Exploring the Best Hotels and Hospitality Landmarks of Tokyo, Japan

Whether these are the shiny new towers delineating the city’s skyline or the pleasure palaces of yesteryear that set the industry benchmark, here are the very best hotels inhabiting the zenith spot of Tokyo’s expansive hospitality realm.

Tokyo is the city of tomorrow, a futuristic destination that is always on the cusp of something new and exciting even as it is steadfastly tied to its fascinating past. In this respect, the city is host to some of the most lauded hotels of the world, whether they are decades in the making or barely out of mint condition. The following are some of the best hotels and establishments across the enigmatic landscape of Tokyo, boasting some of the most impressive fixtures and the best service orientation the world has seen.

Tokyo Titans: Best hotels in Japan’s capital

Park Hyatt Tokyo

The View

The famed Park Hyatt Tokyo closed for major renovations in May 2024 and will only reopen in October 2025. It remains the only luxury skyscraper hotel in the diminutive expanse of East Shinjuku and towers over the landscape with the most inspiring views from its crown. On a clear day, one stands in awe of the silhouette of Mt Fuji at a distance from the lobby and some of the rooms.

The Mood

Resplendently serious yet charmingly whimsical, the skybound lifts open to a light drenched lobby bedecked with uncommon flourishes like lush bamboo groves and a stately library. Breathtaking and welcoming in equal measures, these are spaces raised for lingering, from lazy afternoon teas till twilight and posh sips thereafter.

The Gourmet Index

There are three restaurants here that cater to a variety of culinary preferences amongst guests. Girandole is a very sophisticated all-day diner that serves the precinct’s best breakfast, Kozue specialises in contemporary Japanese cuisine and New York Grill is just the ticket for a night to remember with its sensational jazz bar and rapturous night views that are just so intoxicatingly Tokyo. And oh, the extensive selection of prime cuts here are also a good reason to score yourself a table.

The Service

Thoughtful, meticulous and forward-thinking with an air of imperial sophistication. The team here is a good study on how seamless service should be rendered from check-in till the next visit.

Park Hotel Tokyo, Shinjuku Park Tower, 3 Chome-7-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 163-1055, Japan

Mandarin Oriental Tokyo

The View

Mandarin Oriental Tokyo stands alone at Nihonbashi, a historic location in the heart of modern Tokyo and occupies the top 9 floors of the 38-storey Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower. Most if not all of its rooms and suites are dripping with gorgeous views of downtown Tokyo featuring landmarks like The Tokyo Sky Tree and Mount Fuji.

The Mood

The property is around 20 years old and the design dictions harken to its corresponding era but there is a timeless sophistication imbued into the rich hues and cultural accents of its stately interiors. The most appreciated aspect of this property is how the transcendent views of downtown Tokyo seeps in from every turn and corner, thanks to the stupendous high glass walls and windows so masterfully etched into its design blueprint.

The Gourmet Index

There are over 10 culinary options at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, from fine French Dining to classic afternoon teas. Sense is one of Tokyo’s top Chinese restaurants and proffers classic Cantonese dishes with modern pizzazz. The Pizza Bar on 38th is Tokyo’s most elevated counter for gourmet brick oven fired pizzas with only 8 seats available per session. For some of the city’s most inspired confections, head to The Mandarin Oriental Gourmet Shop where its incandescent Kumo (cloud) Cake is still trending high amongst dessert aficionados in Tokyo.

The Service

Mandarin Oriental Tokyo has an unflappable grasp on dignified service that extends from welcome to farewell. Ask for something and the team responds with the required information and then more. You get the feeling that everyone genuinely cares without undue overtness and the efficiency rendered is seemingly effortless.

Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower, 2 Chome-1-1 Nihonbashimuromachi, Chuo City, Tokyo 103-8328, Japan

The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo

The View

Strategically planted at the top floors of Midtown Roppongi, The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo is in command of some of the most inspiring vistas of Tokyo, with views of the Imperial Palace Garden, Tokyo Skytree and Mt Fuji at an enigmatic distance. On clear days, the dramatic silhouette of Fuji is simply stunning. Viewed from the perch, numerous parks close by also inject a grand dose of serenity into the concrete cityscape of this sprawling metropolis.

