I 2nd that. After experiencing a top onsen ryokan, I feel no western hotels can match the service even in Japan. These ryokans set the bench mark for service.

I read a hotel magazine today. Reading thru the ratings of top world wide hotels, a 87 vs 92 is kind of like rating wine. The real difference based my my own experience is probably not worth mulling over.

An excellent suggestion but Tokyo is not a great ryokan city, as far as I know. I've never heard of a single luxury or even upscale ryokan anywhere in Tokyo -- anyone else know any?

Nope. Especially one with an onsen in it.

Only hotel in Tokyo I know of with a certified onsen in it is the Park Tower Prince.

Not quite the same though... (not even close)

FS Chinzan-so has an 83m2 Japanese suite with 1>5 futons for $1200

Pen has been getting good reports in the luxury hotels forum

With all due respect, I think calling the MO very small and a little stuffy is tremendously unfair. My personal opinion is that their standard rooms are among the best I've seen in any hotel. I like the design very much, find it a very functional room in which to work, and the bathroom is great. Of course, others may have differing opinions, but I'm not sure how anyone can call the MO room small (538 sq ft/50m2). I've also found the service on recent visits to be exemplary.

I vastly prefer the Nihonbashi location for a tourist to Shinjuku, where the PH is located. I just don't like Shinjuku at all unless your happen to be visiting on business and all your meetings are around there.

I think the location of the Pen is a little better than the MO, but I don't think there is a significant difference in the quality of the rooms (i.e. Pen rooms are also really great). However, many of the rooms at the Pen look right at other buildings...views are much better at MO. Also, I don't like the lobby of the Pen (kind of cheesy cafe with almost no other public space).

previousy posted:

Sorry...didn't see that post.

I do some work related to the hospitality business. Many people in the business (myself included) feel that MO Tokyo has set the recent standard with design of rooms and public spaces.