The best Tokyo hotels
Little stays the same in Tokyo – except for the certainty that you’ll have a blast. The sprawling conurbation of Greater Tokyo – which swallows up the cities of Kawasaki and Yokohama too – is home to 28 million people and is the world’s largest metropolitan area. This essentially means that, whatever you are into, whatever you want to see or do, you’ll find it here somewhere – alongside plenty you didn’t know you wanted, too. That same old adage extends to the best Tokyo hotels: go glam or go local, go boutique or go bling, sleep in a skyscraper or flop on the finest futon – in the vastness of Tokyo, there is a Goldilocks stay ‘just right’ for you.
What is the best part of Tokyo to stay in?
That depends on your needs, what you’re into and where you’re heading next. First timers and families will find Shibuya is a great base for many walkable, must-see attractions (Scramble Crossing, Harajuku, Yoyogi Park, Meiji Shrine) as well as being just a short distance from some of Tokyo’s other great neighbourhoods (Nakameguro, Shimokitazawa). Many of the big-brand, skyscraper Tokyo hotels are clustered around the Otemachi financial district, with luxury spas in the sky, high-end retail at ground level and access to the Imperial Palace and its expansive green lung (expect to see your fellow guests on the Palace running loop in the morning). The Toranomon area is the place to immerse yourself in night views of the skyline and Tokyo Tower. If you’re heading onwards within Japan or need easy airport connections, base yourself close to the main bullet train hub, on the Yaesu side of Tokyo Station.
How many days do you need in Tokyo?
Three nights in Tokyo is enough time to get a solid feel for the city – and also to straighten out your body clock if you’ve travelled long haul. Choose a single base because, wherever you choose, the whole city is easily accessible via the vast, efficient and clean train and subway network (grab a map as it’s also very complex). Plan to do no more than two ‘things’ per day. If it’s your first time in Tokyo, don’t miss Shibuya, for the Scramble Crossing, legendary ‘hints’ store Tokyu Hands and the new Shibuya SKY open-air observation deck. You can also get a sense of the vastness of the city from the tallest tower, Tokyo Skytree on the east side. For art and architecture, hit the streets of Omotesando and Ginza, or visit the Mori Art Museum or TeamLab Futures in Toyosu (also the location of the new fish market). Book two months in advance for the Yayoi Kusama Museum, or just turn up at Kengo Kuma’s Nezu Museum, with its tranquil valley garden – a gem in the heart of fashionable Aoyama. For pre-loved fashion, try Shimokita or Koenji. Senso-ji temple and Asakusa, in the old downtown, have a relaxed, retro vibe, or you can catch a quiet moment at Meiji Jingu, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden or Hamarikyu Gardens on Tokyo Bay.
© Francesco Luciani 2023Bulgari Hotel Tokyo
Best for: A jewel-sprinkled taste of la dolce vita with a crafted Japanese edge in a sharp new skyscraper
The decadent Bulgari Hotel Tokyo crowns the cloud-brushing apex of the new 45-storey Tokyo Midtown Yaesu tower, just opposite Tokyo Station. Against a backdrop of sultry black granite with pops of jewel tones, this place smoothly blends contemporary Italian design and Japanese craftsmanship with a glamorous sprinkling of Bulgari heritage, as dreamt up by Milan’s ACPV Architects Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel. Picture hand-blown Murano lights suspended from temple-like wood ceilings; traditional Japanese textile motifs recreated in Venetian mosaic tiling; and, adorning the walls, photographs of celebrities visiting the Roman flagship in the 1950s, vintage advertising and jewellery sketches. The 98 guest rooms balance Japanese touches (woven bamboo wall vases, modern sliding screens, gold-flecked bed throws by Kyoto kimono textile masters Hosoo) with warm saffron fabric headboards, natural elm wood, Flexform armchairs, Maxalto desks and sexy black granite bathrooms. Italian cuisine tapping into the minimalist essence of natural flavours is served up on Ginori plates at Il Ristorante – Niko Romito, a light-flooded 40th-floor space in layered shades of light orange textiles, copper net curtains and caramel leathers: while sushi is expertly prepared at the hinoki wood counter of the serene eight-seat Hoseki restaurant, overlooking a small Zen garden. A pool glittering with gold and emerald green mosaic tiles boosts the glamour factor in the Spa; while the 45th-floor Bulgari Bar is a buzzy after-dark escape, with Venetian terrazzo, a curved bar, punchy cocktails and spacious outdoor terraces filled with lemon trees and sweet-smelling jasmine. Danielle Demetriou