The Mood

The hotel stretches from level 45 upwards and the views here are gratifying to say the least. The sweeping lobby is clad in soft wood tones and deep brown hues and bedecked with old world accoutrements aplenty — dramatic crystal chandeliers, colossal wood-panelled columns and a jet black grand piano present a heady composite of luxury some might find comforting while others just a tad dated.

The Gourmet Index

The Ritz-Carltons aren’t usually the most adventurous restaurateurs in existence but what they mire in, they perfect it. Hinokizaka is a stunning Japanese fine diner specialising in the major branches of Japanese cuisine from Kaiseki to Teppanyaki. Towers serves up classical French fare accompanied by views and fine wine. The top spot of its culinary line-up is currently Héritage by Kei Kobayashi, a lofty enclave of progressive French cuisine supervised by the renowned chef from his 3-star bastion in Paris.

The Service

The service orientation of The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo is exemplary not because the ladies and gentlemen believe that they are above mistakes, but because they hold themselves to such exacting standards they are always two steps ahead in the recovery process and are so whole-hearted in their pursuit of perfection the delivery is simply breathtaking.

The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo, Tokyo Midtown, 9 Chome-7-1 Akasaka, Minato City, Tokyo 107-6245, Japan

Conrad Tokyo

The View

Shiodome is a short distance off central Tokyo but the buildings here have a definitive advantage in the views they command; in the case of Conrad Tokyo, the property was set over the highest floors of the Shiodome skyscraper raised right next to the elegant Hamarikyu Garden in full view of the Tokyo Bay.

The Mood

Nobuyuki Tanaka’s glossy red sculpture has maintained its dramatic presence at the hotel’s entrance for close to two decades, and sets the tone for the moody sophistication Conrad Tokyo effuses. The seductive sombre tones contrast splendidly with the light flooding in from the lobby’s towering glass walls and this brilliant play between dark tones and light extends from the public spaces to the rooms and suites.

The Gourmet Index

Conrad Tokyo is a self-contained gourmet enclave comprising Cerise, a casual diner, Collage, a contemporary French restaurant, Kazahana, a Japanese fine dining restaurant, Twentyeight, a lounge and bar proffering both cakes and cocktails and China Blue, arguably the best Chinese restaurant in Tokyo not too long ago. All of these dining spaces come with the best views Shiodome affords,

The Service

Intent, efficient and ebullient, the service team at Conrad Tokyo is adept at delivering expedient, thoughtful service with a smile. Often regarded as a luxury class business hotel, the service rendered here is closely attuned to the superlative sensitivity Tokyo is accustomed to deliver.

Conrad Tokyo, 1 Chome-9-1 HigashishiNBAshi, Minato City, Tokyo 105-7337, Japan

The Peninsula Tokyo

The View

Raised right next to the Imperial Palace, The Peninsula Tokyo has the most enviable vistas of Hibiya Park that extend towards the Tokyo Sky Tree. Some of the rooms and suites here are imbued with the views of both park and city from wall to wall.

The Mood

Most Peninsula properties are in part replicas of the Hong Kong mothership and the Tokyo installation is quite the foreign miniature, its entrance manned by page girls in white and opens to a cheerfully decked tea parlour wafting with daily live music. The palette here is decidedly Japanese with the lobby tinted in shades of Hinoki and earthy browns. The grandeur is muted within such slender confines but the elegance of Japanese aesthetics shines through.

The Gourmet Index

The Peninsula is a hospitality brand famous for its afternoon teas and here the lobby is packed daily with aficionados of dainties and rituals. Hei Fung Terrace has a reputation of being one of Tokyo’s best fine dining Cantonese restaurants and Peter is quite a vision through the looking glass with its audacious purple shades and glittering iridescent foliage but don’t let all those avant-garde distractions fool you. This is still one of Tokyo’s best spots to throw back a few cocktails and relish on time-honoured luxuries like steaks and caviar. Presently one can also enjoy Ippudo’s famous ramen, tonkotsu and plant-based flavours, with a view with the famed noodles offered for room service.

The Service

Once upon a time The Peninsula had a superb grasp on Omotenashi, the Japanese definition of service from the heart. Staff attended to guests with great kindness and consideration and minute mistakes were expeditiously accounted for and rectified. In life and especially in this business, change is the only constant and anytime soon, the wind will flow back into the sails.

