Earlier this year I stayed at the acclaimed Ascott Marunouchi Tokyo – a luxury hotel found in the city centre of Japan’s bustling capital. My visit was excellent and I’d without a doubt stay here again and recommend it to anybody who is travelling to Tokyo, whether it’s for business or pleasure. Here is my review of the Ascott Marunouchi Tokyo Hotel.
When: April 2018
Business or pleasure: Business, with pleasure!
Paid or sponsored: Paid
Why did you choose the Ascott Marunouchi Tokyo?
It was recommended to me by a local friend and I found a great price on Agoda.com Things that attracted me to it was its value for money, great location and ideal room sizes. Also, in the pictures, the room offered showed an excellent view of Tokyo which was a bonus.
What were your first impressions?
At first glance, the building looked like a typical ‘downtown’ glass skyscraper. It was a little difficult finding the entrance of the hotel – even the taxi driver was confused! This was because the hotel doesn’t have a street-level reception, it’s on the ___ floor. This means that you don’t get the usual hustle and bustle of the hotel guests, taxis and door staff. If you arrive with a lot of luggage or need any help, there is a phone by the entrance that calls the reception directly.
What were the reception and lobby like?
Just like most of the places and people of Tokyo, the staff at reception were accommodating and polite. Everything that I asked for was immediately addressed and taken care of. The lobby looked amazing (see picture) and it also had an outdoor terrace. Everything was spotless and almost looked brand new. There are free drinks and snacks available in the lobby and there’s fast, reliable WiFi all around the hotel. Despite not using it myself, they also have a fitness centre and swimming centre for those who want to keep up their exercise habits while away.
What was your room like?
The room was more like a one-bedroom apartment than a hotel room, which was great as, in my opinion, the bigger the better! They also offer larger rooms, up to three-bed apartments, if you want more space.
My one-bed had a huge bathroom with a rain shower and bath, a kitchenette with a full-size fridge and a living room with a huge plasma screen and a dining table. The bedroom was spacious with an additional plasma TV for when you don’t feel like getting out of bed, and one of the bedroom walls was entirely made of glass, giving way to a breath-taking view. You can even see the Aman hotel and their beautiful terrace bar from the window! Being that high up lets you see the real Tokyo and really puts things in perspective.
And, despite the expected jetlag, I slept incredibly well – the room was very quiet and the bed really comfortable. For the geeks out there, in the night you can also turn on the soft lights which are motion sensitive. Perfect for when you need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the nights and don’t want to bruise your shins on the way!
Did you eat here? How was the food?
I actually only ate at the hotel once as there were so many delicious places just an arm’s reach away I usually opted to eat elsewhere.
However, on my one visit to the restaurant, I noticed that it was relatively small, but tall and airy with a nice ambience. They offer breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The breakfast, which you can choose to include when booking, is laid out as a beautiful buffet spread. They offer both Japanese and European food, so you can get your usual eggs and bacon if you fancy.
As I was so jetlagged, and usually not up in time to catch the breakfast, I would often make my own breakfast thanks to the roomy refrigerator in my apartment. Otherwise, I would head to the famed American café chain around the corner, Dean and Deluca.
(https://www.deandeluca.com/japan)
What was the location like?
The hotel is very close to Tokyo station, which is home to the Shinkansen (a.k.a. Bullet train). You can easily reach any part of Tokyo and even any part of Japan, and its faster than making your way to the airport by an internal flight to Kyoto, Osaka or even as far as Fukoaka.
The hotel is also just a 5-minute walk from the Imperial Palace, which is home to the glorious Imperial Gardens. This is an excellent spot for an afternoon amble or even a quick snooze in the shade. It’s also around the corner from a couple of the top, highest rated hotels (Aman Tokyo Hotel and the Palace Hotel) which to me is a seal of quality approval of the area.
It’s also just five minutes from the Tokyo International Forum, a multi-purpose exhibition space and an architectural masterpiece. In addition, you’re not far from Tokyo’s famous shopping centre, Ginza, which is well-known for its stunning architecture, entertainment and restaurants. This is a great place for Instagrammers!
What did you like about it?
It was true to the pictures I saw online when researching it/booking it. I got what I paid for and everything was exactly as described. The location was great and the room was comfortable. The fact that you can keep things in the fridge is a great bonus as you’ll most likely be jetlagged, awake at unruly hours and hungry at times when room service isn’t available.
Was there anything you disliked?
I know it’s hard to believe, but I can’t think of anything negative – it was pretty faultless! I’d be happy to say there again and recommended it highly to anyone visiting Tokyo, whether for business or pleasure.
If you are looking to travel to Tokyo or anywhere else, I always recommend to check out the following online travel sites to find the very best prices for flights and hotels.