Read the full Bulgari Hotel Tokyo review
Address: 2-2-1 Yaesu, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0028 Japan
Aman Tokyo
Best for: A minimalist’s dream high above the financial district
The Aman brand is synonymous with cutting-edge design and understated elegance. Its Tokyo property – its first in an urban setting – is no exception. Spread across the top six floors of a gleaming skyscraper in the Ōtemachi business district, it offers a modern interpretation of traditional Japanese dwellings (courtesy of the late architect Kerry Hill). The atrium-like lobby is bedecked in basalt stone and features a 30-metre-high ceiling that resembles the inside of a washi paper lantern. Zen-like rock gardens and a water feature with seasonal ikebana flower arrangements complete the scene. Italian restaurant Arva and an all-black lounge area fringe the lobby and offer meals with brilliant views. The sublime two-storey spa is Aman’s pride and joy, but the rooms are mini sanctuaries on their own: a celebration of Japanese minimalism, with blond-wood walls and granite ofuro bathtubs, positioned window-side to soak up the dramatic city views.
Read the full Aman Tokyo hotel review.
Address: Aman Tokyo, The Otemachi Tower, 1-5-6 Otemachi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan
Mandarin Oriental Tokyo
Best for: Impeccable service and Michelin-starred dining in chic Nihonbashi
Perched atop an office complex in Tokyo’s historic Nihonbashi district, the Mandarin Oriental delivers world-class decadence with a hefty dose of Japanese sophistication. The rooms have a beige palette with touches of orange and teal, large bathrooms, and – in true Mandarin Oriental fashion – an unmatched level of personalisation: even the bedroom's bonsai tree comes with a note addressing guests by name. In addition to phenomenal views and an excellent spa, the hotel’s top floors count no less than 10 bars and restaurants, from Michelin-starred molecular bites at Tapas to real-deal Italian pizza. Keep an eye out for the frequent kitchen takeovers that bring some of the biggest names in gastronomy to Tokyo (René Redzepi, the Sühring twins). It might feel impossible to leave this luxury cocoon during your stay here, but try to – the concierge’s local recommendations (including speciality shops open since the early 1800s) are spot on.
Address: Mandarin Oriental, 2 Chome-1-1 Nihonbashi Muromachi, Chuo City, Tokyo 103-8328, Japan
Nikolas KoenigThe Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon
Best for: Glittering views inside and out, including the best night vistas of Tokyo Tower
From the highly-polished black marble in the entrance to the dramatically up-lit forest of bamboos and butterfly palms that fill the 31st floor Lobby Lounge, The Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon doesn’t hide its light. Conceived by hotelier Ian Schrager and designed by architect Kengo Kuma, this striking hotel occupies six upper floors of a 38-storey skyscraper in the Toranomon business district, with 206 rooms – 15 of which have rare skyscraper terraces. Its Tower View rooms boast probably the city’s best views of the eponymous Tokyo landmark. The marble-and-glass Lobby Bar is an island in a sea of green, The Blue Room all-day dining restaurant is swathed in sapphire velvet. In the see-and-be-seen destination, Gold Bar at EDITION ex-pats sip Golden Age cocktails, while The Jade Room is a British-Japanese culinary love-in by chef partner Tom Aikens, unveiled in October 2022. Its eye-catching private dining room is by Kuma, while the large adjoining Garden Terrace promises to be one of Tokyo’s hottest social spots when it opens in Spring 2023.
