Overview: Park Hyatt Tokyo | Prince of Journey

We spent one evening on the Park Hyatt Tokyo between our time within the Kansai area and a side-trip to the picturesque mountain village of Hakone.

The Park Hyatt Tokyo was among the many first Western-style luxurious resorts to debut in Japan in 1994. Later, the resort turned well-known for its look within the Oscar-winning film Misplaced in Translation.

As one of many world’s oldest and most recognizable Park Hyatt properties, I used to be wanting to see how the Park Hyatt Tokyo would measure as much as its illustrious fame.

Park Hyatt Tokyo – Reserving

Inside World of Hyatt’s award chart, the Park Hyatt Tokyo is classed as a Class 7 resort. This class has a regular redemption price of 30,000 World of Hyatt factors per evening, which is exactly what I booked this keep for.

You’ll discover that money charges on the Park Hyatt Tokyo are usually fairly costly, falling between ¥95,000–130,000 ($878–1,200 CAD).

We worth Hyatt factors at 1.9 cents per level (cpp) (CAD). On this occasion, redeeming factors was fairly advantageous, providing a redemption worth of practically 3cpp (CAD).

Should you’re reserving a money fee, contemplate reserving by Hyatt Privé for additional advantages at these high-end resorts. Even in case you have elite standing with Hyatt, you will get extra perks which might be along with your common elite advantages.

Park Hyatt Tokyo – Location

The Park Hyatt is situated within the Shinjuku district, close to the border with Shibuya. The resort encompasses the highest 14 ranges of the Shinjuku Park Tower.

We determined to remain right here because the resort is situated in Shinjuku, whose sprawling practice station was the departure level for our practice to Hakone the next day.

Shinjuku is a significant hub in Tokyo, stuffed with neon lights and skyscrapers. Within the daytime, it serves principally as a enterprise district, whereas at evening, it transforms into an leisure district on account of its many eateries and nightclubs.

Sadly, the Park Hyatt Tokyo isn’t as handy for strolling round as another Tokyo resorts, because it’s situated fairly a distance from public transportation. That is comparatively uncommon for a luxurious resort in Tokyo, a lot of that are positioned immediately on the doorstep of a practice station or two.

Tochōmae Station on the Toei Ōedo Line is one block away, a few 7-minute stroll north from the resort. Shinjuku Station, the closest main hub, is about 12 minutes east of the Park Hyatt Tokyo on foot.

These distances from close by metro stations are considerably far by Tokyo requirements, and I’d say that is undoubtedly one of many resort’s main weak factors.

You’ll doubtless must take a taxi to the resort, particularly in case you have baggage with you. Moreover, if you happen to’re strolling from Shinjuku Station, you might have to cross by a few of Tokyo’s seedier streets, which isn’t essentially one thing you’d anticipate when staying at a Park Hyatt resort.

With respect to reaching the resort from the airport, Tokyo Narita Worldwide Airport is an hour’s journey by automotive or an hour and a half by practice. Compared, it’s a few 25-minute journey by automotive from Tokyo Haneda Airport, or about an hour’s journey by means of the Keikyū Airport Line to Daimon Station, adopted by one other experience alongside the Toei Ōedo Line to Tochomae Station.

Park Hyatt Tokyo – Verify-in

Approaching the Shinjuku Park Tower, you’ll meet a stark, gray facade. The principle entry to the resort, which is marked with a refined emblem, is underneath a jagged entranceway.

We then headed by a lobby with a minimalist artwork set up to the ground-floor elevators, which introduced us as much as the Forty first-floor essential atrium.

Stepping off the elevators, you instantly arrive on the Peak Lounge, a spacious and serene bamboo backyard within the sky.

The glass atrium creates a heat and welcoming room of sunshine, with bamboo timber, high-pitched ceilings, and sweeping views. Previous this atrium, nonetheless, the resort’s modernity sadly dwindles.

From the Peak Lounge, you’ll then head by a sequence of prolonged halls earlier than arriving on the resort’s entrance desks. Alongside the best way, the foyer lounge has varied teams of seating scattered all through, with unbelievable views of the town.

The check-in space is situated in a really peaceable, nearly library-like setting.

We had been knowledgeable of the perks we’d get pleasure from by my Hyatt Globalist standing, which incorporates both a Western or a Japanese-style breakfast. Furthermore, we had the selection of consuming the Japanese breakfast on the restaurant or having it despatched to our room, and we opted for the latter.

