5-Star Hotels in Tokyo

I come to Tokyo several times a year, staying a fortnight or more each time. This time I spent seven nights at The Capitol Hotel Tokyu. The room faced Hie Shrine. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows I could see the shrine's copper roof and half of Tokyo's skyline. The décor was modern without excess; the layout flowed easily, Bose speakers hidden in the walls, another set in the bathroom ceiling, connected by a 3.5mm jack. The curtains were motorized, though you hardly needed to close them. The turndown service. I would leave in the evening and return late to find the room changed: only the hallway light and bedside lamp left on, a bottle of water and a glass on the nightstand, two chocolates beside them. The evening tea and teacup, previously stored in the cabinet, had been moved next to the coffee machine. These changes were so slight you had to think back carefully to confirm they had happened at all. The temperature and humidity had been adjusted. As if the room itself remembered your habits. Room service fell short of the ryokan in Hakone or Lake Toya, but well above the ordinary hotel. Each day I made two or three cups of complimentary coffee, played music, read, wrote. In seven days I finished three books. The research ahead began to take shape. There were drawbacks. No washing machine, but a decent laundromat ten minutes' walk away—a chance to wander the streets of Akasaka. The room provided HDMI and ethernet ports but no cables; for those who came to rest, perhaps a mercy. The minibar fridge was mostly occupied by drinks for purchase, same as the Imperial, though there was still room for my sparkling water. The day I left it was half past five and fully dark. I could barely make out the faces of the bellhop and the taxi driver. Together they loaded my luggage into the boot. I wished the bellhop a happy new year in Japanese and told her I liked her hat. She smiled and returned the greeting. As the taxi pulled out of the underground drive, I thought of the inns Kawabata once wrote about: what had to be sought in the mountains of snow country can now be reached by elevator from the B2 exit of a metro station. I have watched the Shinagawa Prince Hotel loosen quietly over time, slip a little. That kind of decline is rarely one great error. It begins the day someone forgets to leave a glass of water, neglects to move a packet of tea, omits a newspaper. As for The Capitol Hotel Tokyu: in Japanese, what I experienced over these seven days is called ちょうどいい.

It’s our second time visiting the hotel, we felt like the service and experience has not been as good as our first visit.  A few things to note: neighborhood has a lot of drunk people at night and it wasn’t quite clean  Room is spacious but the housekeeping failed to give a personal touch. For 5 stars hotel, housekeeper usually will note the preference of guest and try to make guest feels like it’s a home away from home, Bellustar makes you feel like it is a hotel. Every day it is back to factory setting. Taxi or uber are NOT allowed to drop off at lobby where there is covered. We need to be dropped off on side road and walk… don’t quite understand why. We asked and hotel said it’s policy?! It’s an overall great hotel but considering the pricing point and experience we had, there are many other choices in Tokyo we can go for.

Staying at this luxury hotel, nestled within a historic building at Tokyo Station, was an absolute delight. Both the facilities and services were outstanding. The shower and faucet in the room felt incredibly luxurious – a truly 'premium' experience. The hotel's long guest room corridors, with their wall sconces, created a wonderfully warm and inviting sense of depth. A major highlight was the hotel's breakfast and its setting. Served on the 4th floor, the breakfast offered a rich and diverse selection. The peaked, herringbone-patterned ceiling, with one side a wooden roof and the other a light-transmitting glass roof equipped with awnings, filled the space with bright, natural light, making for a truly comfortable start to the day.

Compared to other Mitsui Garden hotels, this one certainly provides more premium toiletries. However, it is expensive! Like other Mitsui Garden hotels, from 2026…. In the name of environmental sustainability, (1) they provide plastic/reusable slippers which don’t seem hygienic to me and I hated them, (2) bedsheets are changed only after 3 nights. Room cleaning was not very thorough, there was dust at the corners. I can’t find the exact photo now but I had deliberately left a small slip of packaging on the floor to monitor if it would be cleared away but it wasn’t! Their housekeeping team could definitely do better! Unlike other Mitsui Garden hotels I have used, it was not so easy to locate welcome drinks (I did not end up having any). The reception/front desk was also baffling because it tends to be empty or just manned by 1 staff until they notice more patrons around then more staff would appear from their backroom. I appreciate how suitcases I had forwarded to the hotel ahead of my arrival was in my room waiting for me. They also took note of my request for more pillows. Thank you. Other considerations - entire hotel is dimly lit. There are 2 sets of elevators. One to the lobby, and a separate on to go to the rooms. I timed the journey, it takes almost 1 full minute to get from lobby to B1. Even when I requested for a room near the elevators, I was given a room nested very deeply/far away and required a lot of walking. The carpet made it challenging to move suitcases. Location-wise, It’s not the most convenient if want to visit Shibuya/Harajuku but ok for Tsukiji and Ginza. Not so many eateries around and while there are convenient stores, there’s currently no full-fledged supermarkets around. Considering how expensive this place is… its limitations / inconveniences, I would reconsider staying there.