Address: The Tokyo EDITION, 4-1-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001
Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi
Best for: Clubby elegance and fine dining in an unmatched location
With just 48 rooms and nine suites, this brilliantly located hotel beside Tokyo Station has the feel of a private club. Designed by Yabu Pushelberg and opened in 2002, Four Seasons at Marunouchi is old by Tokyo standards but has a loyal band of moneyed repeaters who appreciate the intimate atmosphere and attentive service, not to mention the convenience – and strange, urban beauty – of its location (right beside the bullet train tracks, for travel almost anywhere in Japan). Another compelling reason to return is its French fine-dining restaurant, Sézanne – immaculately styled by André Fu and lead by executive chef Daniel Calvert. Sézanne was awarded two stars in the Tokyo Michelin 2023 guide, within just 18 months of opening. It has 42 coveted (and often hard-to-bag) covers, but happily for hotel guests, Calvert is in charge of all hotel dining, including the excellent Parisian bistro Maison Marunouchi – and the complimentary, warm madeleines delivered to your room on arrival.
Address: Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi, 1-11-1 Pacific Century Place, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-6277
Nacasa & PartnersYuen Bettei Daita
Best for: A classic onsen-ryokan experience in the city
Hot springs baths and ryokan are hard to come by in Tokyo, so Yuen Bettei Daita has hit the sweet spot with a boutique inn, in the heart of the capital, that perfectly recreates that quintessential Japanese-countryside retreat. Nestled in a new, low-rise development in the hip suburb of Shimokita, its 33 compact, Japanese-style wood and tatami rooms, feature raised futon beds and traditional sliding shoji screens. The hot spring bath is the star attraction, with indoor and outdoor tubs, the latter filled with real hot spring water from Hakone near Mt Fuji. Seasonal Japanese cuisine (including a typical Japanese-style ryokan breakfast) is served in the all-day restaurant Tsukikage, where you can watch the chefs from the counter seats. The adjacent tea salon, designed around reclaimed wood doors from a historic local house, is a nod to the neighbourhood’s distant past as a place of tea fields. Serving green tea and cakes by day, it switches to punchy matcha cocktails by night.
Address: Yuen Bettei Daita, 2-31-36, Daita, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 155-0033
Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi
Best for: Next-generation Tokyo wow factor
This gorgeous, Jean-Michel Gathy-designed hotel with 170 rooms and 20 suites spread over the top six floors of the new, 39-storey Otematchi One complex offers the quintessential Tokyo-skyscraper-hotel experience, amplified. The knock-out arrival view – reached by ear-poppingly fast lift – is of wide-open views of the city’s west side, the sprawling city far below, and of clouds and mountains reflected in a mirror moat that stretches the length of the busy Lobby Lounge (Tokyo’s newest Afternoon Tea obsession). Beyond, you’ll find perfect Neapolitan pizzas at Italian all-day dining restaurant Pigneto and micro-seasonal cocktails at Bar Virtù, which has a high-glam yet timeless feel (glimpse jars of their home-made umeshu in the extensive liquor store behind the library). The French fine-dining restaurant est is the one-Michelin-star creation of long-time professional duo, chef de cuisine Guillaume Bracaval and pastry chef Michele Abbatemarco, and serves up light, innovative interpretations of the Japanese terroir, with 95 per cent of ingredients sourced within Japan (see the handy origin map on the menu). The 20m indoor pool invites a dip, as much for its high-polish metal interior as the surrounding picture windows. A spa with five treatment rooms and a large ofuro soaking tub (with views, of course) complete this hip sanctuary in the sky.
Address: Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi, 1-2-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0004
Trunk Hotel
Best for: Eco-conscious travellers who don’t want to skimp on comfort or style
A magnet for Tokyo’s creative crowd and in-the-know city trippers, Trunk Hotel scores high on the cool quotient – a perfect fit for its location around the corner from fashion-forward Cat Street. At its heart sits Trunk Bar, a buzzy lounge where local entrepreneurs and digital nomads work on their laptops during the day and swap their coffees for cocktails after the sun has set. Each of the bedrooms is different in size – ranging from a two-storey party pad with plunge pool to a cosy family suite equipped with bunk beds. Common denominators, however, are the lofty high ceilings, metro-tiled bathrooms and minibars stocked with artisanal soda pops and dried fruits. Sustainability is the name of the game here. Interiors are decked out in reclaimed timber while staff uniforms are fashioned from recycled denim. Even the amenities follow the same approach: they're all produced locally and include recycled-rubber bathroom slippers and upcycled laundry bags. Most are available for sale at the on-site convenience store alongside craft beers from Tokyo and organic snacks.