It’s price noting that the Japanese breakfast should be reserved prematurely, and there are just a few units accessible every day. As a result of we arrived pretty late at evening, the resort affiliate needed to verify to see if there was nonetheless Japanese breakfast accessible for the subsequent morning, and to our delight, there was.

When it got here to a set improve as a Globalist member, we had been suggested that the resort was full that night, and that there was solely a one-category room improve to the King Deluxe Room accessible that evening.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s funeral occurred to happen on the identical day as our keep. We noticed varied nationwide delegations staying right here, so it was unsurprising that the resort’s suites had been stuffed.

As I made my method upstairs to Room 4815, I couldn’t assist however word the resort’s antiquated interiors, notably the blue-green carpets within the elevator area.

The resort opened in 1994 and gave the impression to be striving for a traditional, timeless aesthetic. Nevertheless, when in comparison with extra trendy resort choices on the town, this property’s want for an total refresh is kind of obvious.

Park Hyatt Tokyo – King Deluxe Room

The King Deluxe Room felt the identical because the corridors. The beige partitions, carpets, and furnishings are reflective of a room from the Park Hyatt model’s very earliest days.

Nonetheless, the room was nonetheless inviting and spacious, particularly by Tokyo requirements, the place resort rooms are sometimes small. 

The Shinjuku Park Tower is a towering constructing within the space, so that you’ll be handled to sweeping views no matter which course you’re dealing with.

If you end up in a west-facing room, you need to have the ability to view Mount Fuji on a transparent day. The rooms with an eastward view face in direction of the Tokyo Skytree, and the southward-facing rooms have views of Tokyo Metropolis, Tokyo Bay, and past.

The king mattress was comfy sufficient, flanked by two facet tables set with pure spring water and a common adaptor for worldwide friends.

Fronting the king mattress is a big bookshelf and an adjoined pantry, with a TV to its proper. Right here yow will discover a espresso and tea station, a Nespresso machine, and a minibar.

After I opened the pantry, I discovered a welcome word and a small reward.

A small seating house with two armchairs, an ottoman, and a glass desk are situated within the room’s far left nook. The skirted armchairs solely added to the house’s outdated undertones.

On the far right-hand facet is a desk, which had a cumbersome lamp taking over fairly a little bit of its house.

The lavatory is situated behind two picket sliding doorways. The lavatory includes a single vainness, a freestanding marble tub within the center, and an enclosed bathe and bathroom on all sides of the bathtub.

The lavatory has an unconventional structure, and I wasn’t a fan of the yellow-brown checkered tile flooring sample both.

Lastly, a spacious walk-in closet is accessible from the toilet, fitted with two plush bathrobes.

General, although the room had a snug mattress and wonderful views, I used to be undoubtedly anticipating a bit extra from a resort of the calibre of the Park Hyatt Tokyo.

Whereas it’s solely pure that some resorts can be extra dated than others, among the Park Hyatt’s design decisions, just like the blue-green carpet and yellow-brown flooring tiles, had been unpleasant to me even past the resort’s previous age. 

Park Hyatt Tokyo – Twin Room

I had an opportunity to take a look at among the different room varieties, together with the Twin Room. This can be a base-level room, the identical room kind because the King Room, however with twin beds as an alternative.

The dual room has massive home windows that let loads of mild to flood in. Certainly, among the finest options of staying on the Park Hyatt is the uninterrupted views from all sides of the buildings, which you’ll get regardless of which room you’re staying in.

Nevertheless, this room kind was actually smaller, with a tighter association of inside items. The studying chair and ottoman sit in entrance of the TV within the room’s far proper nook, whereas the desk and pantry are to the correct.

The lavatory within the Twin Room is likewise smaller. This house additionally includes a separate enclosed rest room and bathe, in addition to a freestanding tub.

Park Hyatt Tokyo – King Deluxe View Room

After testing the Twin Room, I went and had a peek on the King Deluxe View Room, a class greater than the King Deluxe Room I used to be staying in myself.

This room has lovely nook views of the town, and is way bigger in dimension.

Right here, the king mattress is fronted by the TV. A single armchair and ottoman are within the far left-hand nook, after which the desk sits at an angle within the right-hand nook.

The lavatory, on this occasion, is prolonged, with comparable interiors because the King Deluxe Room. The lavatory includes a second (albeit very old-school) TV adjoining to the vainness, whereas the bathtub sits on the outer finish, subsequent to the window.

Park Hyatt Tokyo – Breakfast

Though the arduous product of the resort was considerably disappointing, the in-room breakfast was primarily the saving grace of our expertise right here on the Park Hyatt Tokyo.

This was among the many finest Japanese-style breakfasts we’d had on this journey throughout a variety of resorts, on par with the superb in-room breakfast at, say, The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto.

