TRAVEL NOTES OF A
TOKYO FIRST-TIMER Follow our tireless traveler as she checks into the Hyatt Centric Ginza and explores Tokyo’s most glamorous district. BY { BETH
A
WEITZMAN
lthough I’ve done my fair share of traveling to distant corners of the world, saying I was excited about my first trip to Japan is a colossal understatement. The destination had long been on my bucket list, and thanks to an invitation to
the new Hyatt Centric Ginza, part of Hyatt’s fastest growing brand, the time to visit had arrived. While flight time from L.A. to Tokyo is relatively short (about 11.5 hours), the time difference is significant; Tokyo is 16 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time. I landed at Haneda International Airport (closer to Tokyo’s city center than Narita International Airport) in the late afternoon with prearranged transportation to the hotel, which is about a 40-minute car ride away but can also be reached by train.
LIVING GOOD
Gio
ISSUE No. 3
As a hotel junkie, I thrive on experiencing new, innovative brands. As part of the three lifestyle brands of the Hyatt family of hotels (which also includes Andaz and The Unbound Collection), Hyatt Centric hotels focus on exploration, discovery and authenticity, and were created for millennial-minded travelers who love being in the middle of the action. Much as the name suggests, Hyatt Centric Ginza—the first Hyatt Centric hotel in the Asian-Pacific region—is situated in the center of Ginza, a district of Chūō, Tokyo, on elegant Namiki-dori street, adjacent to Louis Vuitton and Chanel. Similar to Fifth Avenue in New York City and Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, this area is a shopping mecca, home to virtually every premier brand name for fashion, beauty and technology on the planet. Plus, there are more than 4,000 restaurants, izakayas, lounges, coffee, tea and beer houses of all sizes and types (including 24 total Michelin-starred places), not to mention must-see cultural spots. During Japan’s economic bubble from 1986 to 1992, real estate here was the most expensive in the world. Today Ginza remains one of Tokyo’s most highend and desirable commercial areas, exuding both modernity and old Tokyo charm.
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