MikeFromTokyo

silentbob1974

All fair points. Let's say that, on our upcoming trip, our meals at certain "top table" restaurants are enjoyable. We don't live anywhere near Japan and are never going to be regulars. But let's say our plan is to visit Tokyo once every 3-5 years. We're not in the game of Michelin-star collecting, or anything like that. Ideally, we'd go back to the same places we liked a lot previously. Does having eaten somewhere already help our ability to secure future reservations at this same place, even if we're not regulars and would still have to go through a concierge (and potentially at a different hotel)? For example, would we mention the fact that "we ate here in 2019" or is that not something that most high-end sushi restaurants in Tokyo even track?

MikeFromTokyo

gengar

It should help, but whether that actually translates into getting reservations is a different story. For example, just 6-7 years ago, maybe even 5, it was pretty easy for a foreigner to get a seat at Sawada. A lot of change can occur in a 3-5 year period (heck, some great Tokyo joints I frequented three years ago don't even exist). And based on recent stories I've read on the Internets about Sawada reservations, it seems he might just be really finicky and random about it.

I got a bunch of questions via PM about Sawada, and I'll repeat my advice here: there are so many amazing edomae sushi places in Tokyo that the top-tier is all going to be very similar quality, so personal preference will play a much greater role in your enjoyment. With edomae sushi, that means understanding your personal preference as far as rice temperature, vinegar level, and rice texture / 'al dente-ness', as well as non-food factors like speed of service.

helvetic

I would say the breakfast at the Andaz is the best of the three. For other F&B, the Prince Gallery holds its own. But personally, aside from breakfast I don't really eat at the hotel in Tokyo… so much good food outside. I much prefer the lobby bar + whiskey bar at the Prince Gallery vs. the lobby bar + rooftop bar at the Andaz and the lobby bar at the Conrad.

I don't think you should be choosing a hotel based on checkout time… but you should be able to get 4pm at Andaz + Conrad and maybe 2pm at PG (if I remember Gold benefits correctly). More important is whether you could hang out at the hotel before your flight once you've left your room. PG and Conrad both have club lounges with drinks. Andaz has a "wine hour" with free wine and sparkling sake in the lobby for all guests.

fat_al_nyc

Since there is an active Aman discussion going on, this seems like a good time to chime in. We just stayed at the Aman Tokyo for six nights at the beginning of June (with very helpful booking assistance from Hao Tang at BESVISOR). Full disclosure: it was our first time in Tokyo, and the only place we've stayed there, so I'm not really in a position to compare to other places. We got what I imagine is a "decent" rate by Aman standards given that June is offseason.

I can say that our stay at the Aman was fantastic in all regards. The room was lovely. Well appointed, great views, large. Very nice bath with an onsen-style stone tub by the huge window. Very nice sunken sitting area by the window. Servicing of the room was impeccable (edit to add an example: housekeeping apparently noted that my wife had propped a book in front of some bedside switches that had a glowing light -- discreet pieces of black tape were placed over those switches to block the light). While it is minor compared to the overall cost, the fact that non-alcoholic drinks from the minibar were gratis is a nice touch. Having been informed by Hao that it was a birthday trip, a strawberry shortcake and a bottle of Bordeaux were waiting in our room. Also very nice.

The lobby is indeed spectacular with its soaring ceiling and windows. Breakfast in the restaurant was excellent, with very friendly and solicitous service. The lobby bar was nice. The pool is huge, spectacular, and usually empty. Also a good gym if you care about that sort of thing.

I started engaging with the concierge about three months before our stay, and found them quite helpful and responsive on restaurant reservations. I gave them a list of places I was interested in, and they worked very well with that. Not the absurdly crazy spots, but all quite good (we ended up at Hakkoku 2d counter, Ginza Katsukami, Sushi Takamitsu, which was our favorite, Tempura Fukamachi, and Hashiguchi). The concierge also got us baseball tickets for the Chiba Lotte Marines v. Hanshin Tigers game, which was great fun. Leaving aside scoring the hardest seats at the hottest restaurants, I found the concierge to be incredibly helpful and responsive. In fact, they were so much better than the FS Kyoto concierge (which I'll leave for a different thread) that we asked the Aman concierge to send a postcard to the moss garden in Kyoto that we wanted to visit after we left Tokyo, which they happily did and held the admission postcard for us until we arrived.

