Celebrity Life

Commanding impressive vistas of the Imperial Palace and its expansive gardens, Palace Hotel Tokyo is a stunner of a hotel.

The historic hotel building originally opened in 1961 and was reconstructed from the ground up before it reopened again in 2012. Today, it remains one of Tokyo's top hotels and offers an understated elegance with a sense of royal romance. Traditional Japanese touches are folded in neatly with the contemporary style of the hotel and its design, along with its five-star service, stays true to the vision of omotenashi -- Japan's unique approach to hospitality.

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Location: 10/10

Claiming one of Tokyo's prime addresses at 1-1-1 Marunouchi, the hotel offers guests a central location in the heart of Chiyoda's bustling business and retail district. It is however, also just across from the Imperial Palace gardens which lends its landscape as a beautiful backdrop. Guests will notice many runners and joggers in the area making full use of the scenery, while tourists and locals alike snap pictures of the tree-line boulevards. Palace Hotel Tokyo is also just a few minutes’ walk from Otemachi station, and then only a few minutes more to Tokyo Station, making it incredibly convenient and in the vicinity of popular dining and shopping outlets.

Design: 9/10

Grace and elegance emanates the hotel and is conveyed through the clean lines of contemporary design, along with Japanese accents, abstract art and floral displays. It's a grand entrance into Palace Hotel Tokyo and this continues throughout the restaurants, bars, event spaces, rooms and suites. Earthy tones, dark woods and plush textiles are brightened with splashes of chartreuse to create a more relaxed, but always refined style.

Ambience: 9/10

The hotel's central business district location means the area is mostly quiet and its calmness is reflected within the hotel. Although the main lobby and ground floor does get busy with guests, especially on weekends, it never really feels loud. Shoulders drop and immediate welcomes and greetings are offered by the team. It's a friendly atmosphere, although at times a little business-like. About twenty percent of guests are Japanese and the rest from overseas, mostly the US. During our stay, we spotted business professionals, couples and multi-generation families.

Rooms: 8/10

Almost half of the 278 guest rooms and 12 suites in this hotel have private balconies, which is a rarity in Tokyo, and offer that stunning open air view. We stayed in the Deluxe room category with a king bed and balcony which also featured an open-style bathroom; fitted with bathtub and separate shower and washroom. The rooms are exceptionally clean and share the same contemporary design as the rest of the hotel, only slightly more cosy. All rooms feature basic amenities such as complimentary water, tea and coffee, but also offers shoe shining which attests to the strong business audience. Built-in international power sockets are extremely useful also.

Service & Facilities: 9/10

Palace Hotel Tokyo's well-trained staff are swift and knowledgable. All of whom have impeccable English, which is great when your Japanese isn't up to scratch. The hotel also has ten different restaurant and bar options. On the fifth floor is their Evian Spa, fitness centre and indoor swimming pool. While the rest of the hotel holds eight multi-purpose function rooms along with its own wedding chapel and Japanese Shinto shrine.

Food & Drink: 9/10

Guests with club lounge access can enjoy breakfast, afternoon tea and evening cocktails and canapés in the lounge. Although options are limited here, the quality of food and beverage is high. Other dining and bar options at the hotel include French fine dining restaurant Esterre, the first collaboration between a Japanese hotel and Ducasse Paris (by acclaimed chef and restaurateur Alain Ducasse), one Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant Amber Palace, kaiseki haute cuisine at Wadakura, a dark and moody bar offering in the form of Royal Bar and much more.

Rates: start from approximately HK$5,015/night to HK$71,633/night. While suites start from HK$11,462/night. All prices may vary depending on availability and season.

Rating: 9/10

Perfect for: an elegant stay in one of Tokyo's most iconic and luxurious properties.

The post Hotel Review: Palace Hotel Tokyo Offers an Elegant Escape with Imperial Views appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.