A millennial Take on the Prince Gallery Tokyo - Kioi Suite + Souten Resturant

100   Recommended
Room 31xx , Kioi Suite
August 25, 2017 by

 Map | 7 Reviews | 86% Recommended
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The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho
 Map | 7 Reviews | 86% Recommended

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Room 31xx

Kioi Suite

Liked:
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Food
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Kioi Suite

I ate at the hotel resturant at Souten in May, 2017 to test the waters and then decided to try a stay in Aug, 2017. 

Executive Summary: An overall expensive hotel to stay with an amazing view. Although subway station is nearby, the hotel location is in a less convientent place than the Westin Tokyo. Ok if you are exploring Tokyo, not so good if you need to take the train/Shinkansen. The resturant Souten is the most expensive I ever ate in my life (with 2 alcohol drinks) - $CAD 600 total for two.

I have stayed at the Westin Tokyo for a decade so I will compare/contrast my experience with that. I am also a SPG Plat 75 member (and lifetime Plat if that mattered)

Check In

The hotel surrounding is alright and more peaceful (ie less shops) than Westin Tokyo's Yebisu Garden Place. It's great for a more sober /reflective walk and less great if you're trying to find something salaryman food - eg Ramen/Gyoza (dumplings) or curry rice. A river flows in front of the hotel. It's nicer at night to walk. During the day time, the overgrown greenish moth on water makes ruins the ideal harmony of modernity and nature. 

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Prior to my arrival in Aug, I did not communicate to the hotel so I would get what their "default" treatment would be.

At check in, to my great surprise, I was greeted by a wonderful caucasion female staff from Boston. I am absolutely sure in my East Asian insticts, successfully having a white person working there instantly sends the dog whistle to the prestige of the hotel. That instantly drops the possibility of miscommunication because of language barrier drastically because there is a white native English speaker there. Another Japanese staff with very good English checks me in.

I asked the female staff from Boston, why leave the land of the free and live in Tokyo? She shows her (new) wedding ring and I instantly understood. I too agree if I have a girl working in high finance in New York, I too would move to Trump's America. We had a friendly chat on our common life experiences (as we're in simlar age) while she shows me my room.

The Westin Tokyo didn't have a white native speaker (or any native speaker) at the check in. Although as Platinum member, you can check in at the Execuitve Lounge on the upper floor (28th!?) and skip the line (or snack/drink while you wait).

The only thing I find weak with the Prince Hotel (and no fault of them) was the need to switching multiple elevators to get out of the hotel.

 

Room

Pictures speaks volumes. The ammenities LABORATOIRE REMÈDE is a brand I have no idea. One of my sister told me they are high end and expensive. So I followed her advice to take all the Laboratoire amenities I can get my hands on during my stay and pack it into my suitcase for her.

I was upgraded to the Kio Suite. It was beautiful and big. There was 1 bedroom, 1 conference room, 1 half washroom, a full shower/bathroom. The bedroom has full city view.

During my stay, I barely used the seperate boardroom room. I can't imagine what situation would I use that room (business conference?). I was watching the latest Game of Thrones on the table next to the bed. To the credit of the hotel, the show did stream (I was worried if there is enough bandwith). 

In the Westin Tokyo, the suite was more connected to the bedroom and I clearly remember watching youtube doing email in the living room and my luggage and shopping stuff was left in the living room. It was much more utilized than in the the Prince hotel's suite.

 

The shower area has a bath tub AND the blinds can be lifted to see a magnificant view overlook the city. As I don't have the 6-pack ab body of Orlando Bloom, I was worried about self exposure during a shower.... Given the awesome view at night, I muster the courage to lift the blinds and proceed to free willy. To great appreciation, the steam from shower water does provide a layer of mosaic and the distance between buildings provide an additional laywer of preventing myself being exposed.

The above probably is the strongest point in beating the Westin Tokyo. The significant ($CAD 100-200 more per night) price difference is mainly to pay for that view and the modern design layout.

Hallway lights in the suite are motion sensored. The same goes for the washroom/Toilet. That is a sore point of the suite. The light goes out if you're in the washroom. It makes a strange washroom experience as I need to animate my arms time to time while sitting in the toliet or the lights go out. I much prefer to concentrate on more serious issue at those particular moments..

The tea cups, the ice bucket, the welcome snacks and such are comparable to the Westin Tokyo I think. Nestle's Nespresso coffee maker was similar to what Westin Suite has. The washroom ammenities is Prince Laboratoire Remede the L'occitane uses in Westin Tokyo.

The Wifi was not the best for my use. I was trying to stream the lastest episode of Game of Thrones through HBO Now. I had to redirect the signal through USA to make it work. It seems there maybe some limitations as it was choppy (doesn't happen when I was at Westin). That is small problem since youtube and other normal browsing is smooth.

In short, the money is spent on the view and the design. The ammenities are in similar range as the Westin Tokyo.

 

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Service

I did use the lounge for breakfast. Compare it to the free breakfast buffet at the Westin Tokyo, this is a weak offering.

I did order a chief performed omelette. It was near perfect. Westin buffet's chief also made near perfect omelette so this is a draw. I do want to say is both hotels makes the best looking North American style omelette than anywhere I have ever had.

Outside of the omelette, the variety of food at the Westin Tokyo Buffet beats the Prince.

