5 Best Hotels in Tokyo, Japan

With clean lines, Japanese minimalist aesthetics, and picture windows with miles-long views, Aman Tokyo has the aura of a sanctuary in the sky. Considered one of the city’s most exclusive hotels, Aman Tokyo lives up to the brand’s reputation for jaw-dropping modern design and faultless service. Case in point: the dramatic lobby feels as if you’re looking up from inside a paper lantern, while the swimming pool and bathtubs let you take in meditative views of the Imperial Palace and skyscrapers at sunset. A traditional healing spa, chic bar and restaurants, and gym equipped with Pilates reformers round out the five star experience.

Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi lives up to the international chain’s reputation for luxurious, personalized service. At only 57 rooms, this polished property is smaller than most Four Seasons and is a favorite for long-term stays and returning travelers. A long glass corridor leads to the lobby, making it feel like a hideaway from the surrounding Tokyo Station district. Highlights include a champagne bar and three-star Michelin restaurant Sézanne on the top floor. The enormous connecting rooms and thoughtful kid’s programs also make this a wonderful choice for families.

From a distance, Hoshinoya Tokyo looks like yet another futuristic tower in Otemachi’s business district. However, as you get closer, you’ll notice that the tall black stack is wrapped in a delicate hemp leaf lattice reminiscent of kimono fabric. Architect Rie Azuma envisioned Hoshinoya Tokyo as a traditional ryokan or inn within a skyscraper: guests remove their shoes to enter the tatami-floored lobby and pad through stone corridors illuminated by paper lanterns. Be prepared for sumptuous hospitality and jaw-dropping design throughout, from shoji-screened rooms that reflect light patterns to a 17-story high hot springs in the sky.

Stride into a sprawling red brick building topped by a cupola, and you’ll feel as if stepped back in time to the Edwardian era. Built in 1915 but fully renovated in 2012, The Tokyo Station Hotel takes pride in delivering five-star concierge service in an elegant European-style setting. The royal rooms have crystal chandeliers, spa-worthy bathrooms, and high windows that look upon commuters zig-zagging the platforms—making you feel as if you’ve entered a secret world inside the city’s largest train station.

A stay at Park Hotel Tokyo feels as if you’re in an art gallery above the clouds. The boutique property runs a residency that brought in Japanese creatives to transform 42 rooms into immersive works of art. Even if you’re not staying in one of these Artist Rooms, you can take in skyline views of Tokyo Tower and Mount Fuji from the giant windows. From a colorful afternoon tea in the glass atrium lobby to rotating exhibitions throughout the halls, Park Hotel Tokyo is a joy for anyone with a yen for contemporary Japanese art.