The Cultured Traveller 17

TOKYO, JAPAN
MANDARIN ORIENTAL TOKYO
Floating 38 storeys above the ground, the Japanese capital's Mandarin Oriental is the perfect locale to get your bearings in a
city as chaotic as Tokyo. Housed within the sleek Cesar Pelli-designed Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower, located in the quiet and
relatively old Nihonbashi district (historically the heart of the capital), and boasting some of the best views across the
sprawling metropolis, your arrival via a super-fast elevator probably won’t prepare you for the spectacular. The check-in area
- all floor-to-ceiling plate-glass windows and brisk efficiency - has the sublime city skyline as its backdrop, and, on a clear
day, you can see Mount Fuji from your breakfast table. The hotel’s location is pretty much perfect, since it is both close to
busy Ginza, which is home to some of the city’s most upscale stores (including the fantastic Chanel boutique), and the
Mitsukoshi-Mae subway is in the basement and big stations such as Shibuya are just 20 minutes away.
Much like the city itself, Mandarin Oriental Tokyo marries contemporary chic with classic luxury, superlative service and
Japanese-themed design rather well. The hotel's 157 rooms and 21 suites are super tasteful abodes of predominantly
cherry-brown timber and black granite, with nature-inspired design themes prevailing via delicate leaf-motif fabrics created
by the textile designer Reiko Sudo, complemented by paper lanterns and bamboo walls. Guest rooms are also chock-a-block
with nifty utilitarian detailing and functionality, as you’d expect from a city as advanced as Tokyo. Think hallway-accessible
service closets into which invisible housekeepers deposit newspapers or freshly polished shoes, elegant kimonos hanging in
the wardrobes and waterfall-style showers tucked into semi-enclosed marble alcoves. Add to all this Japanese efficiency and
modernity a dozen (yes 12) different eateries, which range from a gastromolecular tapas bar to fine French dining and
authentic Cantonese fare, and you have the makings of a veritable hospitality heaven in the sky. Three of the hotel’s
restaurants are Michelin-starred, and whilst eight-cover Sushi Sora is a must (yes it has just 8 seats) and offers unparalleled
views of Tokyo Skytree, the pizzas on 38 th are possibly as good as you’ll find in New York.
www.mandarinoriental.com/tokyo