Although the deluxe Tokyo Peninsula is only mildly vertiginous by the standards of New York (24-storeys as opposed to the 58-storey Trump Tower), it is nonetheless one of the city’s most inviting skyscrapers. What’s more, it plays host to a remarkable hotel – a destination so perfectly run it puts most other so-called five-star hotels to shame.
Hotel
For over 15 years, this iconic address has been welcoming a mixture of business and leisure travellers; both are equally captivated by the expansive rooms, intuitive (and yet relaxed) service, ornate spa, numerous dining options, and opulent suites. As you enjoy a coffee in the beautiful – and buzzy – lobby area, a mosaic of different cultures, languages, and age groups dart in and out towards the bright lights of Japan’s seductive metropolis.
The Peninsula Tokyo has a long-standing relationship with some of Japan’s leading artists and sculptors. You can view two masterpieces in the lobby: Lying Dragon Gate, a bamboo sculpture by Keisen Hama, and The Void, a series of 24 glowing, cone-shaped sculptures by Ben Jakober and Yannick Vu, which hang suspended in the hotel’s 70-metre-high atrium. Lying Dragon Gate, in particular, attracted its fair share of non-guests into the lobby – one gentleman spent over 15 minutes staring at this representation of a dragon lying protectively atop the universe to ward off evil spirits. Impressive stuff.
Leaving the Peninsula was a very difficult, and heart-wrenching, proposition indeed. This, paradoxically, is the hotel’s greatest strength and also its greatest weakness. Chatting with an American couple over breakfast one morning, they admitted that sight-seeing had taken a back seat to the spa on their penultimate day in Tokyo. “We feel almost guilty as Tokyo’s such an amazing city, and we haven’t seen that much, but it’s very hard to drag yourself away from the Peninsula,” said Mike (a veterinarian from San Francisco).
I could not have put it better myself: being cocooned in such luxury makes the outside world seem like an irrelevance, even when the neon-lit attractions of Shibuya City are 15 minutes away by taxi.
Fellow travellers you have been warned: the Peninsula Tokyo’s siren song is impossible to resist.
Room
Tokyo, much like London and Paris, is not renowned for offering a generous price-to-quality ratio in the hotel room department. Indeed, even the mid-range places can disappoint in terms of poky rooms and bijou bathrooms designed for Bilbo Baggins. Not so at the Peninsula, however, where 314 rooms come equipped with massive dressing/storage areas, sumptuous bathrooms, insanely comfortable beds, and Lavazza machines as standard. Many would say that the hotel’s entry-level rooms are a contradiction in terms; a minimal living space of 579 sq ft could hardly be described as ‘roughing it’. They are, without doubt, the finest accommodation spaces in Tokyo.
We experienced two categories of room during the trip: premier room and deluxe suite. The latter was mindbogglingly opulent – a staggering 1,253 square feet of living space, with floor-to-ceiling windows, dining table, two sofas, a telescope, and separate bathroom/sleeping area. It’s hard to decide what we loved more: the marble bathroom or the stunning views of Hibiya Park and the Imperial Palace Gardens. The décor, meanwhile, borrows heavily from iconic Japanese style – think bamboo-woven ceilings and white lanterns – with some modern touches and plenty of stone and marble.
Food and drink
The Peninsula’s beautiful lobby area is the place to see and been seen from noon to 6pm, as both Tokyoites and a jet-setting clientele take afternoon tea in their droves. But if you don’t fancy Lapsang Souchong and exquisite cakes (and why not?), then perhaps the Peninsula’s trio of Japanese restaurants will tempt you. There is also a superlative grill restaurant called Peter, where panoramic views of the Tokyo skyline and tenderloin Wagyu beef await you.
However, we decided to dine at the hotel’s signature Cantonese venue: Hei Fung Terrace. It was an inspired choice, as the dim sum, steamed abalone, sweet and sour pork, and fried rice with king prawns were a feast fit for Confucius himself. There is also a très posh cocktail bar, called (cue drum roll) Peter: The Bar. Try the Manhattan.
To do
The Peninsula is at the heart of Tokyo’s glamorous Yurakucho district: a mecca for shopaholics and aficionados of Michelin-starred dining and chic cocktail bars. Both Ginza (central business/retail district) and Marunouchi are minutes away on foot, while there are numerous metro stations nearby. We hardly took any taxis during our visit, as some very enticing dining and drinking options were less than 15 minutes’ walk. And, as you’ve probably heard, Tokyo is incredibly safe; we walked back to the hotel at 1am on a Saturday, and hardly heard a peep! The Imperial Palace, meanwhile, can be viewed from the hotel’s most desirable guestrooms.
This is the last word in catering to your guests’ every whim and desire. Nothing is too much trouble for the concierge – opera tickets, private tours – while the sixth-floor spa offers a serene and beautiful escape from the madness of Tokyo. But if the gym, swimming pool, and city-facing Jacuzzi don’t tempt you, why not book a luxurious treatment?
There are also numerous boutiques selling luxury goods – everything from jewellery to Gucci bags.
In a nutshell
According to the Peninsula’s super-friendly communications director, it took the company years to find a suitable location in this overcrowded metropolis, finally opening in 2007. Yet it was worth the wait: the hotel offers a perfect balance between location and amenities, generous living space, and pampering, classy service.
Speaking of the service? Flawless. Utterly, impeccably flawless. From the smiling bellboys dressed in immaculate white uniforms to the reception, restaurant, and spa assistants, the Peninsula has curated a highly professional, charming, and hard-working team. They went above and beyond, every single minute of our stay.
Indeed, writing this review has really tested my ability to control the superlatives. Nevertheless, I cannot find fault with anything. In truth, to describe the Peninsula Tokyo as a five-star hotel would almost be an insult. Ten-star hotel is closer to the mark.
Factbox
You can book airport/rail station/city transfers in the hotel’s signature fleet of green Rolls Royces for a very reasonable fee. After all, when in Tokyo!
Address: 1 Chome-8-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0006, Japan
Phone: +81 3 6270 2888
Website: peninsula.com
Photography courtesy of The Peninsula Tokyo.