This specific breakfast provided a heat tofu bathtub, which brings an elevated contact to any Japanese breakfast sitting. It felt wonderful to roll off the bed and savour some heat tofu within the morning, with some scorching miso soup, rice, and a symphony of facet dishes.

The principle course consisted of fish with many accompaniments, which made for a tasty and fulsome meal.

You can too have the Western breakfast, which takes the type of a extra conventional buffet unfold within the Girandole restaurant. Though I didn’t eat breakfast right here, I ended by to take some images.

The unfold didn’t appear as spectacular as different resort choices right here in Tokyo, such because the Conrad that I had visited earlier on this journey. Along with a large number of Western breakfast gadgets, there was a Japanese station with rice bowls, however the with out as many accompaniments as different Tokyo resorts provide up.

Furthermore, the Western gadgets additionally appeared much less bountiful, and the general unfold felt a little bit sparse. Should you’re consuming breakfast on the Park Hyatt Tokyo, I’d undoubtedly advocate choosing the Japanese set meal, and having it delivered to your room is just one other layer of luxurious on prime.

Park Hyatt Tokyo – Eating

Relating to eating, there are fairly a number of choices on the Park Hyatt Tokyo.

The Girandole is a French-style brasserie, thought-about the guts of the resort. The restaurant is kind of spectacular with its historic significance, and the lofted ceiling space is embellished with quite a few images of main figures who’ve eaten right here prior to now.

One among Tokyo’s most famous eating places, the celebrated New York Grill and its adjoining bar, are situated on the resort’s 52nd flooring.

New York Grill gives gorgeous panoramic views of the town with a contemporary and complicated environment. The venue’s reputation outcomes from the film Misplaced in Translation, and yow will discover an eponymous cocktail being served right here.

We thought-about stopping by for a drink within the night, which may be very a lot one of many quintessential experiences that you need to check out when staying on the Park Hyatt Tokyo. Sadly, on this event, we had been a little bit too drained to go for a drink.

I did, nonetheless, poke my head in and noticed many friends having fun with themselves with reside music, which is performed each night on the New York Bar in opposition to gorgeous night views of Tokyo.

Understand that the New York Bar & Grill is a really American-style expertise, so relying on the kind of expertise you’re looking for when visiting Japan, this will likely or will not be a degree of attraction for the Park Hyatt. Certainly, the 52nd-floor venues had been described to me as very talked-about amongst Western friends, as they’re made to really feel extra at house on a visit to Japan. 

On the fortieth flooring, the Japanese restaurant Kozue serves every little thing from conventional nation fare to a contemporary tackle kaiseki.

Lastly, close to the resort’s essential entrance on the second degree, there’s a Pastry Boutique, which appeared like a pleasant spot to seize a espresso within the morning earlier than heading out.

 

Park Hyatt Tokyo – Different Services

The resort pool on the forty seventh flooring enhances the Peak Lounge on the resort’s entrance. The lap pool is kind of massive, and sits in a greenery-filled atrium adorned by floor-to-ceiling home windows and skylights, providing gorgeous views of the town when enjoyable or swimming.

On the pool deck, there are many lounging chairs to chill out underneath the daylight streaming in.

The health centre can also be tucked away within the pool space, spanning each side of the pool, partitioned by glass panels. Cardio tools, akin to treadmills and train bikes, face the home windows on each side with scenic views.

Moreover, the load tools choice was intensive, with a spread of weight machines, a bench press, a cable machine, and a squat rack.

Lastly, the spa facilities embody a scorching tub, a chilly plunge, a sauna, and comfortable-looking change rooms.

Conclusion

The Park Hyatt Tokyo seems to be coasting on the reminiscence of a film made way back. I had anticipated the next commonplace from such a well-regarded and prestigious resort, however my total impressions had been fairly disappointing.

The resort might undoubtedly profit from a refresh and redesign within the coming years. By doing so, hopefully, the Park Hyatt Tokyo can uphold its historic significance as one in all Japan’s first Western-style luxurious resorts, particularly amongst its extra modern counterparts nowadays.

One shortcoming that the resort gained’t have the ability to do a lot to deal with is the placement, because the resort isn’t located immediately subsequent to any main practice stations.

Until you occur to be a really devoted Hyatt loyalist or a die-hard fan of Misplaced in Translation, I don’t assume the Park Hyatt Tokyo is kind of aspirational sufficient to warrant going out of your option to go to, and I can’t see myself returning on future Tokyo journeys till there are some refurbishments deliberate.