Travel & Hotels

CITY-CENTRE RETREAT

COMFY INNOVATION

GRAND HYATT TOKYO A symbol of the neighbourhood’s cosmopolitan beat, this hotel is a favourite for both international and domestic travellers looking to experience Tokyo in style. Found in the Roppongi Hills shopping and entertainment complex, Grand Hyatt Tokyo provides a restful retreat for anyone looking to kick back in the heart of the city. Wondering what to do while you’re in Tokyo? The good news is all 387 of the hotel’s comfy rooms, including the exclusive suites, feature a copy of our mag – so you’ll have plenty of entertainment options to choose from. 6-10-3 Roppongi, Minato (Roppongi Station). 03 4333 1234. tokyo.grand.hyatt.com/en MANDARIN ORIENTAL, TOKYO Situated in old-town Nihonbashi, Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo is the antidote to that feeling that luxury hotels are the same the world over. Many of the materials are sourced from local artisans, and the lobby and rooms all hint at traditional Japanese motifs, such as the antique woven obi and kimono fabrics that hang in place of paintings. The bird’s-eye view from the rooms trumps most of its top-end rivals, with a mosaic of lights from the business district in the foreground, and Tokyo Skytree and Mt Fuji beyond. 2-1-1 Nihonbashi-Muromachi, Chuo

TOKYO’S BEST HOTELS

HOMELY LIFESTYLE

ANDAZ TOKYO The Hyatt group’s lifestyle brand Andaz opened its first Tokyo hotel on the top of the 52-storey Toranomon Hills complex in June 2014. The hotel houses 164 guestrooms, a partially open-air rooftop bar, and a whopping 50m² guestroom, the largest of its kind in Tokyo. To allow guests to enjoy their own style of stay, the Andaz Hosts, who take on the traditional roles of doormen, receptionists and concierges, are there to assist in any way. To make you feel more at home, they don’t wear black uniforms or name tags and will engage with guests to provide the best recommendations and suggestions for exploring Tokyo like a local. 1-23-4 Toranomon, Minato (Toranomon, Shinbashi stations). 03 6830 1234. tokyo.andaz.

hyatt.com/en (Mitsukoshimae Station). 03 3270 8800. www.mandarinoriental.com/tokyo HISTORICAL ELEGANCE

AMAN TOKYO Uber-private luxury resort brand Aman is known for attracting celebrities, business high-rollers and others who prefer to keep their whereabouts a secret. In a surprise 2014 move, Tokyo’s Otemachi business district saw the opening of Aman’s newest branch, an exclusive hotel located on the upper floors of the Otemachi Tower building that marks a new high in urban opulence. Otemachi Tower, 1-5-6 Otemachi, Chiyoda (Otemachi Station). 03 5224 3333. amantokyo.com

For those who like to rest in the lap of luxury

THE PENINSULA TOKYO Facing Kokyo Gaien National Garden, this hotel is surrounded by greenery. It’s one DAZZLING GREENERY of the largest hotels in the city, with 47 suites and 314 guest rooms decorated with a traditional Japanese touch. The suites boast views of the Imperial Palace, Hibiya Park and the city’s busy streets. The Lobby restaurant is open for all-day dining and offers a popular afternoon tea. Hei Fung Terrace on the second floor serves up a pagoda kakuni (braised pork) worth trying. Also, thanks to its convenient location, you can access all major areas such as the shopping capital of Ginza and the business hub of Marunouchi. And the hotel’s first and second basement floors directly connect to Hibiya Station, offering access to four major train lines. 1-8-1, Yurakucho, Chiyoda (Hibiya Station). 03 6270 2888. www.peninsula.com/tokyo

HOTEL NEW OTANI From the outside, the hotel building bears the less-than-attractive hallmarks of its 1964 construction, but inside, the dim lighting and spacious foyers recreate the feeling of a luxury cruise ship. To the rear of the hotel is a beautifully laid-out and tended Japanese garden. Several of the hotel’s restaurants, including Japan’s only branch of the legendary Parisian La Tour d’Argent, look out onto the pretty greenery. 4-1 Kioicho, Chiyoda (Akasaka-Mitsuke, Nagatacho stations). 03 3265 1111. www.newotani.co.jp/en/tokyo

SPRAWLING HIDEAWAY

STATION SPLENDOUR THE TOKYO STATION HOTEL The only hotel in Japan that’s built within a National Important Cultural Property, the Tokyo Station Hotel remains in vogue while continuing to develop its history and exclusive hospitality. The redbrick facade of Tokyo Station is one of the few prominent survivors of Japan’s rush to modernisation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries – and it’s looking even better after a six-year renovation that restored it to its former splendour. The in-house hotel had to close its doors for the duration of the restoration, but has been open again for business since 2012 and is steadily reasserting itself in an increasingly crowded luxury accommodation market. 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda (Tokyo Station). 03 5220 1111. www. thetokyostationhotel.jp