Overall, the service at the Aman was really great. Everyone so friendly and helpful. The place has a real feel of serenity and calm that is -- to say the least -- unusual in any urban hotel, not to mention one at the top of a skyscraper. It is a great combination of small hotel (which it really is based on number of rooms) and a supremely service-oriented operation. Kudos to them, they are doing a great job.

If anyone has any specific questions I'm happy to try and answer them while my memory is fresh.

Cheers.

Al

david22

Unqualified, that statement rings a touch too strong to me.

One example for me where Aman Tokyo is actually worth less to me personally: the fact that the bathroom and bedroom aren't separated in a way that blocks light and noise effectivelly creates an annoyance for me because my partner likes to stay up later. Meanwhile at RC Tokyo and Peninsula the bathroom is very well separated. Also the "wooden everything" in the Aman room tends to amplify internal noises. Obviously Aman's hard product is superior to RC and Pen. No argument there. And I could wear earplugs and a sleep mask.

Am I nitpicking to find a counter-example? Maybe. :-)

richarddd

By internal noise, do you mean noise from within your room rather than noise from other rooms?

david22

Right: e.g. walking around, moving something on the floor, etc.. All hardwood == echo plus standard wood creaking. Definitely didn't hear any noise from other rooms.

E.g. This (rather harsh) review from TripAdvisor says, "Rooms are large and all hard surfaced which makes them echo-y... every sound in the toilet can be heard everywhere in the room (so if you are jet-lagged or a light sleeper and traveling with someone else, beware) The rooms do have very good sound-proofing of outside noise tho. You'd never know you're in the city -- and never heard anyone in the hallway."

callmedtop

I really do want to stay at Aman Tokyo during our November trip, but at 150K yen per night and me already locking in the RC at 60,000 Marriott points makes it an insane proposition. I will say that it is remarkable how much the property seems to have turned itself around. I remember reading some pretty negative reviews here just a couple years ago.

Aventine

Properties take time to settle. I'd take the RC at that point proposition over 150000 yen.

Mickidon

It's fascinating to see the board take on the Aman go from not worth it to unquestionably the best hotel in Tokyo, worth the upcharge. For me the, truth is somewhere in between. Amans are so taste driven that it is not appropriate to say that this style is "best," as many people would find the minimalism uncomfortable and they might prefer the plush environment of, say, the R-C.

We were in a corner suite and found the living area beautiful but supremely uncomfortable and style over substance. As well, I totally get the "too much wood" comment - there was actually an odor permeating the room from all of the wood that overwhelmed me but others might love. I didn't settle into this suite easily because of the lack of surfaces/storage, etc. As regards the lobby, again, a visual marvel, but cold and the small table set up for the staff read to me like a convention location for name tags.
We had "eh" service in the restaurant (only had breakfast) and they did not get us the booking we wanted (oddly, a concierge at another hotel did it for us.) Still we did like the peaceful area on the residential floors and the location worked for our business/pleasure mix. The spa and pool are a marvel.

Would I go back? Maybe, but I have better stays at other hotels in Tokyo because of the things that make a stay special in our terms.

Aventine

Not to me. The property has improved a lot since the opening and this was always going to happen. It couldn't stay a $1000 joke forever. I love the hardware but dislike how senior management treats (or doesn't treat) guests.

747FC

Now that we know what you don't like, can you kindly share your preferred venues?

Mickidon

My reaction was more to the shift in the discussion here and the view that it is now "the best." I didn't say i didn't like it - in fact, I might stay again - but there were aspects that
were disappointing to me for the price. There is an embarrassment of riches in Tokyo and I like to try new hotels and, with the help of some posters here, a few more are on my list. My personal favorite has been the M-O, but it is not so head and shoulders above the rest that I go nowhere else.