Hotels in Tokyo

This contemporary ryokan is one of my favorites for many reasons. Its owner, Toshiko Ishii, is a Tokyo native who opened the inn in 2003 with the express desire to introduce Japan's traditional way of living to foreign guests. Her nonsmoking inn is filled with antiques from…

Old-fashioned Yanaka neighborhood, home to many temples and the Yanaka Ginza shopping street, is part of what makes a stay here special. It's also within a 20-minute walk from Ueno Park with its many museums, and the Keisei Skyliner from Narita Airport stops at nearby Nippori…

APA hotels have been popping up around Japan like wildfire. Every time I turn around there’s a new one in Tokyo, with 55 to date and undoubtedly more on the way. This one, open since 2016, is aimed at both business and leisure travelers, with just eight rooms on its 15 floors. The…

A library room that doubles as a hostel? It’s a bit gimmicky, and yet it works, mainly because it’s well-done and the coffin-size sleeping cubbyholes are tucked away among a wall of bookshelves, making guests feel more insulated from their neighbors than the usual capsule hotel. But…

Many attributes of this fine, contemporary hotel win me over, starting with the large sumi-e (Japanese brush painting) in the lobby by one of my favorite Japanese artists, Toko Shinoda, just one of 23 leading Japanese craftsmen with artwork gracing the hotel. It also has one of the…

This delightfully old-fashioned, unpretentious (some might say dowdy) relic qualifies as historic in contemporary Tokyo. Built in 1937 and serving as a research institute and then as living quarters for U.S. occupation forces before becoming a hotel in 1954, it remains true to its…

You won't find many places like this in Tokyo any more. In fact, "places" is the key word here, since Homeikan actually consists of three historic buildings, purchased long ago by the present owner's grandfather and clustered in a very traditional residential neighborhood.…

Traditional Japanese inns have gone the way of the geisha in Tokyo, and so it was with some fanfare that this ryokan opened its discreet doors in 2016. Hidden among Otemachi’s high-rises, it’s an oasis of Japanese refinement, apparent the moment you are greeted upon entering by a…

This 10-story business hotel has a great location on Roppongi Dori near Roppongi Crossing, making it popular with business types and tourists on a budget. Its mostly single rooms are small but cheerful, with complimentary bottled water in the otherwise empty fridge; two people can…

A great location in central Tokyo, a Japanese restaurant popular with area office workers for its ¥1,500 lunch (including a salad bar and choice of main entree), and reasonable rates for Western-style rooms have made this a favorite domicile for everyone from business travelers and…

Conveniently located amid the skyscrapers of Shinjuku and connected to Takashimaya Shinjuku shopping complex via a footbridge, this superb choice offers smallish rooms with a view, at a fraction of the price of nearby competitors. Luggage carts instead of bellhops and vending…

This hotel is located in the shitamachi (old downtown) area of Ueno where commoners once lived, but guests won't sacrifice style or comfort to stay here. Across the street from the south end of Shinobazu Pond and an easy walk from Ueno Park and Ueno's Keisei Station with direct…

Rooms here may be tiny, but high-powered Ginza is literally just outside the door. Targeting business travelers by offering convenient locations in city centers across the country, this business chain stays ahead of the pack with accommodations that are updated and minimally chic,…

This hotel’s most splendid feature is its garden, the best of any Tokyo hotel: more than 400 years old and once the private estate of a feudal lord. Spreading over 4 hectares (10 acres), it contains ponds filled with koi, waterfalls, arched bridges, manicured bushes (the azaleas are…

This is one of Tokyo's oldest and most respected hotels, with a prime location near subway stations, Ginza, Hibiya Park, and Imperial Palace. First opened in 1890 at the request of the imperial family to house foreign visitors, it was rebuilt in 1922 by Frank Lloyd Wright and…

 This inexpensive Japanese-style inn has long been on the international radar as one of the best in Tokyo for its traditional details and up-to-date conveniences. Flower arrangements (created by English-speaking owner Minato Kisaburo), shoji screens, scrolls of calligraphy and other…

Located in the historic Nihonbashi district just steps away from the venerable Mitsukoshi department store, this sophisticated hotel occupies the top floors of the soaring Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower, affording outstanding city views from its 38th-floor lobby, its restaurants, and guest…

Mitsui Garden is a chain of business hotels that generally rises above the others in terms of decor and facilities, but this one ranks as one of Mitsui Garden's top properties. Its location is superb for business and leisure travelers alike, on the southern edge of Ginza near…

