Review of The Peninsula Tokyo

The Peninsula Tokyo enjoys a superb location opposite the Imperial Palace and Hibiya Park in the prestigious Marunouchi financial district, within a few minutes’ walk of the shopping capital of Ginza. Situated between Tokyo and Yurakucho train stations, all the world’s most famous brands are close by as are a number of theatres and museums. The East Gardens of the Imperial Palace are about a 20-minute walk.

Tokyo Station is home to numerous metro and subway lines as well as short and long-distance trains including bullet trains to Kyoto or Osaka.

Narita Airport is around 68 kilometres (42 miles) from the hotel, around a 70-minute journey time and Haneda Airport, 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the property with a journey time of around 40 minutes.

Among the largest in Tokyo, the 314 guest rooms and suites are styled with nature’s elements combined with traditional Japanese skills to provide a tranquil and serene setting. Even the entry level rooms enjoy a large, dedicated seating area with a dining table.

A wooden lattice motif can be seen throughout the property and especially in the guest rooms with the television cabinets and headboards carved from cherry wood. Red Japanese lacquer is used for the expansive work desk and black lacquer for the coffee tables and bedside cabinets. The eye-catching sliding door which separates the dressing and bathroom areas from the living quarters is made from horse-chestnut, with each door hewn from a single tree to ensure consistency of grain and colour. There are walk in closets and dressing areas and spectacular polished and rough-hewn granite and cherry wood bathrooms complete with a large soaking tub and stone faucet offering an onsen or Japanese hot spring ambience.  Rooms look out over the city, Hibiya Park and the Imperial Palace Gardens.

Each guest room enjoys multi-function bedside electronic control panels, bedside USB chargers, individual thermostat and humidity controls, mood lighting and black out screens, coffee and tea making facilities, a dressing table with nail dryer, radio and weather panel, an in-bathroom television, luxury bathroom amenities and televisions, CD and DVD players in the bedroom.

There are 47 suites on property with six suite categories ranging from the Executive right up to The Peninsula Suite. Suite guests enjoy early check in and late check out, complimentary non-alcoholic beverages from the minibar as well as the MINI concierge service. Available daily from 10.30 to 19.30, on a first come first served basis, suite guests may use the chauffeur-driven MINIS for up to three hours within a ten-kilometre radius of the hotel.

The Hibiya Suite is one of the premium suite categories and enjoys magnificent views over Hibaya Park and the Imperial Palace Gardens with the city skyline behind with most enjoying wrap-around picture windows for unrestricted panoramas. With ample lounging areas and seating nooks, marble floors and deep pile area rugs, the suite offers a dining table for up to 12 diners and the marble and stone bathroom has the proportions of a spa with a whirlpool bath for total relaxation. Bathroom amenities have been custom created by Ms Satori Osawa, a local fragrance curator, to embody the essence of The Peninsula Tokyo.

The Peninsula Suite is the ultimate suite at the property, located on floor 23. There is a private balcony for appreciating the spectacular views and the interiors are styled with a contemporary Japanese minimalism, an understated luxurious space complete with grand piano, deep pile carpets and floor to ceiling windows. The contemporary dining room can seat up to 12 people and guest may enjoy the ultimate Japanese experience – a private Tea Ceremony conducted in their suite.

The Peninsula, Tokyo operates “Peninsula Time”, a unique check-in/check-out experience offering maximum flexibility. Guests may check in and out at any hour if giving 24-hours’ notice for no additional fee.

Five rooms have been adapted for guests with disabilities.

The property is also very kid friendly with a range of activities available via The Peninsula Academy as well as children’s menus and in-room treats.

The Peninsula Spa is located on the sixth floor with nine individual treatment rooms each with a private shower, Japanese yukimi shoji screens and adjustable heated beds. There is also a relaxation area with a thermal suite and aromatic steam rooms, dry saunas, lifestyle showers and shaved ice fountains.

A haven of tranquillity, The Peninsula Spa offers deep relaxation and bespoke spa treatments to revitalise mind body and spirit and indulge in a wide range of Oriental, Ayurvedic and European-inspired treatments. The Peninsula Spa partners with Subtle Energies Ayurveda Aromatherapy, Margy’s (exclusive to Peninsula) and Intraceuticals.

The Health Club on the fifth floor offers a gym with top of the range Technogym equipment as well as weight training equipment with personal trainers available on request.

There is also a beautiful 20-metre heated indoor pool with adjacent vitality pool with a balcony overlooking the Imperial Palace and Hibiya Park.

For one off experiences, The Peninsula Academy looks for opportunities to offer unique and unprecedented access to historical, cultural and local lifestyle experiences in each of their destinations.

In Tokyo, there is a fascinating three-hour Tokyo food tour around Yurakucho, an opportunity to fly a Boeing 777-300ER flight simulator alongside a professional pilot, or even to visit the Izumibashi Shuzo sake brewery to learn all about this unique beverage directly from those involved with the craft.

Unlike other luxury brand hotels in Tokyo, The Peninsula decided to bring a new Japanese aesthetic to their property when it opened in 2007, where Japanese culture and seasons are reflected in a contemporary context throughout the hotel. The combined vision of celebrated architect Kazukiyo Sato and interior designer Yukio Hashimoto sees a beautiful calm and serene space with rich materials and custom textiles used sensitively and imaginatively alongside nearly a thousand Japanese artworks placed at the property. The artworks were created by nearly 60 artists, 90% of them Japanese using traditional techniques and methods. Materials such as cherry wood, horse chestnut, marble, lacquer, Ajiro ceiling panels and rice paper shoji screens are used to good effect, sparingly.

With a vision of a traditional Japanese lantern, the hotel is one of the few stand-alone hotels in the city and Sato’s design and choice of amber Namibian granite sets the tone from the onset. It is no surprise therefore that the property is also one of the few to embrace Japanese culture and art rather than choosing a more international décor. The result is a very pleasing, contemporary-styled property of great taste, simplicity and style. If you complement that with the renowned Peninsula level of personalised service, then you have a winning combination on your hands.

If you are looking for a sophisticated take on Cantonese cuisine, then head for Hei Fung Terrace on the hotel’s second floor. The interior of the restaurant is reminiscent of an exotic Suzhou Garden and at lunch, bamboo baskets are filled with both classic favourites and the chefs’ own innovative interpretations. At dinner, signature dishes include Moromi pork with dark vinegar and minced garlic Szechuan paste and chilled sliced sea conch with spring onion, cucumber and coriander. There are four private dining rooms too – with two looking out over the Imperial Palace Gardens as well as a Chinese chef’s table located in the kitchen area for those who like to be close to the action.

Peter Steak and Grill meanwhile offers the ultimate backdrop for a power lunch or a relaxing dinner. Located on the 24th floor with stunning panoramic views over Hibiya Park and the Imperial Palace Gardens, Peter specialises in grilled far from premium cuts of meat to fresh seafood including 40-day old Japanese dry-aged striploin or Kagoshima pork Kurobuta to grilled Hokkaido scallops.

Adjacent to the Grill is the highly popular Peter: The Bar, with a design based on a contemporary take on Japanese nature with panoramic views over the Imperial Palace Gardens, Hibiya Park and the Ginza. Expect legendary cocktails with an enticing selection of vintage and classic concoctions.

The Lobby is the place in Tokyo to go for a classic Peninsula Afternoon Tea, for light bites and for beverages all day long. Two floors high, the Lobby features ivory walls with wooden lattices, echoing the senbongoshi of old Kyoto, the nation’s former capital and still the centre of Japanese culture. The 1,313 crystal LED lights of the unique concave chandelier in the centre of the space resembles a cloud of fireworks or fireflies and is an incredible custom artwork in itself.

Sushi Wakon on the hotel’s fourth floor is an elegant Japanese restaurant with an interior design which features Japanese art and refined decoration. There is an eight-seat main counter, a six-seat private counter and a six-seat private dining room to enjoy interacting with the chefs as they craft each stunning dish of sushi. Close connections with premium suppliers ensure the highest quality ingredients from Tokyo’s Toyusu Fish Market are used.

On level five of the hotel, you will find Mon Cher Ton Ton Hibaya, a teppanyaki restaurant by Seryna, a long-established Japanese restaurant. Master chefs meticulously prepare the best of ingredients such as Kobe Beef, succulent seafood and seasonal vegetables before your eyes.

Ten-ichi, on floor B1/F, is an intimate restaurant founded in 1930 with an internationally recognized reputation for delicately fried tempura specialities made from the freshest seasonal ingredients.

The Peninsula Boutique and Café on floor B1 serves a range of beautifully crafted patisseries and cakes including the hotel’s signature Mango Pudding. There is also a range of pasta dishes and salads available for a casual lunch.

By the hotel’s Marunouchi Nakadori Avenue entrance, lies the latest Peninsula food offering, Naka Dori Café – The Terrace – a casual van, an offshoot of The Peninsula Boutique and Café, offering delicatessen products for takeaway such as pastries, light snacks and beverages served al fresco at the side-walk’s open seating area.

The Peninsula also operates two other Boutiques and Cafes in Tokyo – one based at the Isetan Shinjuku Main Building and one at the Shin-Marunouchi Building.

The Peninsula Hotel Group aims to deliver the highest standards of luxury in a responsible and sustainable way where they can. They believe in having a positive social, economic and environmental impact on the local communities in which they operate.

Initiatives include responsible sourced seafood, tea, coffee and chocolate, transitioning away from single use plastics, using eco-friendly cleaning solutions and low temperature laundry and using energy efficient lighting. When refurbishing hotels, they source most of the woodwork and furniture from sustainably managed forests and use where possible, Green Label Plus certified carpets made from wool rather than nylon. Wallcoverings feature 10% recycled content and water-based inks, materials and paints for improved, indoor air quality.