We had an excellent stay at the Tokyo Bay Shiomi Prince Hotel. Arriving by train, we entered through the side entrance and were immediately impressed by the spacious, welcoming lobby. The check-in process was seamless, and the complimentary skincare set was a very thoughtful touch. The spa facilities were clean and felt very secure thanks to the card-key access. Our room was large, spotless, and well-equipped with all the essentials. We also appreciated the lobby refreshments (coffee, tea, and water) while waiting for our airport bus. All the staff are very helpful especially the conceige counter. I highly recommend this hotel for anyone visiting Tokyo.

My overall experience with this stay was quite complex, feeling more like a test of service management capabilities. On the first day, the room cleaning quality was noticeably below expectations. The wash area, countertop details, and some amenities weren't clean enough, and the bedding wasn't tidied properly. From a housekeeping management perspective, this felt more like a failure in process execution rather than an isolated incident, and it definitely affected my first impression. However, after I raised the issue, the hotel's recovery actions were prompt. In the following days, the room cleaning was significantly more standardized, with noticeable improvements in detail. This indicates that the hotel is capable of good service, but the initial day's execution standards simply weren't met. In contrast, Trip.com's service experience during this incident left a deeper impression. The customer service proactively followed up, communicated efficiently, and handled the situation professionally. They were able to push for problem resolution from a customer experience perspective, demonstrating a mature platform service system. This level of after-sales responsiveness is quite high among current online travel platforms. Overall Rating: The hotel's hardware and positioning are fine, but there's room for improvement in service consistency, especially regarding the first-day delivery standards of housekeeping management. Trip.com's coordination and service performance in this incident, on the other hand, highlighted the professional value of their platform.

The room was incredibly spacious, and the elevators were very efficient. There are plenty of dining options nearby, and it's conveniently located close to both JR and subway lines, making transportation a breeze. The staff were very friendly, and the self-service check-in and check-out made everything super convenient. You can store your luggage after checking out, and there's a bus service to Haneda Airport.

The room size is quite spacious for a Tokyo hotel. Overall, the staff provides excellent service, and the front desk agents can speak a little bit of Chinese. The hotel is conveniently located right above a subway station. There's also a great running path around the Imperial Palace nearby, which is about 5 kilometers long and perfect for runners. Inside the room, you'll find a small kitchenette, a dining table, and a refrigerator. The view from the window is also lovely.

The room was quite small, basically just a place to sleep. You could open your suitcase, but it made the space feel a bit cramped. The room's amenities weren't very new. The only thing I found really practical was the spacious vanity, which was great for putting things down. However, I wouldn't say it was easy to do makeup, as the whole bathroom was quite basic, lacking a proper vanity light or mirror. Although this hotel came up as one of the top three (I think it was the first) when I searched for Shinjuku area accommodations, the closest subway station is actually Nishi-Shinjuku. It takes about a fifteen-minute walk to get to Shinjuku JR Station. There aren't many convenience stores nearby, as the hotel is located above the metropolitan government building. There were even some homeless people in the vicinity (?). The hotel staff automatically provide service in English, which made communication much smoother than in many other Japanese hotels. The guests were also predominantly Westerners. The most impressive part of the entire hotel was probably the grand lobby. Overall, the service was fine, but next time, I'd probably use a similar budget to stay at a different five-star hotel.

This organic architecture, completed by Togo Murano at the age of 91, still exudes enduring vitality, especially when compared to Kenzo Tange's conceptual designs. Bathed in sunlight, it possesses a surreal, otherworldly quality. Design Studio SPIN collaborated with local artisans to redesign the lobby, executive lounge, and an executive suite. The actual spatial experience is incredibly refined; the executive lounge features four distinct sections, each with clear functions and varied, opulent decor – a masterclass from a top design studio, truly a step above. Compared to the 'pigeonhole' rooms in Minato Ward, the guest rooms here feel more like Western hotels, and all come with balconies. If you can overlook the lack of a separate shower, the weekday value for money is impeccable. However, Seibu Group's service is far from ideal, especially at the front desk. The 3 PM check-in policy clogs up the reception during peak hours, and the self-service kiosks are useless. When checking out, I wanted to keep the room key card as a souvenir, but the staff looked annoyed and confused. Good or bad, with the Shinagawa redevelopment, this heritage-level hotel is slated for closure and demolition this year. After decades of existence, this 'architecture of the future' is reaching its end.