New Tokyo Hotels Welcome Guests with 'Omotenashi' Hospitality

[Marian Goldberg]

A warm welcome at the Celestine Tokyo Shiba

As Tokyo starts gearing up for the Summer 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, new hotels are opening across the city.  Here's what's just opened and what's ahead into the new year.

Exterior of MOXY by Marriott Tokyo Kinshicho

MOXY by Marriott Tokyo Kinshicho is located in the rapidly renovating Sumida-ward. The first MOXY to open in Japan, it will sport 205-guest-rooms ranging from 18 to 28 square meters, targeting a moderate price range and tech-savvy, millennial clientele. In its two basement levels and 10 floors above ground, guests will experience omotenashi hospitality (defined as offering the best service without expectation of a reward) with: fast free Wi-Fi, stylishly minimalist rooms, comfortable beds, around-the-clock food and drink, a hopping dance floor, and even a foosball lounge. They can also try origami and calligraphy in the library, workout in the gym, or pedal around town by rental cycle.

 Lobby at Hotel The Celestine Tokyo Shiba

Hotel The Celestine Tokyo Shiba rebranded and reopened on November 28, 2017. This third “Hotel The Celestine” property in Japan, after Kyoto and Tokyo Ginza, sits on the former site of the Edo residence (kami-yashiki) of the Satsuma Domain, a key player in the Meiji Restoration. It is a short walk from Tokyo Tower, Zojoji Temple, and Shiba Park, one of Japan’s oldest public parks. The 243 guest rooms, ranging in size from 19 to 45 sq. m, will feature earth tones in wood, leather, and marble and traditional motifs, such as the Satsuma Domain’s own daisho-arare textile pattern. There will also be a spa and hotel guest-only fitness center. The restaurant will specialize in Kagoshima cuisine from Kyushu Island. A unique CELESTINE Inspiration “Scent of Satsuma” stay plan, starting at 10,430 yen (per room in a two-person room, tax per individual), includes a cocktail made with Shimuja, a limited-edition Kagoshima shochu Japanese distilled spirt). The offer is available through March 31, 2018.

Rendering of Hyatt Centric Ginza

January 2018

The Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo, the first Hyatt Centric hotel in Asia, will open January 22 in the Ginza luxury lifestyle epicenter. The 164-guest room property will occupy the top ten floors of the 12-story Ginza Asahi Building.  The interior design by STRICKLAND Inc., led by Yohei Akao, incorporates artwork and creative elements featuring the hotel’s history as the Asahi newspaper publishing house.  The hotel will include: a restaurant and a bar with terrace seating, meeting space, library and fitness center. As per the brand’s philosophy, knowledgeable local staff will assist and inspire millennial-minded travelers to seek out authentic and transformative experiences.

Guest room at Pullman Tokyo Tamachi

Autumn 2018

Accor Hotels’ Pullman Tokyo Tamachi will open in fall 2018 in the MSB Tamachi mixed-used complex. In addition to its 143 contemporary designed guest rooms, the hotel will house meeting facilities, exciting dining options, and other services for the “hyper-connected traveler.” It will be directly connected to JR Tamachi Station and only one stop away from JR Shinagawa Station, where travelers can access the bullet train to Kyoto and western Japan. 

Exterior rendering of Hotel Gracery Asakusa

Also in fall 2018, Fujita Kanko Inc. plans to open Hotel Gracery Asakusa in the historic Taito ward. In this nostalgic area, rickshaw drivers whisk tourists to traditional eateries, artisan shops, and venerable Sensoji Temple. This 125-guest-room hotel will be the tenth property in the company’s Hotel Gracery group. It will emphasize its concierge service, providing local information and access to personalized activities and culturally immersive experiences for international guests.     

 Local neighborhood interactive experience to be had at Nogha Hotel Ueno

A third hotel opening in Fall 2018 is the Nohga Hotel Ueno, the first opening of a new hotel brand from Nomura Real Estate Development Co., Ltd. and Nomura Real Estate Hotels Co., Ltd.  The ten-story, steel-frame, 130 guest-room hotel will feature a restaurant, fitness center, library, and gallery.  It will be located just steps away from culturally-rich Ueno Park, with its numerous museums and Zoo, and near traditional craft and young artists’ and designers’ studios.  The hotel is collaborating with the following design partners: Kimoto-Glassware Co., Ltd, producing local Edo-Kiriko glassware, Kyo-gen Inc, which historically produced family crests and now uses them as a basis for their designs, and SyuRo, an interior design goods store that features modern lifestyle items based on traditional Japanese techniques. Nohga plans to host regular events and workshops led by: artisans, designers, chefs, sommeliers, and other creatives from the surrounding neighborhood to bring local cultural experiences into the hotel for both guests and visitors. 

For more information on hotel development in Japan, visit the Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau’s (TCVB) website at www.gotokyo.org and also check out its Tokyo brand site.