Given its location and views, the Park Hyatt Tokyo could easily get away with selling you just a room.  However, it becomes quickly apparent that this ‘hotel in the sky’ is more appropriately labeled a ‘full service resort in the sky’.   As a bonus, I found the Park Hyatt treats Hyatt Diamond members to some unique and valuable benefits.

Trip report

1. Introduction and Trip Planning
2. Japan Airlines Economy From ORD to NRT
3. Westin Miyako Kyoto
4. Exploring Kyoto
5. Day trips from Kyoto
6. Park Hyatt Tokyo – Part I
7. Park Hyatt Tokyo – Part II
8. Exploring Tokyo
9. Final Thoughts

From the moment you step foot in the Park Hyatt Tokyo you know you are in for something special.  Just to get to your room, you must navigate a beautiful airy atrium with stunning views over Tokyo, pass the beautifully decorated Girandole restaurant, and traverse a unique library where you may select books to bring to your room.  We never completed the short stroll in less than 15 minutes because on top of those distractions, the floor to ceiling windows of Tokyo from every direction always pulled us in for an extra gaze.

Atrium

Girandole Restaurant

The library

Distracting views along the way

More distracting views along the way

The pool and fitness center

I set aside one morning of the trip to do a few laps in the 47th floor Park Hyatt Tokyo pool as featured in Lost in Translation.  What an experience!  The pool and the spa share an entrance.  Collectively they are called the club on the park.  I did not expect resort-style service at a city hotel pool but they surely delivered.  The agent at the desk took our names and asked if we had been to the pool before.  We said we hadn’t so she escorted us upstairs and gave us a full tour of the facilities.  Because this is such a landmark, the staff keep this entire area incredibly clean, almost obsessively sterile.  We were asked to remove our shoes and wear foam slippers on the pool deck.  All swimmers had to wear swim caps at all times in the pool.  Whenever a person left a fitness machine the staff would literally run over to fully sterilize the machine.

My swim was superb.  The second I even glanced over at the stairs to exit the pool, the staff came running over to collect my goggles and swim cap, give me a towel, and hand me a plush robe.  After walking back to a pool chair they had set up for me, I was brought over bottles of water and offered fresh fruit.  I personally don’t like that much attention when I am working out (or ever) but I did appreciate the gesture from the hotel.

The fitness area is comprised of two large rooms on either side of the pool.  Occupancy was low while we were there so we had our pick of the 50+ machines as well as scheduled instructor-led fitness activities.  The pictures don’t do the Tokyo views  justice.  The views are literally so distracting that staying on the treadmill without falling off is a challenge.  Now I know why Bill Murray went with the elliptical.

The pool

Fitness equipment

The New York Bar

No visit to the Park Hyatt Tokyo is complete without having a martini or five at the world famous New York Bar.  The New York Bar is on the very top floor of the hotel and pairs once-in-a-lifetime views with fancy cocktails and live Jazz music.  While the drinks are quite expensive (menu), the experience was well worth it.  It must have been the altitude because converting yen prices to dollars became so difficult that  saying ‘let’s just have another round’ ultimately prevailed.

Of interesting note, there is a cover charge once the live Jazz music begins at 8PM for most visitors and guests.  The charge is added to your bill based on the time you are in the bar rather then the time you enter the bar.  Essentially if you don’t leave before 8PM, the ~30USD charge will be added to your bill.  As a Diamond member, this cover charge is waved so we sat up there for hours and enjoyed the music and views.  Reality sort of slipped away at this point.

Jazzy drink

Martini with a view

Diamond benefits

The real standout benefit for Diamond members is the free breakfast.  Breakfast may be taken in Girandole, the European restaurant,  or as room service.  When I inquired about the room service breakfast options, they informed us we could have Japanese style or Western Style breakfast.  Western style consisted of what is shown below with some options around the egg styles, meats and juices. In the end, we both ordered the Western-Style breakfast 3 mornings in a row as room service.  I know, lame!  After our first morning of eating breakfast in our robes and watching the city wake up, it was just too enjoyable of an experience to try to get dressed and go downstairs.  Likewise, the Western style breakfast was just so could neither of us had the guts to try the Japanese style. I did sneak a peak at what Girandole was serving and it was pretty much the same options.

Free breakfast delivered on a white tablecloth with a rose

Another valuable Diamond amenity is the waiving of the cover charge at the New York Bar for each registered guest.  This saved us about 60 USD and let us enjoy live Jazz music for hours.  We already spent way too much at the New York Bar.  Another 60USD on top of that would have hurt!

Lastly, Diamond members are allowed full access to the spa facilities at club on the park.  We visited these but did not use them.

Additional hotel amenities

Aside from being walking distance to Shinjuku station, the hotel had a few nice transportation amenities that we used.

The hotel also runs a shuttle service every 20 minutes to Shinjuku station.  While the Shinjuku station pickup location can be difficult to find at times, the concierge gave us an excellent map of the area with the timetables of when the shuttle runs and where to be picked up.  As expected, the bus always runs on time.

The Airport Limousine Bus has a stop at the Park Hyatt Tokyo.  We took the Airport Express train in from Narita but had heard the limousine bus service out to Narita was convenient.  On the morning of our flight back to Chicago, we called down to the concierge to reserve our seats and they took care of the rest. They told us exactly when to be in the lobby, offered luggage assistance, and handed us our printed tickets at checkout.  The bus pulled right up to the lobby entrance, they called our names, loaded our luggage and an hour and twenty minutes later we were dropped off at Narita.  Here is the Schedule if interested.  The cost per person is 3000 JPY which can be added to your folio for some extra Hyatt points!

The bottom line

I can not say enough positive things about the Park Hyatt Tokyo.  It is an absolute gem of a property and I feel so blessed to have spent four incredible days enjoying this world class hotel.