Conrad Tokyo: Bottom Line Review

Last Spring, my wife and I spent a couple of sensational weeks traipsing around Taiwan and Okinawa, then ended with a few cold and wet days in Tokyo during cherry blossom season. In the middle of blossom-viewing, we planned to work in visits to TeamLabs’ excellent exhibits, Borderless and Planets. We found that the Conrad was ideally situated for the full days that we had in store.

I had heard great things about the Conrad, but had never been there before. Even with high expectations, I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a great hotel.

Conrad Tokyo Bottom Line Review

We loved our stay at the Conrad Tokyo. Despite being right at the beginning of peak cherry blossom season (Sakura) and being completely sold out, the hotel was a tranquil and comfortable oasis. From the moment we stepped into the ground-floor entryway and were whisked up 28 floors to the hotel’s lobby, there wasn’t a misstep. The service was uniformly warm, friendly, professional, and anticipatory. Our generously sized Bay View room had stellar views, day and night, making it an excellent space for work, coffee, or evening drinks. The Executive Lounge was notably chic and cozy, even in a city with many superlative hotel club lounges. We found the location, with three major metro lines in easy reach, to be extremely convenient for several full days of sightseeing. It was an incredibly enjoyable stay from beginning to end.  Thumbs Up

• Price: During our dates, awards were priced at 95,000 Hilton Honors points per night, while cash prices were approximately $900/night. We used Hilton free night certificates for our entire stay.
• Value: Due to Hilton’s serial devaluations of high-end properties, a standard night at the Conrad Tokyo has now risen by almost 50%, to an incredible 130,000 points per night (our reasonable redemption value for Hilton Honors points is 0.41 cents each). The cash price varies widely throughout the year, from less than $400/night to almost $1,000, making this a good choice for free-night certificates, fifth-night-free stays, or high-demand periods.
• Location: The Conrad gets some shade because it’s located in the middle of several office-like skyscrapers in a business district on the southern edge of Ginza. However, I appreciated the location for exploring Tokyo. The Shiodome metro station is directly below it, with access to the Oedo and Yurikamome lines, while the Ginza and Asakusa lines (along with Japan Rail) can be reached via a short walk along raised walkways to Shimbashi Station. There’s a terrific park directly across the street (Hamarikyu Gardens), as well as a smattering of worthwhile bar/restaurant alleyways (Yokochos) nearby. It’s also ideally located for an early-morning visit to Toyosu or Tsukiji Markets, both less than a 10-minute ride away. You could also walk to Tsukiji in about 15 minutes.
• Room: We booked a standard City View King Room and were upgraded proactively to a ~500 sq ft Executive Bay View Room. As far as I can tell, the only difference between the two was that the Bay View had a marvelous view of Tokyo Bay and Hamarikyu Gardens, as well as access to the Executive Lounge (which we would have had anyway because of our Diamond Statuses). That said, it was a spiffy, extremely comfortable room that we enjoyed immensely. I’ve been to many hotels in Tokyo with comfy banquette/chaise lounges in front of the windows, and this was no exception, providing a stellar place to work and have coffee or evening cocktails. Everything in the room was plush and in great shape, and we loved seeing the views from our soaking tub.
• Parking: ¥3,000 (~$20) per 24 hours for guests.
• Resort/Destination Fee: None.
• Internet: Excellent throughout the property.
• Service: Absolutely stellar across the board, with no weak links. The valets/doormen on the ground floor were inquisitive, helpful, and kind. They were quick to provide directions, guidance, and umbrellas when necessary. The front desk staff were warm and friendly, going above and beyond to make sure that we had what we needed for (chilly) Sakura viewing and giving us an excellent tour of our Diamond benefits and property features. The restaurant staff were efficient and professional; the lounge staff/concierges were exceptional.
• Turndown service: Nightly.
• Dining:
  • Cerise: The hotel’s primary all-day restaurant, open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This is where the elite breakfast is served (along with Collage), as a combination of a la carte items and an excellent buffet. Open daily from 6:30 am – 10 pm.
  • China Blue: Posh, set-price Chinese restaurant with stellar view of Tokyo Bay. Open for lunch daily from 12 pm – 2:30 pm, then serves dinner from 5:30 pm – 10 pm.
  • Collage: The hotel’s French restaurant is also used for breakfast seating. Open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday from 5:30 pm – 10 pm, with brunch served on the weekends from 12 pm – 3 pm
  • Kazahana: Sushi, Teppan, and Kaiseki restaurant overlooking Hamarikyu Gardens. Open daily for lunch from 11:30 am – 2:30 pm and dinner from 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm.
  • TwentyEight: Chic cocktail lounge taking up much of the main lobby area, across from the front desk. Massive, floor-to-ceiling windows offer extensive views, and there’s a live piano most evenings. Open daily for “tea time” from 10:30 am – 5 pm, then for “bar time” until 12 am.

• Spa: Mizuki Spa & Fitness sprawls over 15,000 square feet on the building’s 29th floor. There’s an extensive menu of treatments, fitness classes, and one-on-one consultations.
• Fitness Room: Located adjacent to Mizuki spa, the large fitness center is well equipped with cardio, resistance, and calisthenics equipment. There is a steam room, sauna, and swimming pool on site.
• Hilton Diamond Benefits: 
  • Room Upgrade: The hotel was sold out, but our King City View room was upgraded to an Executive Bay View King room.
  • Free Breakfast: A mixture of a la carte items and breakfast buffet served daily at Cerise. Both were well-made and delicious, with a surprising amount of day-to-day variation. The service was excellent.
  • Club Lounge: The hotel has a beautiful executive lounge that wraps around a sizeable gas fireplace. There are lovely views day and night. During the day, soft drinks, snacks, coffee, and tea are available. Cocktails, hot dishes, and a stellar whiskey selection emerge in the evenings. It was an inviting, cozy place to warm up before or after dinner plans.
  • Late Checkout: Given that we were in the middle of Sakura (cherry blossom season), the hotel was quite busy, and we were only given a 1 pm checkout.
  • Welcome Amenity: A box of (quite tasty) dessert bars made on-site.
• Would I stay again?  Absolutely. Of the hotels that we’ve visited in Tokyo, both my wife and I would rank it among our favorites.

Pros

• Marvelous city/Tokyo Bar/Gardens views from essentially anywhere in the property
• Convenient location for exploring Tokyo, with easy access to three major metro lines
• The hotel and rooms are in great shape, with high-quality furnishings and bedding
• Excellent elite recognition and a superb executive lounge.
• Among the better elite breakfasts that I’ve had in Tokyo
• Terrific and well-equipped fitness/wellness area
• Exemplary service

Cons

• The only one that I can think of is that nearby nightlife isn’t as vibrant as other Tokyo neighbourhoods

Image Gallery

Conrad Tokyo King Bay View Executive Room

Conrad Tokyo Executive Lounge

Conrad Tokyo Cerise Restaurant (elite breakfast)

TwentyEight Lobby Lounge and Bar

Conrad Tokyo Gym and Pool

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