Occupying the top 10 floors of a triangular-shaped building it shares with international media organizations (like Kyodo News), this hotel is well located within walking distance of the Ginza and Hama Rikyu Garden. Its lobby, on the 25th floor and decorated with large trees and dark…

When the Park Hyatt opened in 1994 as Tokyo's first skyscraper hotel, I knew it was bound for glory the moment I stepped out of the elevator onto the light-drenched 41st floor. No hotel yet offered views as surreal as this; and with its gorgeous layout, high-tech rooms, and polished…

This low-key business hotel slips under the radar of most passersby, despite its prime location across from the Imperial Hotel and just steps away from the Ginza. Its second-floor reception shares space with a branch of Muji Café & Meal, known for its inexpensive salads and…

The Royal Park is located east of Tokyo Station (about a 10-min. ride by taxi), not far from the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Suitengu Shrine (popular with expectant mothers hoping for safe deliveries). One of its greatest assets, aside from the friendly and superbly efficient staff and…

Established in 1948 by the present owner’s parents and located just off Nakamise Dori, this inn is small and personable, with a coffee shop and a Japanese-style bath you can lock and use privately (reserve in advance). Its tatami rooms, with shoji screens and other traditional…

I stayed here on one of my earliest trips to Japan; I'm happy to report that it has only gotten better over the years and remains one of my favorites. A family-run affair since 1949, the smoke-free inn is now in the capable hands of the original proprietress' grandson, though the…

This 70-year-old ryokan is a rarity in Tokyo and a great find in Asakusa's traditional neighborhood. It has lots of Edo-era touches, from the rickshaw outside the front door to stone and paper lanterns, bamboo screens, and antiques that fill public places. Even the staff wears…

This is a well-respected older hotel, tucked away in a quiet residential area near Shiba Park, Zozoji Temple, and Tokyo Tower (and a sobering 25-min. walk from Roppongi nightlife). Friendly staff and the hotel's low-key atmosphere make it more intimate than the beehive activity of…

If you saw the movie Lost in Translation, you might remember a scene of an intersection that's crazy busy with pedestrians walking in all directions when the light turns red. That's Shibuya Scramble, and it's just a stone's throw from this hotel, located across from bustling Shibuya…

A step up from the nearby Toyoko Inn (see below) in both style and amenities, this property opened in 2017 with a much snazzier lobby than the usual business hotel, with red ceramic bowls on brown walls serving as artwork and eye-catching red wingback chairs with black pillows, plus…

It’s a mouthful, but what its name really means is that it’s super cheap (by central Tokyo standards) and has a super location only a block east of Tokyo Station. Part of a growing hotel chain that edges competitors out with low prices, it offers small rooms with all the basics, plus…

The b roppongi opened in 2004 as the first of 14 business hotels under the "b" brand. Its quirky name is based on four concepts: a comfortable bed, a good breakfast (which nonetheless costs extra), a balanced life, and a contemporary and relaxed atmosphere for conducting business.…

Whereas The Peninsula Hong Kong capitalizes on its colonial-age splendor, this sister property strives for an understated Zen-like simplicity. The small lobby, which serves the Peninsula's signature afternoon tea accompanied by live classical music, is void of embellishment…

It’s all about the views at this striking hotel, which occupies the top seven floors of a 36-story high-rise in Akasaka. That’s apparent the moment you step out of the elevator to behold an eye-catching cocktail bar, framed by undulating glass walls that draw attention to a huge…

Tokyo abounds in skyscraper hotels, but this one takes the honors as the loftiest one of all, in the upper stratospheres of the city's tallest building. The palatial lobby, on the 45th floor, welcomes guests with massive flower arrangements, bold abstract art, and cascading …

This spotless hostel is definitely the best place to stay in its price range—situated on the 18th and 19th floors of a high-rise, it offers fantastic Tokyo views from all its rooms. This location is prime real estate, and no private rooms are offered, so couples who wish to room…

Tokyo Station was built in 1914 in the tradition of Europe's great train stations; the Tokyo Station Hotel opened a year later. Although the station itself has grown crazily over the years, the historic section containing the hotel, which faces Marunouchi with a handsome brick…

Tokyu Stay hotels are designed for business travelers who intend to stay put for a while and want the comforts of home. Rooms come with extra storage space, kitchenettes (including cooking utensils and tableware; the cheapest have microwaves but no stovetop), and even combination…

Business hotels were often dingy and dismal before this chain raised the bar a few decades back, offering clean and inexpensive rooms and a slew of freebies that have since become standard, including free Internet, lobby computers guests can use for free, and even free breakfast. Now…