In my many visits to Tokyo, I’ve stayed in all kinds of hotels, from a capsule-style hostel in Akihabara to the ultraluxe Janu Tokyo. But one hotel, the sky-high Park Hyatt Tokyo, best known for its star turn in “Lost in Translation” and a jewel in the World of Hyatt loyalty program, has alluded me over the years.
Now, after closing for 19 months while undergoing a head-to-toe remodel, the Park Hyatt Tokyo is back in business — and TPG was on the scene during opening week to see if the legendary hotel should keep a spot on World of Hyatt loyalists’ “must-visit” list. (Hint: It should!)
Here’s what it was like staying at the fresh-as-ever Park Hyatt Tokyo.
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Related: Best Park Hyatt hotels, according to Globalists
First impressions
To get to the Park Hyatt Tokyo’s lobby, guests must enter the Kenzo Tange-designed Shinjuku Park Tower and zip up to the 41st floor. Here, elevator doors open into a sun-drenched atrium with towering geo-patterned glass ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows. The views sweep across Tokyo and, on a clear day, you can see all the way out to Mount Fuji. It’s a dramatic entrance fit for a dramatic hotel.
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From the atrium, the hushed drama continues as guests are whisked away through a mazelike series of corridors, all offering breathtaking views. You pass through a modernist library replete with natural wood shelving, walk past the new Alain Ducasse brasserie (and its collection of black-and-white Vera Mercer photographs) and end up in a moodily lit, carpet-lined lobby that sets the tone for the rest of the sleek hotel.
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From smooth, teal carpets to textured wallpaper, artful lighting and wooden accents, Jouin Manku — the Parisian design studio behind the hotel’s refreshed interiors — pays homage to the Park Hyatt Tokyo’s original rule-breaking design from 1994, but with a subtle contemporary twist.
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I found the hotel’s overall vibe to feel more formal, though not stuffy. Luxury hospitality comes in all shapes and sizes, and the Park Hyatt Tokyo’s style felt more traditional than other luxury hotels I’ve stayed at in Tokyo.
The rooms
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The Park Hyatt Tokyo has 171 rooms and suites. For my two-night stay during opening week, I was in a deluxe room with two twin beds and those dramatic views of Tokyo, including glimpses of Yoyogi Park. Lucky for me, the room felt reminiscent of the iconic shot from “Lost in Translation” where Scarlett Johansson sits perched in the windowsill.
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To me, the room felt very Japanese and somewhat minimal in a refined, buttoned-up manner.
A long, leather headboard with a room control panel encompassed both double beds, which were plush, comfortable and cloudlike.
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A sitting chair, a dining table and a daybed occupied the far side of the room, framing the windows to make sure the legendary view was front and center.
A massive 65-inch TV (with streaming services) dominated the entertainment console, while a beautiful cabinet system housed the minibar, the coffee machine, the glassware, tea sets and snacks.
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The cabinet, which opened to the side and had pullout drawers, honors the aesthetic work of the hotel’s original designer, John Morford. And throughout the room, Japanese elements, including magnolia leaf decorations and washi lamps by celebrated designer Isamu Noguchi, abound.
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The bathroom featured double vanities, a huge mirror, Aesop bath products and top-tier amenities like a Dyson hair dryer.
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A soaking tub sat in a glass-enclosed room with a shower, making it easy to soak for a while and rinse off in true Japanese style.
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My favorite Japanese hotel amenity, a fancy toilet with a heated seat and an electric bidet, was in another room off to the side.
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A small but highly functional walk-in closet sat at the end of the bathroom. Inside the cabinet drawers, I found a beautiful Japanese yukata, a kimonolike sleeping garment that was comfortable to wear around the room.
TANNER SAUNDERS/THE POINTS GUYDining at Park Hyatt Tokyo
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The Park Hyatt Tokyo is home to New York Bar, New York Grill, Girandole by Alain Ducasse (which doubles as the hotel’s breakfast lounge), the Japanese restaurant Kozue, Delicatessen, The Peak Lounge and Bar, and the ground-level Pastry Boutique.
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On my first day, I visited The Peak Lounge and Bar for a sunset afternoon tea experience ($64 per person). From there, I watched the sun fade beyond Mount Fuji as Tokyo lit up at dusk, all while enjoying a series of savory treats like a smoked duck breast, onion and fig tartlet and a mouthwatering bowl of snow crab under a poached egg — alongside sumptuous sweets and baked goods from the cake trolley, of course.
