Review: Park Hyatt Tokyo

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When we found out that our award routing would take us to Tokyo for three nights, in Chris' mind, there was only one place to stay - the Park Hyatt Tokyo. The Park Hyatt in Tokyo is actually an incredibly iconic hotel and we found it was very well-known around the city. We never had a problem when telling taxi drivers the name of the hotel in English and they all knew where it was. As its biggest claim to fame, for those of you who have seen Lost in Translation, virtually the entire movie takes place at the Park Hyatt Tokyo and in the hotel's signature bar, the New York Bar.

We landed at Narita around 7:30 PM and grabbed a train and a taxi from the airport, then arrived at the hotel around 9 PM. Despite getting quite a bit of sleep on our Singapore Suites flight, we were still pretty tired. Upon arriving at the hotel, we were greeted by several employees who helped us get our luggage out of the taxi and another who met us and asked for the name our reservation was under. She then proceeded to escort us through the entrance lobby and up to the hotel's actual lobby on the 41st floor of the building. Upon stepping out of the elevator, you will arrive into an atrium area with seating and amazing views of Tokyo. The area is mostly unused except in the evenings when it turns into the Peak Lounge. As Diamond guests, we were able to attend a complimentary happy hour in the Peak Lounge, which happens every day from 5 PM to 9 PM. The happy hour offered a full bar, several bottles of white and red wine and champagne, and a few snacks. The snacks were not substantial, but the happy hour was nice and I would recommend checking it out if you're back from sightseeing early enough.

From the atrium area, she took us right and led us past one of the hotel's restaurants, Girandole, which is where you can get breakfast in the morning, then through the library and finally, into the reception area. At that point, we were met by another employee who took us straight to our suite to complete the check-in process. 

Park Hyatt Tokyo Exterior

Park Hyatt Tokyo Entrance Elevator

Park Hyatt Tokyo Girandole Restaurant

Park Hyatt Tokyo Atrium

Park Hyatt Tokyo Library

Park Hyatt Tokyo Reception

As I mentioned, check-in was completed in our room but I honestly was not a fan of the courtesy. To me, it was incredibly awkward to be walked into our room and to sit down in our living room, then be asked all the standard check-in questions and not be able to just relax once we arrived in the room. Luckily, it was a fairly quick process and of course the staff member was incredibly polite and professional. He explained the features of the hotel, asked us to select our Diamond benefits and then thankfully, we had the room to ourself.

Chris paid cash for a standard room and then used a suite upgrade that he received for participating in the Hyatt Diamond Challenge, so we were upgraded to a Park Suite King. We took a separate elevator that only goes to the guest floors up from the lobby to our room and the same bluish color scheme from the reception area continued into the hallways. Our doorway was flanked by ducks on pedestals, which made it look incredibly special and when we made it inside, the room was incredible. 

We walked in to a completely separate front entrance hall and only after walking through that could you see any of the suite. The layout was well thought-out and had distinct areas, but was only actually separated by an accordion style wall. The suite had a living room with dining table and desk, a large bedroom, an incredible bathroom and even a dressing table and large closet to place our luggage in. 

The room was beautifully appointed and the decor was timeless. There were light Japanese touches throughout, which really made us feel like we were in Japan despite actually being in a Western hotel chain.

Park Hyatt Tokyo Guest Floor Elevator

Park Hyatt Tokyo Guest Hallway

Park Hyatt Tokyo Park Suite Entrance

Park Hyatt Tokyo Room Key

Park Hyatt Tokyo Park Suite Entryway

Park Hyatt Tokyo Park Suite Entryway

Park Hyatt Tokyo Park Suite Living Room

Park Hyatt Tokyo Park Suite Living Room

Park Hyatt Tokyo Park Suite Living Room

Park Hyatt Tokyo Park Suite Bedroom

Park Hyatt Tokyo Park Suite Bedroom

The room was absolutely stunning, but the bathroom was even more so. It took up the entire length of the suite and had a separate bathtub, a glass enclosed shower, a Japanese toilet with all the functionality you could imagine (and more), double sinks, and a dressing area with a vanity and closet. The toiletries were from Aesop, an Australian company with incredible pricetags for their luxury soaps. I may or may not have taken the entire set every morning so they would be fully replaced each day and I'd have a stockpile to take home. 