The Peninsula Tokyo, 1 Chome-8-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0006, Japan

Grand Hyatt Tokyo

The View

Roppongi Hills where the Grand Hyatt was raised is one of Tokyo’s largest mixed-use developments and thus within the vicinity is where the tall and short collide with the old and new. The rooms here are peeping holes into the urbane spectrum of Tokyo’s Minato ward; some have a pretty visage of the Tokyo Tower, some of Mt Fuji on a clear day whilst others an eyeful of the city’s concrete microcosm.

The Mood

A 387 keys property circulating with a mishmash of Business and leisure Travellers, the ambience is not exactly what one would call stratospheric but fans of the brand would find all the familiar comforts of a Grand Hyatt like central locality, spacious rooms and bountiful dining options here.

The Gourmet Index

There are over 10 culinary options at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo, from popular lunch buffets to Tex-Mex BBQ dinners, there is something to match every palate. For an initiation into the genre of culinary showmanship, Keyakizaka is an innovative teppanyaki restaurant offering a selection of premium Japanese beef with local flavours and ingredients.

The Service

The size of a property often has a corresponding relationship with the satisfaction index and though the service at Grand Hyatt Tokyo isn’t of the superclass genre, there are ticks in all the right boxes keeping guests amply satisfied.

Grand Hyatt Tokyo, 6-10-3 Roppongi, Minato-Ku, Roppongi, Hills, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan

The Tokyo Edition, Ginza

The View

Ginza is one of the most densely built strips in downtown Tokyo and here the views are more alleyways than aerial. Being in such close range to the next building do however present some unexpected and interesting moments, this being Tokyo where ordinary is an intriguing concept.

The Mood

The vibrancy of The Edition brand effuses from a street away with an exterior that stands out even within one of Tokyo’s most fashionable neighbourhoods, One naturally expects no less from Ian Schrager, co-founder of the legendary Studio 54 and creator of the Edition brand. Kengo Kuma is responsible for its modish, minimalistic lobby which sets the tone for restraint amidst unbridled pleasures.

The Gourmet Index

The property boasts of one restaurant and three watering holes, clearly a Schrager mandated Edition directive. Sophie at Edition is a modern brasserie with a pretty retro vibe dishing out fabulous salmon lox and bagel at breakfast and steak frites and tarte flambé at dinner. Punch Room serves cocktails with a generous dose of sophistication that would greatly appeal to jet setting barflies.

The Service

For a Japanese hotel, service here is an international operation. The vibes are smart and friendly, but also laced with a potent hit of Japanese efficacy when required. Formality has been largely supplanted by congeniality which is a refreshing shift from the city’s hospitality norms.

The Tokyo Edition, Ginza, 2-8-13 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan 104-0061

Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo

The View

Hyatt Centric Ginza’s enviable location in the heart of Ginza does come with its downside view wise. With such close proximity to the surrounding buildings, one can hardly call the views gleaned from the glass panels in the rooms panoramic.

The Mood

Tucked furtively amongst glitzy flagships of the luxury design brands that inhabit Ginza, the entrance of Hyatt Centric GInza appears more boutique than hotel and is a portal to the ebullient and fashionable interiors within. Commissioned artworks are etched onto the walls here at every turn and the reception lobby is a slick composition of mismatched furniture devoid of staid check-in counters. The colours and forms here are conjoined to make a strong impression that you are in new Tokyo even as the inspirations behind the forms are mostly carved from the city’s old roots.

The Gourmet Index

The dining option here is fashionably limited with only one culinary address with both bar and restaurant functions. Namiki667 provides slow-cooked specialties teased from the freshest local ingredients like Akigawa Wagyu beef and catch of the day fish and seafood. The terrace here overlooks Namiki Dori, a fabulous street that houses venerable confectioner Kuuya with the showy Osteria Gucci and Versace flagship within the same linear expanse, and is a great place for a summer cocktail to soak it all in.

The Service

There is a definitive newness to the service orientation of this property, where staff are likely to join guests in the gym with no hang-ups on the proprietary staff-guest divide most hotels would rigorously maintain. This hasn’t led to any major issues on guest satisfaction that we can discern and it is still smiles all around and business as usual, so Hyatt Centric may be on to something groundbreaking with this direction.

Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo, 6 Chome-6-7 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan

Hotel Toranomon Hills, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt

The View

Hotel Toranomon Hills sits on one of Tokyo’s newest business and leisure hubs, with many rooms pointing prettily towards the Tokyo Tower. The hotel is stacked on the lower floors of the Station Tower so the vistas aren’t particularly panoramic but on hindsight with scenes so decidedly urban peeping through at such close range, one does feel more connected with the city and its visual enigmas.

The Mood

Walking into the ground floor lobby presents an animated scene of Tokyo at a leisurely pace — tourists at breakfast, ladies who lunch, execs with their after-work libation, which more or less sums up the allures of a lifestyle hotel picking up wind in the trending index of this sprawling metropolis.

The Gourmet Index

Like most lifestyle hotels, there are not many restaurants here but what they have installed they make it work. Le Pristine is the Tokyo extension of 3-star chef Sergio Herman’s culinary prowess, and the name extends to both restaurant and cafe here. Contemporary European creations are paired with creative cocktails and a wide range of wines at the restaurant while casual entrees like pastas and pizzettes tempt at the cafe.

The Service

Casual, friendly but with a pretty serious ‘guest first always’ stance from check-in to check-out, this isn’t a hotel that best represents the imperial form but there is still more than enough in place to ensure that you have a comfortable stay from this city launchpad.

Hotel Toranomon Hills – The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, Toranomon Hills Station Tower, 2 Chome-6-4 Toranomon, Minato City, Tokyo 105-0001, Japan

Ascott Marunouchi

The View

From the ground up, Ascott Marunouchi is as municipal as they come. Tokyo is a veritable concrete jungle and in Marunouchi the vistas are largely gleaming but grey. On a gloomy rainy day here, it does look as if Godzilla is about to obliterate existence. A few suites on the canopy floors are however invested with inspiring views of the imperial palace and Hibiki park.

The Mood

A serviced apartment runs on very different machination than a hotel, here the immediate realisation at check-in is that the property is running on a skeleton crew and thus there was no staff manning the entrance or greeting guests at the lobby. A day in and one can get quite used to this, especially with the conveniences of a well-kept abode like kitchens and washing machines that conventional hotels do not provide. The Ascott Marunouchi is however a head above its competitors with impressive public and in-room fixtures (bathtubs with views, you get the drift) that do not pale in comparison with luxury hotels.

The Gourmet Index

There is only a small restaurant here that serves breakfast and lunch and it doesn’t quite register on the city’s gourmet index. But with superbly decked kitchens in most of the rooms here and the plentiful dining options of Tokyo at its doorstep, elaborate restaurants do seem like an exercise in futility here.

The Service

One naturally expects less of service apartments and apartels than hotels in the service aspect but that being said, what needs to be done can still be done with aplomb. With 24-hours concierge and guest services in full swing, guests, especially those on Business and long-stay trips, have little to fret over at Ascott Marunouchi in terms of comfort and convenience.

Ascott Marunouchi Tokyo, Otemachi Park Building, 00-0004 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Ōtemachi, 1 Chome−1−1, Otemachi Park Building, 22階, Japan

Oakwood Premier Tokyo

The View

Steps away from Tokyo Station, Oakwood Premier has a good but compacted view of the downtown stretch that is always circulating with traffic and movements. At night the scene gets chromatic as the city lights flicker near and far, announcing Tokyo with all its sundown revelries.

The Mood

Tucked rather furtively between the towers and skyscrapers of downtown Tokyo, there is a veneer of exclusivity as one plays house here in one of the most exclusive enclaves of the Japanese capital. The decor here is elegant and chic, and the milieu is well-suited for both Business and leisure agendas.

The Gourmet Index

The restaurant here serves a simple breakfast. With the dining options of Tokyo’s downtown stretch literally at the doorstep, one is utterly spoiled for choice. A supermarket is just next door for those who are keen to utilise the fabulously installed in-room kitchen. The property also has a dining program to deliver frozen gourmet meals prepared by noted restaurants for guests to heat up and serve in-room.

The Service

Friendly but meticulous, there is want for little as both the concierge and housekeeping teams work round the clock to ensure a comfortable stay.

Oakwood Premier Tokyo, 1 Chome-8-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0005, Japan

(Main and featured images: Mandarin Oriental Tokyo)