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Asian luxury hotel breakfasts are immaculate, and the Park Hyatt Tokyo’s morning offerings are no exception. From the menu, I ordered the traditional Japanese breakfast set. Although I was told it would take about 15 minutes to prepare, it ended up taking significantly longer, but it was well worth the wait. Frankly, I hardly knew what anything in the box set was — luckily, a visual map of the tray explaining each dish helped me learn that I was eating grilled flounder and Japanese delicacies like dried radish and cod roe, plus more familiar items like miso soup and white rice.
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Guests can also enjoy Western options for breakfast, as well as buffet items served in delicate glass containers like potato and lobster salad or fresh yogurt. There was also an impressive spread of pastries, breads, cereals and fruit for those in search of lighter fare.
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For this New Yorker, dinner at New York Grill up on the 52nd floor felt like I was back at home, thanks to its lively energy, chatty crowd and an overall feeling of grandeur. The food was delicious, too. My colleague and I enjoyed a plate of mouthwatering pan-seared Japanese scallops ($35), a slightly underwhelming shrimp cocktail that came with a Thousand Island-style dipping sauce ($30), a hearty and tender grilled Australian lamb rack ($57) and a satisfying tahini-covered cauliflower steak with miso glaze ($27). Be sure to ask for a window seat for a side of never-ending Tokyo views.
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By far, my favorite spot in the hotel was New York Bar, inspired by none other than New York City’s Radio City Music Hall and Carnegie Hall. To me, a dreamy night at a hotel includes whisky and jazz music, and this bar didn’t disappoint. Both nights I visited, I listened to incredible live jazz, soaking up the tunes and the glowing city sights while sipping drinks, like old-fashioneds and whisky sours (both $17), from a menu dedicated to different eras of cocktails.
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Considering I was visiting during opening week, it’s worth noting that there were a few minor service hiccups across the dining experiences, mostly related to timing. I’m sure the hotel’s bars and restaurants will soon find their footing, and every single hotel staff member made up for delays with utter kindness and displays of Japanese hospitality.
Amenities and service
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Club on the Park, a multifloor club and spa, offers a glimmering indoor swimming pool encased by windows on all sides, a comprehensive gym (with incredible views, unsurprisingly) and gendered steam rooms, saunas and baths.Friendly doormen can arrange transportation and offer guests assistance, like umbrellas for rainy days.Four event spaces in various sizes are available to book on-site.Location and logistics
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The Park Hyatt Tokyo is located on the 39th to 52nd floors of the Shinjuku Park Tower in Tokyo’s Shinjuku ward. Though Shinjuku is a busy neighborhood, the hotel is in a quieter, more business-oriented part of the ward, so if you want to be right in the middle of the action, you might look elsewhere.
The hotel is about a 30-minute car ride from Haneda Airport (HND), which can cost anywhere from $50 to $70 to get to in a taxi, depending on traffic and time of day. It’s about 47 miles from Narita International Airport (NRT) and less than a mile from Shinjuku Station.
What it costs to stay at Park Hyatt Tokyo
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Cash rates at the Park Hyatt Tokyo can fluctuate wildly depending on the season, but we found rates as low as about $700 per night — though they can easily climb over $1,000 per night during peak dates.
As a Category 8 World of Hyatt property, standard award availability starts around 35,000 World of Hyatt points per night. Suites can be booked from 61,000 points per night, though suite availability for points redemptions is hard to find right now.
When booking the Park Hyatt Tokyo, you’ll want to use one of the credit cards that earn the most points for Hyatt stays, as well as one that possibly offers automatic World of Hyatt elite status for value-added benefits. These include:
Accessibility
The Park Hyatt Tokyo is a very accessible hotel, offering accessible guest rooms and public spaces, as well as a dedicated webpage offering more information. As always, TPG recommends contacting the hotel directly before booking to confirm accessibility features.
TANNER SAUNDERS/THE POINTS GUYBottom line
When the Park Hyatt Tokyo opened in 1994, it was a game changer for Tokyo’s luxury hospitality scene. Now, 30 years later, the new iteration of the hotel feels fresh and modern while still honoring what made the hotel special in the first place. And as a big fan of “Lost in Translation,” it’s nice to see that the fresh design still very much reflects the cinematic legacy of this iconic hotel.
Sure, it might feel a bit formal at times, and there are still some new-hotel jitters to be worked out. But all in all, the Park Hyatt Tokyo is a legend in the World of Hyatt ecosystem for a reason — and now it’s back and better than ever.
Related reading:
AloJapan.com