffered. If you do not care so much about service, it is not bad.
As you have been in PH before, the Andaz pool is more pleasing IMO, but it now has the view blocked. The locker room/bath facilities are also smaller.
While I have not been to either personally, I would look at Hoshinoya/Aman as next properties on my list of ‘to try’.
Dec 17, 2019, 12:26 pm
#27
Join Date: Jul 2008
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EDIT: As per corrected below.
Last edited by gengar; Dec 18, 2019 at 8:12 am
Dec 17, 2019, 3:03 pm
#28
Join Date: Feb 2019
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I'm at Tokyo Station Hotel often because I like the Toraya cafe within, but it's not anywhere I'd consider staying (and I'd get Hyatt credit, too). The value proposition seems very poor for relatively small rooms in a property with such limited public/guest space, and AFAIK it's not even accessible from the station directly.
Dec 17, 2019, 5:25 pm
#29
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Dec 20, 2019, 3:46 pm
#30
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 190
I'm at Tokyo Station Hotel often because I like the Toraya cafe within, but it's not anywhere I'd consider staying (and I'd get Hyatt credit, too). The value proposition seems very poor for relatively small rooms in a property with such limited public/guest space, and AFAIK it's not even accessible from the station directly.
EDIT: As per corrected below.
EDIT: As per corrected below.