Hotels for buffs

After a flurry of foreign hotel groups rushing to open up establishments within the metropolis, Tokyo’s hotel business is now taking a breather. The recent recession has some hotels to scrambling to offer more services and slashing prices to attract guests, though in reality, since November 2009 the number of visitors coming to Japan has been climbing – Tokyo hotels may now be poised for another growth spurt.

Food and shopping conglomerate Lotte are banking on this trend with the April 6 opening of their first hotel in Japan, the Lotte City Hotel Kinshicho. Billed as a ‘high-class, high-rise’ hotel, it’s located inside the nineteen storey Lotte City complex, and will offer a variety of room types including rooms perfect for catching the Sumida River Fireworks Festival, rooms that afford a view of the still-growing Tokyo Sky Tree, and a themed room with the curious name : Koala’s March Room.

This uniquely themed room incorporates designs based on Koala’s March, the character from the perennially popular Lotte-made chocolate-filled, bite-sized biscuits. The character is featured throughout the room’s décor and amenities, right down to the cushions, curtains, bed covers and more. The designs, which have been chosen from 400 officially licensed Koala’s March products make the room one that runs the gamut of Koala March feelings – something any Koala’s March fan, child or adult, will adore. As an added bonus, amongst other fun Koala’s March treats, guests will be welcomed by Koala’s March chocolates. Only two of the hotel’s 213 rooms are Koala’s March Rooms – this may leave some prospective guests wanting for reservations, but it is definitely enough to draw the hotel significant amount of attention.

As you might expect of a city that’s always dreaming up new ways to entertain, these aren’t the only rooms with a twist that Tokyo has to offer. Below, we list a few more locations that will be sure to satisfy the even the most discriminating buff.

Lotte City Hotel Kinshicho

Open: from Tue Apr 6
(Full details & map)

Koala’s March Room
Room type: Family Twin
Price: 1 person ¥21,200; 2 people ¥24,350; 3 people ¥27,300
Website: lottecityhotel.jp/en/

For Disney fans

Disney Ambassador Hotel

Donald Duck Room
This Donald Duck themed room debuted on February 21 2010. The room reprises Donald Duck’s classic colours of white, blue, yellow and red to create an attractively bright Donald Duck styled room. Amongst various other details that give the room its feel are bed covers based on Donald Duck’s sailor outfit, cushions echo his red ribbon-tie, and a mirror in the bathroom that has been etched with Donald Duck and his sweetheart, Daisy Duck. An added touch, guests staying in this room are welcome to enjoy a special Donald Duck breakfast, replete with special Donald Duck bread warmer – for an added fee of ¥3,300 per person.

Size: 45sqm
Charge: ¥47,000-¥64,000 per room; accommodates 3 adults
Donald Duck Room Special Breakfast: ¥3,300 per person

Mickey’s Premiere Suite
A suite room that not only incorporates Mickey Mouse motifs in the more obvious places, such as the bedcover and carpet designs, but also in some more unusual details which guests can seek out and discover for themselves.

Size: 97sqm
Price: ¥17,500 per room; accommodates 2 adults

Mickey’s Penthouse Suite
If Mickey’s Premiere Suite just isn’t enough, then upgrade to his Penthouse Suite. It goes without saying that it’s decorated in Mickey Mouse’s original colours of red, black and yellow with all the expected Mickey accoutrements. What really puts this luxury sixth-floor penthouse suite in a league of its own is how it incorporates Mickey Mouse motifs into the design of the television cabinet, the bed headboard and a whole host of other details.

Size: 150sqm
Charge: ¥300,000 per room; accommodates 2 adults

Tokyo Disneyland Hotel

Peter Pan Room
As the name goes, these digs feature characters from the Disney animated film Peter Pan. Tokyo Disney Hotel’s Peter Pan Room incorporates images of Tinker Bell in its television stand, the sinister mug of Captain Hook in its wallpaper, and even has cushions with a map of Neverland on them.

Size: 40sqm
Charge: ¥38,000-¥64,000 per room; accommodates 3-4 adults

Alice in Wonderland Room
This chic Alice in Wonderland-themed room boasts motifs of the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat and, of course, Alice; plus, there is also a bed cover featuring the Mad Hatter’s hat.

Size: 43sqm
Charge: ¥38,000-¥60,000 per room; accommodates 3 adults

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Room
Stay with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – in the theme room at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel, that is. This room includes designs with images of the infamous poisoned apple and characters such as the seven dwarfs on elements such as room’s wallpaper.

Size: 51sqm
Charge: ¥46,000-¥72,000 per room; accommodates from 3 to 4 adults

Cinderella Room
Characters and designs from the Disney motion picture Cinderella make this room fit for a princess. The room features design elements such as the magic pumpkin, glass slippers, and Cinerella’s the coach and horses.

Size: 71 sqm
Charge: ¥52,000-¥74,000 per room; accommodates 3 adults

Tokyo Disney Resort (Full details & map)

For Mt Fuji lovers

Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel

Occupying the 19th to the 37th floors of a 40-storey high rise complex, the Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel’s 414 rooms each command a unique view that looks out towards Roppongi and Tokyo Tower, Ebisu and Odaiba, or Shinjuku. As breathtaking as these views are, the hotel also has rooms that command an impressive view of Japan’s most famous mountain: Mt Fuji. As Tokyoites know, the view does, of course, depend on the weather; Fuji is notorious for hiding beneath a cloaking haze however, on a clear day you can clearly see both the mountain’s ridges and beautiful cone-shaped summit.

Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel (Full details & map)

Tokyu Stay Aoyama Premier

The Tokyu Stay Aoyama Premier opened in April 2008 as the first high-rise building in the Aoyama area. The hotel’s rooms are all situated above 13th floor, and on clear days the west-facing rooms command a view of Mt Fuji and a lovely view of the greenery and woodlands surrounding Meiji Shrine.

Address: 2-27-18 Minami-Aoyama, Minato, Tokyo
Telephone: (03)3487 0109
Website: www.tokyustay.co.jp/e/hotel/AO/

Rooms for trainspotters

Imperial Hotel Tokyo

Trains arriving to and departing from Tokyo station can be spotted from a good number of the rooms above the 21st floor at Imperial Hotel Tokyo. Until September 30 2010, the hotel is offering a special Train View Plan whereby guests get to bunk in room with an exceptional view of the tracks, but also a fact-sheet that lists the trains that can be seen while perched in the room.

As a plus, guests may also have the opportunity to borrow a train timetable specially calibrated for the room, although numbers are limited. There are fourteen types of trains that can be regularly spotted from these rooms, including four types of shinkansen (bullet train) – one of which is the cutting edge N700 series, the deluxe-limited-express Super View Odoriko, the Sunrise Isumo and the Sunrise Seto, the Moonlight Nagara and various other trains from the Tokaido, Yamanote and the Keihin-Tohoko Lines. Other trains making an occasional appearance here include the Alpa-Resort-21 trains, which only run at the weekends, and the particularly rare Doctor Yellow monitoring trains.

Train View Plan
Charge: Tower Building, Ginza side, 31sqm
　　　　1 person ¥29,000; 2 people ¥29,000
Address: 1-1-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo
Telephone: (03)3504 1111
Website: www.imperialhotel.co.jp/e/

Odakyu Century Southern Tower

Odakyu Century Southern Tower overlooks the trains that come into and depart from Shinjuku station, the station that’s famously used by more passengers than any other station in Japan. There are two room types that should interest the train buffs: the Corner Double (which looks out over the JR and Odakyu lines) and the Superior Twin (or double), which looks out over Shinjuku station and the JR lines. Special features of these rooms – aside from the views – include the opportunity for guests to receive either an Odakyu train sticker book or a special paper weight made from a piece of train track, and one special Odakyu Romancecar limited express train item per room. From May 1, the special feature is set to change to an original hotel Odakyu Romance Charm. Specific room charges depend on the room types. For further information refer to the website.

Marude N-Gauge Train View Overnight Plan (includes breakfast)

Date: Until Tue Aug 31

Odakyu Century Southern Tower (Full details & map)

Hotel Mets Tabata

Hotel Mets Tabata, situated in a spot that overlooks Tabatasoshajo (a train spotting location that just about any Japanese train enthusiast will already be aware of), offers various Train View Plans. Guests who sign up for a room on their Train View Plan Shinkansen View are accommodated in an upper-floor room from which they can enjoy views of the Tohoku Shinkansen, the Akita Shinkansen and the Joetsu Shinkansen. The hotel’s Train View Plan Kamotsu Ressha (freight train) View includes a room on the second floor from which, as the name implies, guests can enjoy views of freight trains. On each of these two plans, guests can receive special bric-a-brac such as a model bullet train and a Hello Kitty Max Yamabiko keyring/phone strap. Additionally, there is also a Yamanote Sen 100 Shunen Gentei Chocodentsuki Train View Plan that celebrates the Yamanote line’s 100th anniversary and through which guests can receive a special limited edition chocolate-brown model train. Specific room charges depend on the room types and plans. For further information refer to the website.

Address: 1-17-20 Higashi-Tabata, Kita, Tokyo
Telephone: (03)3810 2255
Website: www.jrhotelgroup.com/eng/code/codeeng121.htm

Chisun Hotel Hamamatsucho

Located directly next to the Tokaido Shinkansen railways lines, upon which the bullet trains run, Chisun Hotel Hamamatsucho has rooms that afford a view of the high-speed trains as they speed by. Train fans should take note of the hotel’s special Train View Plan, which not only offers rooms with exceptional views of the tracks, but also the opportunity to receive a special limited edition Tokyo Monorail Original Clear File folder that isn’t commercially available.

Address: 1-3-10 Shibaura, Minato, Tokyo Telephone: (03)3452 6511 Website: www.solarehotels.com/english/chisun/

A room with a runway view

Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyu

Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyu, a hotel adjacent to Haneda Airport, is in a unique location from which to view planes taking off and landing at Haneda Airport. Guests staying in one of their Flyers Rooms can view the planes through a large glass window whilst relaxing in a specially installed seat taken from the first class section of an international flight – which, of course, automatically reclines to provide a perfectly flat bed from which to leisurely enjoy the airport scenery. Additionally, there are Executive Rooms that command a general view of the airport and a runway view from the bathroom. Guests who opt for the hotel’s Control Tower Plan are provided with a room that overlooks both the current control tower and the new international control tower (the highest of its kind in Japan), from which the airport will be controlled when it becomes an international hub in autumn 2010. Guests staying in these rooms will also be treated to various airline items that any plane head will love.

First Class Flight Plan
Open: Until Wed Mar 31
Charge: ¥8,000-¥22,000 (Prices depend on room type, refer to the website for specific information) Aeroplane Style Dinner Option: ¥4,000 per person

Control Tower View Plan
Open: Until Wed Mar 31 (unavailable on some days)
Charge: ¥8,000-¥13,900 (prices depend on room type, refer to the website for specific information)

Address: 3-4-2 Hanedakuko, Ota, Tokyo
Telephone: (03)5756 6000
Website: www.tokyuhotelsjapan.com/en/