Those who have seen ‘Lost in Translation’ will be familiar with images of the Park Hyatt Tokyo, but the film does not do this hotel justice. Having stayed in fine hotels throughout the world, I can tell you that this particular property is among the best I ever experienced. The level of customer service is unsurpassed, and they do a tremendous job of making every guest feel as though they are the most important person there.

The hotel is housed within the top 14 floors of a giant 52 story office building in quiet west Shinjuku, only a few blocks from the bright lights and famous nightlife of the Shinjuku that people are familiar with.

From the instant you pull in front of the hotel, you can tell that it is not going to be a typical hotel stay. As we emerged from our taxi, a staff member dressed all in black (despite the 90-degree, 90-percent humidity day) was standing on the curb to greet us. He already knew who we were, and greeted us by name. Within seconds, our bags were whisked away and we were escorted to our room to check-in. We were given two keys to the room, on Tiffany & Co. key chains, and a folder containing all the logistics and arrangements that had been made for our five days in Tokyo, up to, and including our trip on the Bullet train (which they booked) to Kyoto where we would be spending the second part of our trip. They had arranged for us a private tour of Tokyo with an English-speaking guide, and based on my husband’s preferences for food - discussed by email before we arrived - had booked us at a restaurant (with an English menu) for each night of our stay.

After completing the check-in we were able to enjoy our room. We have been told that the Park Hyatt has some of the largest rooms in all of Tokyo, and our suite was absolutely enormous. Decorated in dark mahogany wood and various shades of beige, it was a contemporary and elegant oasis high above the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. Our suite was split into a main room with a sitting area, a dining area and a large entertainment system. The bathroom was beautiful and well appointed (truth be told, and I hesitate to admit this, but I am always a little bit impressed when I can watch a flat screen television from the toilet).

Speaking of the toilet, and I won’t spend much time on this, but if you are not familiar with the Japanese toilets, you should just know that they come with such features as heated seats, deodorizers, electronic bidet (front and back) and drying features.

The bedroom was also lovely and had a giant flatscreen television, and large fabric lighting fixtures that cast a soothing light around the room. I am a definitely a bed snob, and base many of my judgments of a hotel on the quality of the linens that are used and the comfort of the pillows. The bed was made perfectly and was extraordinarily comfortable. It could be jet lag, but I swear, I have never slept as well as I did in that bed.

The best part of the room, though, had to be the view. From the 44th floor, we had the most incredible view of the entire expanse of the city, and had it not been hazy the entire time we were there, we would have had unobstructed, direct sight of Mt. Fuji. From what I understand though, there are no rooms with a bad view.

The quality of the hotel didn’t end in with the rooms. The common spaces were also beautiful and modern, and in a city that has so little empty space, the hotel seemed expansive; with wide open spaces and high ceilings.

We were able to communicate with all of the staff we encountered, and the concierge and managers were all multi-lingual and had an amazing grasp of English. The attention to detail was impeccable; and everyone knew who we were, and actually addressed us by name. My husband was most impressed by the fact that every morning at breakfast, they remembered that he liked to have a Coke light instead of coffee with his buffet. In addition, note that there is no tipping in the Japanese culture, even at such a fine hotel.

The New York Bar, the famous location of many scenes of ‘Lost in Translation’ is worth a visit whether or not you are staying at the Park Hyatt. It is a beautiful bar with wonderful (albeit pricey) drinks, and there is often live entertainment that runs late into the evening. After doing as the locals do; eating yakitori from a street vendor and drinking beer with cold Soba noodles, the New York Bar is a relaxing and lovely way to end the night. That is part of the beauty of this hotel; it truly embraces the diversity of this vibrant city.

The Hyatt brand has created something very special with this hotel; after a long day of sight seeing, kicking your shoes off and resting in the large marble bath, you will know that you have made the right choice in staying at the Park Hyatt. I actively hope for the opportunity to stay at this wonderful property again in the future.

Park Hyatt Tokyo
3-7-1-2 Nishi Shinjuku
Tokyo, Japan
Tel: +81 3 5322 1234
tokyo.park.hyatt.com

- Written by Jenny Fleisher (jenny.fleisher@gmail.com)