I have visited Tokyo about once a year, for the past 15 years, but have only always stayed in one hotel- the Prince Hotel in Shinagawa- based solely on location/convenience and price.
This is the first time I have stayed at Hyatt Hotels in Tokyo. Prior to checking in to the Andaz, my husband and I stayed 2 nights at the Park Hyatt and 2 nights prior at the Hyatt Regency. (Reviews of the Park and Regency coming soon!)
The Andaz was exceptional and a very pleasant hotel to end our trip to Tokyo in. The Andaz lived up to its description as a “5 Star Lifestyle Boutique Hotel.”
Prior to our arrival to the Andaz, we had our luggage sent by courier from the Park Hyatt directly to the Andaz. We were told that the luggage may arrive as late as 6:00pm, however; we had plans to be out all day (in Asakusa, blog post coming soon!), so this was not a problem.
We checked in to the Andaz at approximately 4:00pm. It was about a 5-10 minute walk from the station and easy to find the building Toranomon Hills, where the Andaz is located.
It was a challenge finding the actual hotel upon entering the building, which is a lobby for businesses at the street level.
Once we found the hotel, we entered the check in area and the staff rushed to assist us. We were seated in the waiting area and the staff took our passports for check in. As soon as we sat down, another staff member asked if we wanted anything to drink, like coffee or tea.
It was extremely blustery outside so we were appreciative of a cup of hot green tea. They served it to us as if we were in a restaurant. It was all very pleasant and relaxing. The waiting area had a nice, warm feel to it, with rich wood tables and comfortable chairs. There were a few areas to the side that were little “nooks” with a more private table and seats as well. There was a bar to the side with a fireplace that gave the area a very cozy feel.
The staff explained that we could order any non-alcoholic drinks in the area and eat snacks. There were 3 jars filled with candy and crunchy snacks. There were also newspapers and magazines. I made sure to grab a Toranomon Hills Shop & Restaurant Guide. This was a lovely place to wait!
We were informed of a nightly wine and canapé hour in the waiting area from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. My husband and I were excited to try it! But more on that later.
One of the staff took us to our room on the 47th floor. The rooms are on floors 47 to 50, so even at the lowest floor, you’re sure to get a stunning view. The staff showed us some features of the room including the curtains which have a black out feature..
The staff also informed us that all the snacks and drinks (excluding alcohol) are complimentary.
To our delight, our luggage had already been delivered to our room! I would highly recommend this service! I won’t go into detail about it here, but if you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
I also love that there is a lot of room for luggage here! It’s also a nice space for hanging clothes and spreading out other items. I have always stayed in hotels in Japan which have very limited space for luggage.
We have a couple of hours before checking out the complimentary wine and canapé hour. So I was able to make a one minute tour of our room!
(Please don’t mind my shaky video. I got a GoPro for Christmas and it’s the first time I’m really experimenting with video here. I know I need more practice!)
Other details:
The Bath: This has got to be my favorite bathroom! The shower and tub are connected so you can soak after taking a shower without skipping a beat!
Also, complimentary bath products. I especially loved the bath salts!
Complimentary slippers!
Yukata is provided in most Japanese hotels but I liked the Andaz' yukata because it matched the slippers ;)
Smart toilet! It opens when you enter, flushes when you get up, and closes when you’re done.
I mentioned earlier that it was a blustery day. It also began raining, but we felt cozy in our room!
At 6:00pm we were ready to check out the wine and canapé service.
It was amazing! I’ve been to “manager’s receptions” before and this was above anything I’ve ever experienced!
The staff asked if we wanted white, red or Yuzu wine. Yep, we chose yuzu:
There were also canapé consisting of a sliced beef dish, sweet beans, and savory tartlet:
As we enjoyed our wine and canapé, we contemplated about our plans for the evening.
Since it was raining, we decided to stay in the Toranomon Hills building. There are many restaurants in the building. I know we are in Japan, but we chose a German restaurant because we were craving some different flavors! Also, we don’t have any good German restaurants in Hawaii, so this was a nice treat for us.
It was extremely cozy in the restaurant, looking out at the gloomy night. Our view was made bright by some outdoor artwork.
This particular sculpture by Jaume Plensa is called "Roots" and is a sitting figure constructed from alphabets and characters of eight languages:
After the restaurant we debated going to the roof top bar, but decided to enjoy our room’s view instead. We had purchased beer from the convenience store located in Toranomon Hills. And we broke open the complimentary snacks.
This last photo was taken by my husband. He captured me hard at work organizing my thoughts for this blog! ;)
Please be sure to visit his blog for more photos and his experiences in Tokyo, Japan!
It was a great first night in the Andaz! Thanks for reading and stay tuned for Day 2 at the Andaz! I will be reviewing the Gym and our Late Check out!