Address: Trunk Hotel, 5 Chome-31 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan
Muji Hotel Ginza
Best for: A no-frills stay that feels like home
Occupying the top floors of Muji’s Ginza flagship store, the brand’s first hotel in Japan manifests its ‘anti-cheap, anti-gorgeous’ ethos in a frills-free formula where the essentials are thoroughly considered and perfectly executed. The apartment-like rooms are narrow but long, which works well with their simplistic layouts. Some come with well-stocked bookcases, others have tatami mats and futons. All are, unsurprisingly, furnished with Muji products – ranging from the signature minimalist alarm clock and air diffuser to the all-white toiletries in the bathroom – all of which are available to buy from the store downstairs. Next to the lobby, hotel restaurant WA changes its menu every three months to focus on a specific region in Japan, sourcing almost all of its ingredients from there during each time frame.
Address: Muji Hotel Ginza, 6F, 3-3-5, Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo, Japan
Palace Hotel Tokyo
Best for: bright, spacious rooms and palatial views fit for a president
A key player in Tokyo’s hotel landscape since 1961, the Palace Hotel is now, after a complete reconstruction in 2012, the address of choice for politicians, celebrities and other VIPs visiting the Japanese capital. For good reason: few other hotels can match the prime location and the bright spacious rooms that the revamp introduced – most of which open to large balconies that look out over the Imperial Palace and its gigantic garden. Despite its modern overhaul, the hotel remains a classic: expect impeccable white-glove service (head concierge Ms Sumiyoshi leads the Tokyo chapter of the global concierge association), fresh flowers throughout the property and silver spoons at the breakfast table. Nab a spot on the moat-side terrace for the best views. For dinner, seek out Wadakura on the 6th floor, a village-like collection of Japanese dining spots specialising in tempura, sushi, teppanyaki and kaiseki. Six new suites were added in 2022 to mark its 10th anniversary.
Address: Palace Hotel, 1 Chome-1-１ Marunouchi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0005, Japan
Park Hyatt Tokyo
Best for: Ticking one of Tokyo’s most iconic hotels off your bucket list
Welcoming guests since 1994, this legendary stay has aged gracefully throughout the years. The design, both in the rooms and the public areas, remains timeless, and the service every bit as attentive as it was when the Park Hyatt opened as one of the top properties in town. While the hotel has been immortalised thanks to its appearance in Lost in Translation, the spectacular top-floor swimming pool and excellent spa pack star power in their own right. The 177 rooms – all beige and dark lacquered woods – are generously sized, with marble-clad bathrooms and Aesop amenities. As with all sky-high lodgings in the city, there are jaw-dropping views to boot, and on good days you might even catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji in the distance. Even if you’re not staying over, a Suntory Whisky in the iconic New York Bar is a quintessential Tokyo experience.
Read designer Erdem's ode to the Park Hyatt Tokyo.
Address: Park Hyatt Tokyo, 3-7-1-2, Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 163-1055, Japan
Hoshino ResortsHoshinoya Tokyo
Best for: An upgraded take on the traditional ryokan experience
Ryokans are a dying breed in Tokyo, but Hoshinoya manages to revive the style in its own ultra-swish way. Housed in a 17-storey tower in the central business district, it offers all the trimmings of a traditional ryokan: tatami mats throughout the property (even in the lifts, so there’s a strict shoes-off policy upon entering), plush futon mattresses and rooms surrounded by sliding paper screens. Its latticed exterior is designed to resemble a swirling komon pattern and casts beautiful shapes when the sun seeps through. On each floor, six guest rooms are grouped around a communal lounge area. Tea and seasonal snacks are served here throughout the day, and breakfast (freshly prepared onigiri rice balls) can be eaten here as well – though the in-room option, delivered in a beautiful wooden bento box, is worth the extra fee. Crowning it all is a rooftop onsen with spring water pumped up from almost 5,000 feet below – there are few better places to spend the evening after a day hopping around town.
Address: Hoshinoya Tokyo, 1 Chome-9-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan