Hotel New Otani

If you like small, quiet hotels, this monolith is not for you. Like a city unto itself, the New Otani is so big that two information desks are needed to assist lost souls searching for a particular restaurant or one of the shops in the meandering arcade. The hotel's most splendid feature is its garden, the best of any Tokyo hotel -- a 400-year-old Japanese garden that once belonged to a feudal lord, with 4 hectares (10 acres) of ponds, waterfalls, bridges, bamboo groves, and manicured bushes. The large outdoor pool, flanked by greenery, is also nice. A variety of rooms, in a main building built for the 1964 Olympics and a newer tower, are available. Those in the main building are comfortable, with full-length windows to take advantage of city and garden views. Tower rooms, including "fusui healing" rooms with such extras as in-room humidifier and foot bath, offer the best views -- of the garden, the skyscrapers of Shinjuku, and, on clear days, Mount Fuji. Because rates are the same no matter which way you face, be sure to request a room overlooking the garden. Parents appreciate the 24-hour Baby Room and the fact that the outdoor pool is free for those who become Hotel Club members (membership is free).

Amenities: 38 restaurants and cafes, including La Tour d'Argent, Sekishin-tei, and the Sky; 6 bars and lounges; children's day-care center, for ages 1 month to 5 years old (fee: ¥6,300 for 2 hr.); concierge; executive-level rooms; small exercise room; health club w/indoor pool and spa (fee: ¥5,250); outdoor pool (fee: ¥2,000; free for Hotel Club members); room service; lighted outdoor tennis courts; medical and dental clinics; art museum (free for hotel guests); post office; tea-ceremony room.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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