Park Hyatt Tokyo Park Suite Bathroom

Park Hyatt Tokyo Park Suite Bathroom

Park Hyatt Tokyo Park Suite Bathroom

Park Hyatt Tokyo Toiletries

Park Hyatt Tokyo Park Suite Bathroom

Park Hyatt Tokyo Park Suite Bathroom

Park Hyatt Tokyo Toiletries

The suite had a minibar area with quite a few different types of drinks, including fresh juice, and a coffee maker. We also had a pretty incredible view given that we were quite high up. Unfortunately, the view could only be seen from the living room and not really the bedroom. The one drawback of the room layout is the lack of windows in the bedroom. You would think this would help to make it darker, but actually, since the bedroom is fully open to the living room with no door to separate it, you will still be woken up by the light in the morning since the curtains are not fully blackout.

Park Hyatt Tokyo Park Suite Minibar

Park Hyatt Tokyo Park Suite Minibar

Park Hyatt Tokyo Park Suite Minibar

Park Hyatt Tokyo Park Suite Night View

Park Hyatt Tokyo Park Suite Morning View

As one of the Diamond status benefits, we received free breakfast either in Girandole, which had a menu selection as well as an extensive buffet, or we could order room service. Included breakfast is one of our favorite parts of Diamond status because the buffet alone was ¥3,900 each. 

We decided to try both options and on our first morning, we ordered room service, which was delivered on a cart and set up in our living room. The meal was beautifully presented and came with all kinds of food. We both ordered two eggs any style with choice of pork sausage, smoked bacon or baked ham, as well as some juices and some hot chocolate. Somehow, we also ended up with some yogurt which I didn't really care for. We also wanted to split the cinnamon french toast (since we had an astronomical budget for room service breakfast to hit), so we asked for that, but due to a slight language barrier with the room service staff, we received normal toast with cinnamon sprinkled on it. It was still amazing and actually might have been a better option than a giant serving of french toast. 

Park Hyatt Tokyo Room Service Breakfast

The next two mornings of our stay, we opted for the buffet and we were not disappointed. Unfortunately, between the Singapore flight with its multi-course menu and the Park Hyatt Tokyo buffet, we were eating ourselves sick each day, but we figured that it was vacation and we might as well. As I mentioned earlier, the hotel served breakfast in Girandole and had a full menu as well as a buffet option. Breakfast was served daily from 7 AM to 11 AM. The buffet had a huge selection of breads, pastries, cured meats, cheeses, eggs, breakfast meats, yogurt, granola, juices, and sides as well as Asian options. Really, we were overwhelmed and didn't even know where to start. That being said, I don't know if I would have paid ¥3,900 for the spread, but I was glad it was included!

Park Hyatt Tokyo Breakfast Buffet

Park Hyatt Tokyo Breakfast Buffet

Park Hyatt Tokyo Breakfast Buffet

Park Hyatt Tokyo Breakfast Buffet

Park Hyatt Tokyo Breakfast Buffet

Park Hyatt Tokyo Breakfast Buffet

Park Hyatt Tokyo Breakfast Buffet

Park Hyatt Tokyo Breakfast Buffet

One of the evenings we were in Tokyo, we made a point to visit the New York Bar. The bar is located on the 52nd floor and actually charges a cover of ¥2,200 after 8 PM unless you're a hotel guest. The bar is quite dim, but has the most amazing views of the Tokyo skyline, which can be seen only because it's so dark inside. As with everything at the Park Hyatt and in Tokyo, the prices are astronomical, but it's a fun thing to do while you're visiting. As I mentioned earlier, many of the scenes from Lost in Translation were filmed in the bar and while we were there, we were able to enjoy excellent live music. 

New York Bar View

Although we didn't get a chance to use the pool, gym, or spa, I did check them out one morning before we left the hotel and was quite impressed. Another benefit of being a Diamond member is receiving free use of the spa, which isn't available to standard hotel guests unless they pay for it. The pool and gym are located on the 47th floor and had excellent views just like the rest of the hotel. The pool was large and would be an excellent size to swim laps, but the gym area was quite small. Regardless, you could still have a decent workout while you're here (and you'll need it after the buffet).

Park Hyatt Tokyo Pool

Park Hyatt Tokyo Gym

Overall, our stay at the Park Hyatt Tokyo was nothing short of amazing and given other reviews, we really expected nothing less. The hotel itself is iconic and beautiful, but the service is what really puts it over the top. Anytime we interacted with any of the staff, it was an excellent experience. If we came upon any staff members in the guest hallways, they would bow and say hello, and one morning when I wanted to find the restroom after breakfast, I was escorted the entire way there, rather than just told the directions. These touches are what make it a 5 star hotel and really make the whole experience. We really loved the hotel and it will absolutely be our first choice next time we are in Tokyo.

Happy Travels!