Big in Japan

Take a break from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo in five-star luxury

ARRIVING IN TOKYO after a long flight can be a uniquely overwhelming experience. Unless, of course, you’re staying at the Shangri-la. Should you have made this wise choice, you simply hop on an express train from the airport to central Tokyo Station, where a member of the Shangri-la team will meet you – at platform level – and whisk you to the hotel next door. Yes, it makes you feel about 12, but it’s worth it.

In the Marunouchi business and retail district and just five minutes from the Imperial Palace, the hotel occupies the top 11 floors of a 37-storey tower so there are stupendous views in every direction. While it offers a modern take on Japanese design, more than 50 ornate chandeliers give it five-star glitz. Check out the one crowning the lobby bar – each of its 890 glass pieces is shaped like a ginko leaf. The hotel is famous for its spacious bedrooms, a rarity in Tokyo – even its smallest are huge. There are two restaurants: Piacere, which serves seasonal contemporary Italian food and an excellent breakfast – try the lobster eggs benedict – and Nadaman, for classic Japanese kaiseki. You can also order cocktails and light meals throughout the day in the lobby lounge. The hotel also features the moodily lit Chi, The Spa at Shangri-la, which offers Asian and Japanese therapies in the largest suites in Tokyo, and has a 20-metre heated pool. Forgot your swimsuit? They’ll give you one.

A vast collection of Japanese art inspired by the work of Bai Juyi, a Chinese poet from the Tang Dynasty, fills the hotel. If you visit in the first week of August, you will find an exhibition of Bonsai trees dotted around the hotel.

For something completely different, try the serene Hoshinoya Tokyo, a 10-minute walk away. Occupying an 18-storey tower, it offers a contemporary spin on a traditional ryokan (Japanese inn). Tatami mats line the floors (unusually, including corridors) and guests pad around barefoot and sleep on futons. On each of the 14 bedroom floors, there’s a communal lounge where seasonal tea and snacks are served throughout the day and drinks are served at night. A space for both working and socialising, each feels like a private study or living room. The hotel restaurant serves Nippon cuisine, where locally caught fish is prepared using French techniques and Japanese ingredients and seasoning. Integral to the whole experience is the top-floor spa, where communal baths, separate for men and women, are pumped full of curative waters and open to the stars. A daily highlight is the immaculately presented Japanese breakfast, served in-room in a bento box.