Why Stay?

Palace Hotel Tokyo delivers the best of both worlds: the comprehensive facilities expected of a large international hotel, and omotenashi from a homegrown hospitality brand well loved by locals. It’s something of a classic on the local luxe hotel scene, having opened in 1961 before undergoing a complete rebuild in 2012. Home to a comprehensive art collection of more than 1,000 pieces, the Palace Hotel and is also a great place for people-watching: bankers congregate here for their downtime, while bridal parties come on weekends as it’s a top wedding venue among well-heeled Tokyoites.

The Neighborhood

The hotel is situated in the business district of Marunouchi, within walking distance of Ginza’s shopping streets. Taking the Shinkansen out of town? Tokyo Station is less than a 10-minute stroll from the property. Despite the Palace Hotel’s proximity to these high-octane places, guests will feel removed from the hustle and bustle as it overlooks the Imperial Palace gardens, affording them vistas of lush greenery from their rooms. Haneda Airport is 30 minutes away by taxi.

Inside the main lobby at Palace Hotel Tokyo.

The Feel

Palace Hotel Tokyo is elegant, flooded in natural light, and capacious. Its restrained style is apparent in the high-ceilinged lobby anchored by artist Mika Toba’s Early Morning, an impressive installation of painted woven fabric that changes colors and expressions throughout the day and in line with the seasons. A custom blend of eucalyptus, cypress, and other essential oils scents the public spaces, adding to the serene and comforting ambience. The white-gloved service is attentive. Even if a guest checks in on a Saturday—one of the hotel’s busiest days because of the weddings taking place—a new arrival is swiftly spotted by a staff member and taken care of.

Guest Quarters

The light-filled rooms are designed in a natural palette of greens, whites, and earth tones, no doubt taking inspiration from the Imperial Palace gardens. More than half of the rooms have balconies. Accommodations start at a spacious 45 square meters; expect to see Bamford bath amenities and ultra-soft towels made in Imabari, a city in Shikoku where bath linens have been manufactured for over a century. Celebrating the hotel’s 10th anniversary since reopening, six new premier suites were launched in 2022. Like many of the artworks in the public places, the contemporary Japanese ink wash paintings and sculptural ceramics in these suites were specially commissioned.

Food and Drink

Guests here are spoiled for choice—there are 10 different F&B outlets from Amber Palace for Cantonese dim sum and Shanghainese specialties to the reincarnation of Royal Bar, which graced the original hotel from 1961. Wadakura is made up of four distinct areas, each specializing in a specific Japanese culinary tradition like teppanyaki, tempura, and sushi. Kaiseki meals in the main dining area spotlight high-quality seasonal produce. Reservations are a must at Esterre by Alain Ducasse, a popular Michelin-starred restaurant. Its head chef Kei Kojima personally picks the produce at the market each morning to turn out beautiful courses made with French techniques. Book a lunch here if you want front-row garden views through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The swimming pool at Palace Hotel Tokyo; a corridor inside Evian Spa.

Wellness Factor

Palace Hotel Tokyo boasts the first and only Evian Spa in Japan, and one of four in the world. The 1,200-square-meter facility also faces the Imperial Palace gardens; one might even spot Mount Fuji on a clear day. Some treatments on the menu incorporate Evian water, while others also use products from Japanese botanical beauty brand Warew. If a morning run in the gardens doesn’t float your boat when it comes to exercise, the hotel has a nearly 20-meter-long swimming pool and a Technogym-equipped fitness center.

Family Matters

Bathrobes, dental kits, toiletries, and pajamas are provided for children. Esterre by Alain Ducasse welcomes kids aged 10 and above.

Sustainability Cred

Under the Eco-Palace program, the hotel turns compostable kitchen waste into biodegradable fertilizer for local farms. When these farms harvest their crops, the hotel buys them back for staff meals.

What Else?

Those who love a good stretch may want to sign up for the complimentary yoga classes held on weekends. Depending on the season, special stay packages might include off-site experiences like a behind-the-scenes tour of a sumo stable for a closer look at the ancient Japanese sport.

Reviewed by Mavis Teo

en.palacehoteltokyo.com
+81 3 3211 5211
1-1-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Palace Hotel Tokyo: Local Classic

Tokyo Hotels

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