7 Of The Best Hotels In Japan
Hoshinoya Tokyo
With Tokyo hosting the 2020 Summer Olympics, it’s as good reason as any to book your first-ever Japan trip, right? And if you’re looking to splurge, the Hoshinoya is a one-of-a-kind Japanese luxury experience that you will never forget.
Bertempat di gedung pencakar langit 18 lantai, ini adalah penginapan ryokan tradisional bintang lima mewah pertama di ibu kota. Mari kami jelaskan.
A ryokan is a type of traditional Japanese inn – and it’s a must-see while in Japan. Or rather, must-stay. They’re typically set against the backdrops of stunning landscapes. On arrival, you’ll trade in your shoes and clothes for yukata – a Japanese-style robe – and slippers. Ryokans typically feature onsens (hot springs), you’ll eat a kaiseki dinner (up to 12 courses), traditional Japanese breakfast and sleep on futon bedding.
There aren’t, however, many ryokans in Tokyo, and they tend to be simpler than the impressive inns scattered throughout the Japanese countryside. Yet the the Hoshinoya, located in the capital’s Otemachi neighborhood (the political and financial district) takes the best elements of a ryokan and fits them for the modern traveller.
Pada pandangan pertama, Anda akan disambut dengan menara yang terbungkus kotak logam hitam. Setelah Anda menemukan pintu masuknya (ini mungkin rumit), Anda kemudian melepas sepatu dan naik ke lift.
The 84 guest-rooms are split into groups of six on 14 floors – each with its own Ochanoma lounge (a sort of chill out area with communal wooden tables and low sofas stocked with rice balls, coffee, tea or seasonal sakes. For late-night snacking, they also leave out homemade instant ramen).
Beds are low and futon-style, but with luxurious (read: expensive) bedding. Breakfast is served in-room and guests can choose from Western or Japanese cuisine.
Arguably the best bit? This being a ryokan, of course there’s an in-house, open-air onsen (hot spring bathing area). Water is piped in from 1,500 meters below the streets of Tokyo. Women and men bathe in separate rooftop spaces, each open to the skies, yet enclosed by towering walls.
In the basement is Hoshinoya’s unnamed restaurant, which serves up multi-courses from award-winning chef Noriyuki Hamada in a series of dishes dubbed ‘Nippon Cuisine’. According to the resort, this is ‘a culinary style that focuses on fish – a common staple of ryokan dining and a key element in Japanese culinary culture’ – and prepared using French techniques.
From the perfect service (complimentary on-site meditation classes, for example) to thoughtful design elements (the exterior is cased in a metal lattice made up of patterns traditionally found on kimonos), everything about the Hoshinoya is near-on perfect.
The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho
Of course, you can see epic views of the city from here, but wait until you’ve checked in. Each room is on several floors above the reception, so your views will undoubtedly be even better. The rooms are spacious, clean and each has a day bed built into a window so you can quite literally hang out above the city.
Percayalah pada kami ketika kami mengatakan, menderita jet-lag dan terbangun menyaksikan hangatnya warna oranye matahari terbit di Tokyo sungguh tiada bandingnya.
A bedside tablet controls all the systems—from lighting to temperature to window shades. Bathrooms are encased in glass walls which frost at a flick of a button. If you’ve never been to Tokyo before, the toilet is quite an experience (yes it the lid opens when you enter; no you didn’t realise you needed this until now).
OMO5 Tokyo Otsuka
Mention Tokyo and those who’ve visited will likely not bring up Ostsuka. Places like Shinjuku or Asakusa get written about (and hyped up) a lot, but there’s something to be said for this smaller, low-key area. Firstly, it’s conveniently located (just a two-minute walk from the central JR Yamanote line).
Secondly, unlike the bustling shopping districts and vibrant nightlife located elsewhere on the Yamanote Line, head to Otsuka and you’ll experience the true charm of old Tokyo. You’ll also find lots of small izakaya restaurants and bars covered in twinkling lights/lanterns.
In somewhat of a contrast to this, the OMO5 Tokyo is a brand new, stylish and affordable hotel on Otsuka’s quiet backstreets. It’s inspired by yagura – a type of Japanese-style wooden scaffolding, meaning each of the 125 rooms have cedar wood frames, complete with raised sleeping areas (yep, like a bunkbed – tall people be warned) and tatami flooring.
All rooms centre around The Yagura Room, a spacious multi-purpose area which includes the OMO Café and lounge plus a small design shop selling chic souvenirs.
