Historic Tokyo Station Hotel

Our first two nights in Japan were spent at the Tokyo Station Hotel which is right at the train station. I assumed it would be a drab, noisy spot that was simply convenient. Imagine my surprise to discover it is a jewel of a place with impeccable service and luxurious accommodations.

The Tokyo Station Hotel opened its doors in 1914 and sits atop the busiest train station in Japan. The Shinkansen (bullet train), Narita Express and local Tokyo trains all converge at this station.

The Tokyo train station consists of three floors. There are 20 tracks on the ground floor and another four tracks on each of each of the lower two levels. Finding the right train, heading where you want to go, is nothing short of exhausting.

We were welcomed at the hotel after a long travel day to incredible attentiveness – bowing graciously, the staff knew who we were, and welcomed us like royalty.

Our room was a luxurious oasis after a long day of travel. I was so exhausted I could have slept standing up but luckily the beds are pillow soft with down comforters and feather pillows.  The room came equipped with everything you’d expect but also included sleeping shirts, slippers, and kimonos.I’ve stayed in many hotels but never one with the awesome water pressure of this place!

The next morning we ate in the atrium. It’s an amazing experience offering everything one could want to eat for breakfast, and then some. I’ll admit I didn’t recognize many things offered but they were all beautifully displayed, graciously served and many were organic.

The concierge was invaluable and amazingly helpful. They went so far out of their way to make our experience in Tokyo an effortless delight,  that we wished we could take Miyuko with us to our next location.

When we needed a cab, she walked us out, spoke firmly to the cabbie and made sure he knew exactly where to take us. Then she stood waving to us as the cab pulled away.

Before we arrived she arranged two amazing activities for us to explore. The first was the Team Lab Planets exhibition where your body becomes totally immersed in a massive art space.

The second evening Miyuko arranged reservations for us at Suigian. It’s the first restaurant of its kind in Tokyo where you can enjoy authentic traditional performing arts while savoring state of the art Edo sushi, sake, tea and sweets.

The day we left for Kyoto,  the porter (wearing white gloves) pulled all of our luggage through the many layers and sections of Tokyo station to the exact platform we needed. He waited with us to ensure we boarded the correct car then waved to us through the window when he saw us in our proper seats.

I’m not going to do a review of Japanese toilets but let me just say that I want one. They all have your standard bidet properties and flush options but that’s just the beginning. The one at the Tokyo Station Hotel has a lid that opens automatically when you enter the room. The seat is heated, then it flushes itself and closes the lid as you leave the room…enough said about toilets except for the one we had at a spa which played waterfall sounds to maintain your privacy;)

The service at the Tokyo Station Hotel is impeccable and we couldn’t have been happier. It’s perfectly located for a stay in Tokyo and you’ll feel pampered and right at home as we did.

This is not a sponsored post and all opinions are my own. My journey as a travel blogger continues with hopes of securing new luggage (from this century) and enjoying new adventures.