Tokyo

Why You Should Splurge on a Five-Star Hotel in Tokyo - Park Hyatt

If you have seen Lost in Translation, then you know the Park Hyatt Tokyo. While that movie hit the big screen nearly 14 years ago, we’re here to tell you that everything amazing you saw about the Park Hyatt in the movie is still just as jaw-dropping. We are going to share about 5 aspects of the hotel that you may remember from the movie, and will affirm why you should spend at least 2 nights at the Park Hyatt on your next stay in Tokyo.

 

First, lets talk 5-star service. Our friends Brad and Jenna (@formerlyyes) were in Japan shortly before we were, and they highly recommended that we spend the extra money for a 5-star, luxurious hotel experience in Japan. We are so glad we did. 5-star luxury in Japan in incredible. Upon arrival at the Park Hyatt, we were greeted by name and escorted to our room by the concierge. No need to stop at the lobby. The décor is grandiose, the service (both in-room and at the restaurants) is impeccable and swift, and everything feels very private and exclusive. You truly feel lucky to be there. While Bill Murray did not seem to grateful in the movie, we definitely did… and we’re confident you will too.

The room is incredible. An interesting touch was that instead of keycards, you get a literal key. We're not sure if for most it’s a hassle or nostalgic, but we liked it. The room is spacious, with top notch design, furnishings, and amenities. The bed is wonderful, which is probably why Bill spent so much time in his room. The highlight of the bathroom is the Aesop bath products, which are heavenly. The mini-bar, while a little pricey, is beautiful, stocked with an array of Japanese whiskies. Tea is complimentary and delicious!

The view needed it’s own section. Let the pictures do the talking. All rooms are in the top floors of Tokyo’s Park Tower, so ALL the rooms have views like this. It’s easy to sit here and get lost looking at the city buzzing below.

The pool, situated on the rooftop housed in a magnificent atrium, is where you should start your day. It’s a 20-meter pool with floor to ceiling windows looking over the city. There is also a fitness center in the same atrium with all the necessary equipment to get your pump on, assuming you don’t feel like swimming.

The bar, the New York Bar, is where Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansen would often rendezvous in the movie. Like the movie, there are great cocktails, stunning views, and awesome live music. It has a classic cocktail bar vibe that makes it worth the trip even if you aren’t staying there.

All of these aspects of the hotel are just as in tact as they were 14 years ago. The hotel is timeless Japanese luxury. As we were nudged towards spending the extra money, so we urge you… budget in a way that makes the Park Hyatt Tokyo a possibility. And watch Lost in Translation. You’ll thank us for both recommendations later!

Japanese Food-venture!

Culture, Food, Style, Transportation… Japan blew our minds across the board. We decided we should probably show you some of the various meals we ate, because they were INSANE! From Ramen, to sushi, to GYOZA (our favorite!!), to Matsusaka beef, to Yakisoba… there’s too much. Enjoy the following photos of the vast variety of Japanese culinary delights! (And you should probably head to your local Japanese restaurant ASAP)

Look at this sushi at Ginza Kyubey! The best tuna we've ever had!

Bario Ramen in Toranomon. The BEST!

Amazing crepes in Harajuku!

Tonkatsu at Maisen in Shibuya

We don't recommend, but Bobby tried McDonald's... 

An assortment of Japanese candies... 

More sushi from Ginza Kyubey! 

Matsusaka beef at Matsuzakagyu Yakiniku M

Green Tea ice cream and Osaka Castle

At Matsuzakagyu Yakiniku M, you cook the beef yourself to your liking. So good!

Random local street food. There's an egg, and then we don't really know what the rest is...

Yummy tempura after a morning at the Kurama Onsen. 

Our favorite food (GYOZA) at Tiger Gyoza!

MUST HAVE: Bento Boxes on your train rides. This Tonkatsu was pretty awesome!

Homemade Japanese meal made by our friend Keiko during our Traveling Spoon experience. 

Pizza? In Japan? Yep. It was amazing!

GYOZA GYOZA GYOZA!!! Go to Chaochao Gyoza!

Welcome to Tokyo: Our First Days in Japan at the Park Hotel

Japan is insane. Let’s just start there. Over the years we’ve been blessed to travel to some pretty incredible locations. Every trip we take we come home saying “well that will be hard to beat!” and Japan was no different! The food, the culture, the art, the architecture, you name it… the Japanese do many things (let’s be real - pretty much everything) very, very well.

 

Our first stop in Japan was the Park Hotel in Tokyo. It is basically an art gallery hotel, as you will notice from the moment you enter the 10 floor high Atrium lobby. It is decorated with original wooden artwork, trees, flowers, and boasts massive floor to ceiling windows that gives you a jaw-dropping view of the city, Tokyo Tower, and Mt. Fuji. It’s pretty surreal.

Your room will take the art gallery feel to the next level, as many of the rooms feature amazing artwork. We stayed in an Artist Room King, which is a premium room where artists created the original artwork. Each room is different, and captures the artists’ particular passion. The artists spend months perfecting their room. (How cool is that?!) Ours was the Kabuki room, which had some incredible paintings both by our bed and in the bathroom.

The Park Hotel is situated in a business district, which is a short walk from the shopping Mecca of Ginza. Although you probably won’t spend too much time in your hotel while you are in Tokyo, the Park Hotel was a great home base that we loved coming back to for a mid-day nap. Note… we also really appreciated this hotel when it came to breakfast. There was an amazing spread of food each day, and we quickly learned that this is not the norm in Japan. Most restaurants nearby did not serve breakfast, or did not open until 10 or 11 am, so it is great to have a hotel that serves a hearty breakfast.

Once we filled up on our breakfast, we would start walking. The Park Hotel is near a train station, and has plenty of sights within walking distance, so you feel like you’re in a good spot. We loved the location, as it was close to popular sights, but a little quieter and off the beaten path. Aka not touristy AT ALL! While we were there we visited the Tokyo Tower, Ginza, the Shiodome area, found some great Ramen, and tried to get lost on small, bustling streets.

At the end of the day, we were so thankful to return to a wonderful staff at the Park Hotel that had our room ready, a spot with a view to drink a glass of wine, and an overall cozy atmosphere. Don’t forget that it is freezing in Tokyo in January… literally. (Bring layers, as most restaurants, shops and bars BLAST their heaters. You’ll be freezing to sweating hot in no time!)

 

If there’s anything you should know about us, it’s that we love staying in unique hotels. The Park Hotel Tokyo was the perfect blend of a traditional Japanese hotel (the Ryokan), and the 5 star hotels nearby. It is a solid 4 stars, everything is done very well, and it really doubles as an epic art gallery. (Plus the view from the rooms are hard to beat!!)

Side note: We recommend that you stay in Tokyo for at least 5 days. There’s so much to eat, see, and do – you’ll be overwhelmed if you have less time.

 

We’ll meet you there!

You’re Welcome… A Quick Recap on 3 Japanese Mini Bars

Okay, so we can admit that there are FOR SURE other hidden gems in Japan that we don’t know about. Duh. But these are our three favorite watering holes from our recent trip to Japan. We want to share this with you, but would advise that you don’t tell anybody else. Part of the amazingness was that we always found a seat. If the secret gets out, good luck. These bars are all small, incredible, and hard to find. So let’s get to it.

 

Tokyo

Little Smith- Hike two stories underground (below an office building) and you will meet bartenders dressed to the nines in white tuxedoes, ready to concoct homemade libations based on your liking. There is no menu here, so you say “Omakase” (“trust the chef”) and tell them what your spirit of choice is. Since there is probably a cover charge here, you’re going to want to hunker down at the beautiful oval shaped bar and enjoy a couple cocktails at Little Smith. We suggest sharing something off the menu as well, as all of their food is amazing!

 

Osaka

Bar Core- Japan is known to have a plethora of small bars. This may be the smallest. Please find it and enjoy a Japanese whisky with five of your friends (it only holds 6). It is a standing-only bar that we stumbled upon after dinner one night, and we will never forget it. Great whisky selection, great pours, and a great vibe. (If you’re not a fan of whiskey, ask for a gin cocktail. We’re not sure what all was in it, but Alli is still dreaming about it!)

Kyoto

Bar Bunkyu- While all three of these spots are a little different (and really hard to compare), Bar Bunkyu was probably our favorite. It is another tiny, 8-person bar with great pours (you order a single and the bartender pours a double – yes please!!) It’s dimly lit, totally hidden, and as Alli liked to say, it’s just “sexy”. We were in Kyoto for 3 nights, and always ended the night here. It is primarily a whisky bar, but the bartender Nao has plenty of delicious cocktails to offer up as well. Please go here. And take us with you.

There’s a reason we titled this blog “You’re welcome”. Go find these spots and you can thank us later.