Where is it?
As the name hints at, the Palace Hotel is a stone’s throw from the Imperial Palace and its surrounding gardens, in the Chiyoda region of Tokyo. Unusually for a hotel in downtown Tokyo, the hotel looks out not directly on to other buildings but open landscaped gardens and the green rooftops of the Imperial Palace poking out through the treetops which is a trump card in a busy tightly packed city such as this.
Style:
Initially opened in the 60s, The Palace Hotel had a complete refurbishment from the ground up in 2012 - the old building was quite literally demolished and a new structure put up in its place. As such, it has all the elegance you’d expect from a modern five star hotel, with a grand entrance lobby, a generous collection of artworks and room style that cleverly mixes elements of minimal Eastern design with Western comforts.
Facilities:
The hotel boasts a pool, gym, and Evian-branded spa which offers a whole range of treatments plus access to Japanese-style hot and cold baths. We couldn’t help but go all in for a jet lag busting revitalising full body massage, the spa’s signature treatment, which is just the thing if you’ve just touched down from the pretty epic flight from London. There’s also a Club Lounge with food and booze available through the day plus a pretty outdoor roof terrace with some fantastic views - it’s definitely worth paying extra for. Oh, and if you’re in the mood for getting married, the hotel has a full wedding licence and one of the coolest modern chapels we’ve ever seen.
Extra Curricular:
From its central location, Tokyo is your oyster; and if it's oysters and every other fish under the sea you’re after, head to the nearby Tsujiki fish market one morning and after gawping at what’s on offer you can sample some of the freshest sushi around. If you want to get reservations at Tokyo’s renowned but notoriously difficult to get into restaurants, then the concierge team at the Palace Hotel are second to none at getting you in. Our top tip for the area is Tempura Fukamachi, a family run Michelin-starred tempura specialist which was one of our favourite meals during our Japan trip.
Food and Drink:
To say that the Palace Hotel takes eating and drinking very seriously would be something of an understatement. Whereas dining options can sometimes feel like an afterthought in high end hotels, an entire floor is given over to no less than eight restaurants, ranging from classic French to modern Japanese. We went for dinner at GO, a small counter surrounding a Teppanyaki grill where a chef served up fresh seafood and melt-in-the-mouth Matsusaka beef, one of Japan’s most revered breeds, cooked right before us. Plus there’s the all day ground floor restaurant where breakfast is served in the morning from an incredible buffet of fruits, pastries, eggs, waffles and pretty much anything you could wish for. Take our tip and grab an outdoor table by the water, actually a moat that runs around the Imperial Palace walls.
Which room?
Many of the hotel’s rooms have private balconies - another unusual feature for downtown Tokyo - and these are the ones to go for as it makes a real difference to have a bit of outside space. In all rooms you can expect comfy beds, all mod cons including touch screen controls, bath tub, rainforest shower, and probably the coolest mini bar we’ve come across, a fold out mirrored cabinet that wouldn’t look out of place in a Bond film. Nightly turn down is all part of the brilliant housekeeping service, too - they’ll leave you sakura bath salts, folded pyjamas, and they even cleaned our shoes for us without asking. Now that’s what you call service.
Best for:
With a top location, stylish design, great food and exceptional service, The Palace Hotel is a great all-rounder and really is suitable for anyone from business travellers to couples.
When to go?
Tokyo is an all year round destination with plenty to see and do whatever the weather. It does get pretty chilly in winter however, and July and August see the most rain during typhoon season.
Details:
From £335 per night, 1-1-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0005, Japan (Telephone +81 3 3211 5211); en.palacehoteltokyo.com