Just like the Westin Tokyo, the Prince also have lounge tea time and snacks. Since I have the Asian Flush, I can't really drink much. So I cannot comment on the alchol offered between those two hotels. I do notice the Prince as Suntory glass bottled Club Soda. Suntory is a pretty famous whisky making company in Japan. Anyways, glass bottled stuff normally is more high end. Yet you can tell by my picture, my taste is very unsophiscated. I like to drink coke-zero while reading on newspaper (on real paper) during a relaxing time. Coke-zero came in a can and the Westin Tokyo one did came (amazingly) in a coke bottle. Snacks on both the Prince and the Tokyo Executive Lounge was equivalent I think.

I also notice the clientele are those male with white/serious greying hair and young and attractice females accompany them. There wasn't any young couple (mom and dad with 1 or 2 children) in the lounge like you see in Westin Tokyo. In fact, I was the only millennials looking guy in there... I secretly also admire their ability to age till 40/50/60 and yet easily attact girls in their 20s - I don't think they are using Tinder.

 

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Dining

Before this August 2017 stay, I wanted to "inspect" this hotel before actually ditching my decade long loyalty to Westin Tokyo and stay here. So before I even attempt to stay here, few months ago on my last Tokyo visit in May 2017, I tried the Souten Resturant in the Prince hotel.

I reached out to the hotel concierge and be as honest as I could. I told the staff of my intention, my status and my normal default hotel in Westin Tokyo. I told them I want to try their food before trying their bed. I got a reply from the front office Assistant manager who personally booked a table for me at the Souten hotel resturant.

Me and a girl booked a dining experience at 7:00pm (my normal dining time). This dinner was the most expensive dinner (with 2 glasses of alcohol) I ever had in my life. Topping at $CAD 600.

I took the chief recommended set menu. The menu you can see below. I threw in a curve ball to the chief. I love fish but I don't eat raw fish. So I told the chief to make some alternative for the sashimi dish. They correctly guessed the safest route for North American taste-buds to turn unfavorable food items to something instantly tasty - by deep frying. So my sashimi fish turned to fried tempura. I think they didn't want to mess it up with the Tappan-yaki (pan fried) dish that has yet to come.

The soup was amazing and Cantonese (southern Chinese) enough that I fits nicely in my taste buds and loved it greatly. The food high quality. The curious one was the egg cluster + foir Gras. I love egg cluster (basically egg+water steamed) and I am so so with Foir Gras. So the dish had the egg taste that starts and I love followed by the aftertaste of duck liver (which I tolerated). The interesting question I had in my mind after the night was over was if the happiness brought in this meal supersedes the 60 big mac meals I could have eaten instead. The answer was no. However, I did get a second date out of the girl I was dining with so the happiness level did breakeven at the end.

The view at the dining area was also fantastic.I was given the corner table with a wonderful view. The sky was clear enough we were able to see partially some of the fireworks from Disneyland in Chiba AND the fireworks from Odaiba. This was very impressive. The waiter seems to come prepared in indicating to us when the fireworks starts and where to look.

The sore point did come at the end. SPG AMEX Japanese card holders get 20% off on all food purchases in hotel resturants. I hold the Canadian SPG AMEX. By rule they do not have to give me the discount, but you build goodwill if you're willing to go beyond the rules and do honor it. The Prince hotel didn't honor it (but other Starwood hotel resturants in Japan including the Westin Tokyo) has. I absolutely remembers which one does honor such discount and such goodwill encourages me to dine there again and again. Of course, I did get the starpoints for the dining.

Overall a very expensive experience. I would say I would walked away with increased positive experience had they offered me the 20% discount. A similar expensive experience could be had in other Starwood hotels in Japan that does give me the 20% off.

I will leave it to the reader to decide if the menu for two is worth $C 600. I got a second date with the girl I dined with so I accept the cost. 

 

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Location

This is proabaly the hotel's weakest point. It's location isn't that great. There is a subway nearby but there isn't a JR train line close. So if you're going through Tokyo (and need to go to other prefectures), this hotel is a mid-point is not as good as the Westin Tokyo.

There isn't much stores nearby. There is a bic camera electronic store. But a big mall with lots of resturants, this place is not. The Yebisu Garden Place and the Artre at JR Ebisu station is very convienent for the Westin Tokyo. 7-11 or convienet stores everywhere. I like my Chinese buns at 7-11 as a snack.

If you taxi everywhere, this is a mute point. I like to take subway/train and walk everywhere and like to go outside of Tokyo by shinkansen for short trips (while keeping my stuff at the hotel), this is not as convienent. 

I have to say the Westin Tokyo have a superior location than the Prince. 

Overall

To me, it comes down to what I am doing in Tokyo. If I need to head north to another prefecture (Tochigi) in express train shinkansen to meet friends, I would prefer to stay at the Westin Tokyo.

If I am solely here to stay in Tokyo and nearby area, I can see this hotel being a factor. I think I feel more comfortable here if I have grey/white hair with a young cute girlfriend.

For $CAD 100-200/night extra compared to the Westin Tokyo, is it that superior for a normal Tokyo visit? Perhaps if I have some special occasion. Yet again I could also enhance my stay if pay less at the Westin Tokyo and use the price difference to wine & dine and shop. The view at the Prince Hotel is superior to the Westin Tokyo but the Westin Tokyo does have a respectable view (of Tokyo Tower). It would be totally different if I get the Harbor look (like the Sheraton Hong Kong) - I am a harbor view person.

As for dining, if the other similarly nice hotel offers you the 20% off, why would you eat here. If you're staying at this hotel, you're already getting the view when you go to bed and when you wake up.

The hotel is nice and it's expensive. If money is no object, this hotel is recommended. If you're looking into for the dollar to go further I still think the Westin Tokyo has the upper hand. If you're looking for the best bang for the dollar, the Sheraton Miyako Tokyo is the one.

 

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