The best luxury hotels in Tokyo, from modern ryokans to skyscraper suites
Tokyo excels at all-singing, all-dancing luxury, particularly when it comes to the Japanese capital’s top tier hotels. Here, it’s all about shiny futuristic skyscrapers; stunning views across the sprawling megalopolis (ideally with a hovering Mount Fuji in the distance); uber-deluxe (and surprisingly spacious) suites; Michelin-starred restaurants; high-end spas up among the clouds; and, of course, this being Japan, omotenashi – the icing on the five-star cake that loosely translates as unwaveringly intuitive service. Here is our round up of the very best luxury hotels in Tokyo.
HOSHINOYA Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan
8Telegraph expert rating
Shoes slipped off at the entrance, sliding paper screens, low futon beds, hot spring onsen bathing and tatami mat flooring (even in the lifts) – welcome to Hoshinoya Tokyo, the city’s first luxury five-star traditional ryokan inn, housed in an 18-storey skyscraper. Inside, there is a dramatic double-height genkan entrance with a seasonal flower display, indigo walls, sliding paper screens, expanses of aromatic Japanese wood and modern-style cotton jersey kimono outfits for guests. Each floor is self-contained, with its own Ochanoma lounge where, at a communal wooden table or on low sofas, staff serve o nigiri rice balls, coffee, tea or seasonal sakes. Read expert review From £547 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Aman Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan
9Telegraph expert rating
True to the Aman’s signature understated style, the ground-floor entrance here is so discreet it’s easy to miss. An ear-popping lift transports visitors to the 33rd-floor lobby – where a vast reception steals the show. Centre stage is a dramatic ikebana flower arrangement, surrounded by water and two meditative rock gardens, with surrounding walls of glass giving way to classic urban Tokyo views. And then – drumroll – there is the spa. Spanning two deliciously serene floors and an epic 2,500 square metres, it is a minimal, sun-drenched enclave filled with clean-lined natural materials plus a soothing onsen-style stone bath with urban views across the city and sleek 30-metre pool. Read expert review From £794 per night Check availability Rates provided by Mr & Mrs Smith
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Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi
Tokyo, Japan
8Telegraph expert rating
The atmosphere at the family-friendly Four Seasons Marunouchi feels at times more like an exclusive private members club than conventional five-star hotel, with its stylish interiors striking just the right balance between chic and cosy – an intimate anomaly in Tokyo. With only 57 rooms and just one scene-stealing restaurant, it’s one of the smallest luxury hotels in the city. What it lacks in size it more than makes up for with its warm and intimate atmosphere. Interiors are chic, modern and resolutely luxurious, with expanses of dark woods, metallic-hued furnishings, glowing lighting, abstract modern paintings and luscious contemporary flower arrangements by Danish floral artist Nicolai Bergmann. Read expert review From £493 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan
9Telegraph expert rating
This hotel in the Nihonbashi district has been designed to dazzle. A lift zips you to the lobby on the top floor of a Cesar Pelli-designed tower, where the check-in desk sits before a two-storey-high glass window framing the Tokyo Skytree. Behind, another window shows Mount Fuji in the distance behind a gaggle of finance district skyscrapers. It's a guilty pleasure sitting in the sauna, 38 floors up, with a one-way window looking straight at worker bees in their offices. The 179 rooms are enormous (for Tokyo), and all have views that scream megalopolis. They are elegantly appointed with woods, washi, as well as fabrics from the boundary-pushing Reiko Sudo. The in-room bonsai comes with a biography. Read expert review From £405 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Palace Hotel Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan
8Telegraph expert rating
The Palace dates back nearly half a century, but was rebuilt from scratch before reopening in 2012. Today, it consists of an elegant 290-room structure, complete with splashes of modern art, large floral displays and clean-lined contemporary design, creating an atmosphere that brings to mind more opulent private residence than multi-storey hotel. Relaxation takes place courtesy of a serene white Evian-themed spa, plus a high-tech fitness centre and pool. The hotel also offers an impressive collection of curated experiences and activities – from a behind-the-scenes lunch with sumo wrestlers and introductions to Japanese business etiquette to a bespoke architecture tour with local experts. Read expert review From £474 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Park Hyatt Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan
8Telegraph expert rating
Among Tokyo’s top (and best-loved) hotels, the Park Hyatt is a five-star legend, renowned for its starring role in Lost in Translation alongside Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. The rooms – designed by John Morford and reached via elegant muted green corridors – are havens of clean-lined luxury, with neutral furnishings, paper-style lanterns and top-quality Egyptian cotton bedding. Walls of glass frame sensational views (ask for a room facing Mount Fuji and keep fingers crossed it is a clear day). The bathrooms are an exercise in indulgence, with expanses of green marble and granite, bright paintings and pampering Aesop amenities. Read expert review From £413 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Conrad Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan
8Telegraph expert rating
The Conrad's sleek contemporary design is peppered with bold sculptures and paintings created by 23 Japanese artists (don’t miss the exquisitely abstract painting by art doyenne Toko Shinoda – now aged over 100 – hovering above the lobby concierge). A deluxe five-star interpretation of Japanese minimalism is reflected in the décor of the 290 guestrooms, four restaurants and lounge, all of which are contemporary yet comfortable. A raft of activities are also recommended, including taiko drumming classes and cycling tours. The hotel spa is home to an elegant swimming pool plus a serene spa with a menu ranging from aromatherapy massages using seasonal oils and restorative bamboo body treatments to soaks in a cypress wood bathtub. Read expert review From £302 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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The Capitol Hotel Tokyu
Nagatacho, Tokyo, Japan
8Telegraph expert rating
After its grand opening in 1963, The Capitol's glamorous status was confirmed by the presence of guests including The Beatles. Following a four-year renovation, the 20th-century version of the hotel consists of a 29-storey skyscraper. The entrance and lobby instantly set an elegant tone, with expanses of glass complementing a jigsaw puzzle installation of minimal latticed wood across the wall and ceilings, as created by the cult architect Kengo Kuma. A luxurious contemporary take on a traditional Japanese home, each of the 251 rooms features grey panelled walls with subtle Japanese motifs complement swathes of light wood, calligraphic artworks, natural fabrics, sliding screen partitions and white washi paper lanterns by the beds. Read expert review From £343 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills
Tokyo, Japan
8Telegraph expert rating
Contemporary urban décor and an intimate boutique ambiance set a chic tone at the Andaz Tokyo, which is located in the revitalised Toranomon district. Lifts lined with sculptural motifs in white washi paper take visitors to the 51st-floor Andaz Lounge – a space filled with paper partitions, latticed panels and abstract sculptures. Splashes of burnt red leather, oversized bonsai trees and floating wooden sculptures (by Charlie Whinney) are dotted throughout the The Tavern – Grill & Lounge restaurant, while a rooftop bar crowns the building. The airy AO Spa & Club resembles a modern-day apothecary, its 'Blend Bar' packed with fresh green herbs, seasonal plants, fruits, spices and oils – which are used by therapists to create bespoke scrubs. Read expert review From £303 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan
8Telegraph expert rating
There’s high-rise and then there’s this: a luxury hotel perched atop one of the tallest buildings in the world’s most populous metropolis. Service is always attentive, never suffocating, but there’s a feeling of the haves versus the have-lots in terms of facilities. Afternoon tea in the Lobby Lounge is swell, but it’s so much nicer if you’re staying in a Club-level room and take your tea in the plush 53rd-floor Club Lounge while a harpist plays in the corner. The Hinokizakura restaurant offers the gamut of Japanese fine dining, with areas for sushi, kaiseki, tempura and teppanyaki. The best seats the house are in the private room – a 200-year-old wooden house transplanted from rural Gifu Prefecture. Read expert review From £484 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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The Peninsula Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan
8Telegraph expert rating
Some of the most spacious rooms in Tokyo can be found at The Peninsula, a 24-storey, rose-tinted tower inspired by a Japanese lantern. It is elegantly opulent, with marble walkways, Japanese-style artworks and leafy views. Unusually for Tokyo, it’s a standalone hotel (many luxury hotels in the city inhabit only the top levels of a skyscraper). And so it’s perhaps little surprise the hotel is as epic in size as it is luxurious, with 314 spacious bedrooms, five restaurants, two ballrooms and wedding chapel. Service is unwaveringly helpful from the moment you arrive – whether you are being picked up by one of the hotel’s customised green Rolls Royces at the airport or simply greeted at the entrance by the smiling bellboys dressed in dazzling top-to-toe white. Read expert review From £497 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Grand Hyatt Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan
8Telegraph expert rating
This luxuriously contemporary hotel, which spans 21 floors, showcases an elegant mix of modern Japanese and Western design. There are expanses of dark woods, atmospheric lanterns, bold minimal artworks and, perhaps unusually for central Tokyo, a sense of spaciousness throughout. It is directly connected to the Roppongi Hills mega-complex, with its countless designer boutiques and restaurants. But competing with all the entertainment on the hotel’s doorstep is fifth-floor spa Nagomi, a serene space with Japanese-inspired treatments. A highlight is the Nagomi massage, which uses a delicious oil blend of ginger and yuzu (a sweet, zesty Japanese citrus fruit). Read expert review From £314 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Contributions by Nicholas Coldicott
