Where to Stay - Tokyo - page 90

90

www.jpinn.com . Japan's largest online hotel reservations company for budget and mod-
erately priced accommodations is Rakuten Travel, at http://travel.rakuten.co.jp/en/
index.html .
In any case, it's always a good idea to get a confirmation number and make a print-
out of any online booking transaction.

4 VERY EXPENSIVE

Hotels in this section charge ¥50,000 and up. In addition to the recommendations here,
The Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo, 1-8-3 Marunouchi ( & 866/565-5058 in the U.S., or
03/6739-7888; www.shangri-la.com), opened in 2009 adjacent to Tokyo Station as
Tokyo's newest luxury property, with 202 rooms, two restaurants, a health club, pool,
and spa, with rates beginning at ¥60,000 for a single or double.

NEAR THE GINZA
The Peninsula Tokyo Travelers who love the ornate lobby of Hong Kong's
the Peninsula may experience culture shock here. While the lobby layouts are the same—
dominated by a restaurant popular for people-watching and afternoon tea served to live
music—here the decor is stunningly austere and Zen-like. I doubt it will ever reach the
tourism status of its Hong Kong counterpart, but that's hardly the point. The emphasis
here is on the rooms, and, in this the Peninsula excels. Beginning at 51 sq. m. (544 sq.
ft.), with the most expensive facing the Imperial Palace and Hibiya Park, rooms include
amenities you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere else in town, including bedside controls
that light up with the slightest touch, the Peninsula's signature valet box for shoe polish-
ing and newspaper delivery, gorgeous bathrooms with mood and “spa” lighting (and tubs
big enough for two), dryers just for nails, humidifiers, and mobile phones for use
throughout the hotel. Add a fantastic location between the Imperial Palace and the
Ginza, gratis transportation via Rolls Royce within a 2-km (1.2-mile) radius, free iPod
tours of the surrounding area, and the Peninsula Academy offering tours of Tsukiji Fish
Market or classes for cooking and flower arranging, and it's clear this hotel is in a class all
its own.
1-8-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0006. & 866/382 8388 in the U.S., or 03/6270-2888. Fax 03/
6270-2000. www.peninsula.com. 314 units. ¥60,000-¥80,000 single or double; from ¥100,000 suite. Rates
exclude all taxes and service charge. AE, DC, MC, V. Station: Yurakucho (3 min.); Hibiya (1 min.). Ameni-
ties: 5 restaurants, including Peter (p. 131); lounge; babysitting; concierge; health club and spa; indoor
pool w/outdoor terrace; room service. In room: A/C, TV/DVD and DVD library, CD player, fax/printer, hair
dryer, minibar, Free Wi-Fi.

5

NIHOMBASHI & AROUND TOKYO STATION
Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi With only 57 rooms,
this property, next to Tokyo Station and within walking distance of the Ginza, offers the
ultimate in service, privacy, and exclusivity, with a well-trained staff that goes out of its
way to make guests feel welcome (including special amenities and services for children).
For first-timers leery of traveling between Narita Airport and Tokyo Station, the hotel
offers a unique “greeting” service at the airport to assure a seamless transition all the way
to the hotel (cost: ¥6,300). Guests are then escorted to rooms by guest-relations officers,
and with good reason, as rooms are so high-tech it's almost impossible to figure out even
such mundane tasks as double-locking the doors or engaging the bathtub stopper. At 44