Hilton Tokyo Odaiba
If you’ve stayed in one Hilton you’ve stayed in them all, right? Wrong. You could not be more wrong, especially when it comes to Hiltons in Japan. Located on the waterfront area of Tokyo Bay, this particular branch boasts spectacular 180-degree ocean views.
And whatever room you pick, you’ll get stunning views of either the city’s skyline (always spectacular), Rainbow Bridge or Tokyo Tower from your balcony. Some rooms also feature their very own private rooftop hot tub.
The hotel in Odaiba has several restaurants offering a variety of cuisines as well as an ocean liner-themed bar (there’s a strong aquatic theme throughout). There’s also a spa with an indoor pool and rooftop whirlpool.
Sanyo-so Prince Hotel
The Hoshinoya Tokyo might have luxury ryokans covered, but Sanyo-so offers the very best (and finest) of old-school Japanese-style accommodation.
Found near the quiet mountainside of Izu Nagaoka, which has functioned as a hot spring resort since the Kamakura Era (1185 – 1333), you really can’t get more traditional than this.
Firstly, the hotel is huge. Situated inside vast Japanese gardens, you can stroll around enjoying the waterfalls and streams or soak in the natural hot spring baths (both inside and out).
Di Sanyo-so, onsen dipisahkan berdasarkan gender (bisa bersifat komunal). Pakaian renang tidak diperbolehkan (Anda telanjang bulat) dan jika Anda memiliki tato, Anda juga tidak diperbolehkan masuk. Tato secara tradisional dipandang sebagai simbol dunia bawah tanah Jepang (dan kehidupan geng).
Room-wise, the name of each originates from the traditional Japanese performances of ‘Noh’ (a classical musical drama performed since the 14th century), and is with built pieces of timber. You’ll sleep on cushions on the floor, and guests are provided with yukata robes to wear around the hotel.
The best bit? Specific rooms have their own private onsen – helpful if the thought of a naked onsen scares you a little. An oasis of calm and quiet, feel your stress quite literally melt away at Sanyo-so.
Prices startfrom £295 for a private onsen room based on two people sharing.
Hoshinoya Kyoto
It’s almost impossible to not fall in love with this place. And no, we’re not being hyperbolic. Located among remote forests on the fringes of Kyoto (roughly two hours away by bullet train from Kyoto), this hybrid ryokan-hotel is only accessible by lazy boat ride.
First things first, hop on your hinoki (Japanese cedar) vessel and soak up the peaceful 15-minute journey past dense green forests.
What eventually greets you is a serene, relaxing and impeccably designed hotel. If the word ‘hotel’ can really do this place justice. The renovated buildings, designed by architect Rie Azuma, are a modern take on the ryokan inn style – with sliding screens, heated wooden floors, minimal expanses of wood, latticed lanterns and hand-blocked wallpaper.
The stone path that winds among the buildings is shrouded in carefully maintained trees, from seasonally blooming cherry blossom trees to fiery autumnal Japanese momiji maples.
Room wise, it’s hard not to gasp. Everything is so immaculate, and so Japanese. Which means no TV, but curved bamboo seating, sliding screens and just-off-the-floor beds on raised platforms. In-room entertainment takes the form of a calligraphy set. (As we said, very Japanese).
There’s no ‘proper’ bar, instead you’ll find the ‘library’, which is refreshed throughout the day with complimentary snacks (and more calligraphy sets).
Jika Anda sudah sampai sejauh ini, jangan pergi tanpa mencoba makanannya. Berkat kepala koki Ichiro Kubota (sebelumnya dari Umu di Mayfair London), hotel ini telah menjadi tempat populer bagi pecinta kuliner. Makan malam adalah acara perjamuan bergaya kaiseki Jepang dengan lebih dari setengah lusin hidangan, disajikan di atas berbagai keramik.
Grand Prince Hotel Kyoto
Another hotel surrounded by gorgeous mountains? Yep, Japan is seriously good at those. Just 20 minutes on the train from Kyoto city centre, this Grand Prince boasts views of the Takaragaike Park from all sides (if you’re visiting during Winter it’s particularly magical – it snowed during our stay).
The rooms are extremely spacious and breakfast is a balanced mix of Japanese and western. The building itself, however, is well worth a view. Designed by the late Togo Murano, one of the leading figures in Japanese architecture, it’s a circular building with a garden in the middle (also featuring a Sukiya-style teahouse).
