Three Stylish Tokyo Hotels

When it comes to staying in style, three hotels—two new and one old favorite—raise the bar in the Japanese capital.

By Simone Girner

The world expects big news from Tokyo, but the wave of luxury-hotel openings invigorating the Japanese capital is impressive even by the city's own trendsetting standards. After years of wrestling with a sluggish economy, Tokyo is witnessing a development boom, with such newcomers as the Mandarin Oriental, the Ritz-Carlton and the Peninsula, a couple of these making their debuts in Japan. And while some people worry about the influx of international brands, travelers can rest easy. On a recent trip, I discovered hotels that clearly put the metropolis on a par with New York and London when it comes to five-star accommodations.

More than in other capitals, choosing a hotel in Tokyo depends on where you want to be based. The city's sprawl makes getting around time-consuming, even when you're using the efficient subway system. If you decide to go by taxi, be prepared for steep rates and drivers who speak little or no English; ask the hotel to write out your destination in Japanese.

To stay just steps from Ginza, the equivalent of Madison Avenue, book yourself into the Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo. (In terms of shopping, I found prices comparable to those in Europe: high but not as bad as I had expected, especially for local merchandise.) Situated in the eastern Nihonbashi district, the Mandarin displays the kind of sumptuous design lacking in Tokyo's more traditional hotels.

Paying homage to Nihonbashi, the city's old artisan center, the hotel commissioned acclaimed textile designer Reiko Sudo to create an array of fabrics, weaving local history into the interiors. Sudo's smooth silk throws, textured wall coverings and other exquisite works dominate the 179 oversized guest rooms, all of which have floor-to-ceiling windows. Such details as lacquered boxes that hold soft yukatas (Japanese robes) give visitors a sense of place. My fellow guests were mostly Asian couples and a few tuned-in Brits and Americans who enjoyed the quiet ambiance and the sweeping city views from the top floors of the Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower, which the hotel occupies. Those looking for a scene should skip the low-key thirty-eighth-floor lobby and stay in the nightlife districts of Roppongi and Shinjuku.

Another notable debut: the 290-room Conrad Tokyo, a significant investment by Hilton Hotels, in a new office building in the Shiodome business district. The location is a bit removed from the best sights and shopping, but you won't find unobstructed vistas of Tokyo Bay elsewhere (book a garden-view suite). The busy twenty-eighth-floor lobby, with its illuminated check-in counters and minimalist furnishings, may seem jarringly modern. The spacious guest rooms, however, neutralize the bustle with subtle details, like walls painted with cherry blossoms. Freestanding tubs, rain showers and Shiseido amenities grace the marble bathrooms.

There are four restaurants, including British star chef Gordon Ramsay's first foray into Japan. Although his French tasting menu there was excellent, next time I would try a kaiseki dinner at Kazahana. The Conrad's public spaces may feel more Continental than typically Japanese, but one place that channels the destination is the Mizuki Spirit spa, on the twenty-ninth floor. Its 150-minute signature treatment includes a soak in a wooden tub, a tea ceremony and an hour-long massage.

After experiencing the brand-new, I checked into the Park Hyatt Tokyo, considered to be the hotel that brought five-star luxury to the city when it opened, in 1994. The 177 rooms can look somewhat plain compared with the glamour of the Mandarin, but the prime Shinjuku location, striking common spaces (the New York Grill, on the fifty-second floor of the Kenzo Tenge building, has unparalleled views) and gracious service reveal why, after more than a decade of dominating Tokyo's upscale hotel market, the Park Hyatt remains the top choice for many. I also found it more intimate than the cool property portrayed in the film Lost in Translation. The Peak Bar is especially magical at dusk, when the lanterns in its bamboo garden and the city lights below begin to twinkle simultaneously.

With the Ritz-Carlton and the Peninsula opening soon—in Marunouchi and Roppongi—and the existing Seiyo Ginza and two Four Seasons hotels, it's clear that for the discerning traveler there's never been a better time to visit Tokyo.

Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo: Rooms from $425. 011-81-3-3270-8800; mandarinoriental.com. Conrad Tokyo: Rooms from $505. 011-81-3-6388-8000; conradhotels.com. Park Hyatt Tokyo: Rooms from $480. 011-81-3-5322-1234; tokyo.park.hyatt.com.