Arrival/Check-in: Check-in at The Peninsula Tokyo was quick and seamless, reflecting the efficient organization of this vast city. Staff stationed at the lobby’s revolving entrance—young men and women in tailored dark suits—greeted me by name before I reached the reception desk. The registration card and room key were issued immediately, and within minutes I was headed to my room, a welcome convenience after a long trans-Pacific flight. (30/30)
Guest Quarters: My first instinct was to fight jet lag with the large glass shower and its generous rain showerhead, but I paused to explore the room’s control panels. Embedded throughout the bedroom and bathroom were intuitive controls for privacy settings, ceiling and bedside lighting, mood scenes, curtains, television, internet radio, air conditioning, humidity, valet services and in-room music. Small LCD displays showed the outside temperature. The walk-in closet, roomy enough to be a small bedroom, included mood lighting, a valet box for morning newspaper delivery, shoe polishing and laundry tags. A 42-inch flat-panel television faced the king-size bed, and a smaller screen was integrated into the bathroom mirror. The toilet stall, enclosed in frosted glass, featured its own control console with multiple functions. A large work desk with fax and printer sat beside floor-to-ceiling windows, offering views of the Imperial Palace grounds and Tokyo’s financial district. (30/30)
Service/Amenities: Dining options are excellent. Peter, on the 24th floor, delivers fine-dining cuisine with panoramic views of the neon-lit Ginza area and is paired with an adjacent lounge and bar. Hei Fung Terrace, the hotel’s Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant, and The Lobby, serving both Western and Japanese breakfasts, offer additional variety. The Peninsula Spa by ESPA features a 20-meter heated indoor pool, treatment rooms and fitness equipment. The property displays more than 1,000 works of art—paintings and sculptures by both local and international artists—throughout its public spaces. For convenient local travel, the hotel provides a fleet of Rolls-Royces and BMWs for complimentary one-way transfers within a two-kilometer radius. (38/40)
The Experience: The Peninsula brand, with only nine properties worldwide, consistently emphasizes luxurious comfort, exceptional dining and personalized service, and those standards are clearly upheld at the relatively new (2007) Peninsula Tokyo. The hotel combines thoughtful technology, attentive staff and refined amenities to create a welcoming and memorable stay.
Total Score: 98/100
The Peninsula Tokyo
1-8-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 100-0006, Japan
tel 81 3 6270 2888
The Peninsula Tokyo