Mandarin Oriental Tokyo – Hotel Review

With impeccable service, no fewer than 12 restaurants and bars, an award-winning spa, miles of soft, hushed carpet and breathtaking views in every direction, Mandarin Oriental Tokyo is a vertical palace of luxury. Read on for the full review.   

The hotel weaves together silk fabrics, gold-leaf furniture, Japanese paper lanterns and honey-coloured wood-panelled walls with omnipresent orchids, innovative spa treatments and bathtubs with views for miles. The attention to detail is everywhere, from each ice-smooth bedsheet to every glorious bite of sushi and sip of scented tea.  

Where is the Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo? 

The hotel is in Nihonbashi, the heart of Tokyo’s financial district, about 40 minutes by train from Haneda Airport, a 10-minute walk from Tokyo Station and a five-minute stroll from the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

What’s near the Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo?

The 15th-century Koami Shrine, about 15–20 minutes away on foot, is revered as a source of good fortune. For a truly mind-blowing experience, take a 10-minute cab ride north from the hotel to Akihabara Electric Town (aka Akiba), the city’s nerve centre of otaku – anime, manga and chaotic gaming arcades. To escape the energy, stroll leisurely to the large, peaceful Imperial Gardens of Chiyoda, about 25 minutes on foot. 

Room types 

There are 179 rooms and suites, from entry-level Deluxe Rooms right up to the palatial Presidential Suite. You know you’re in a seriously luxurious hotel when even the “basic” rooms are gorgeous. If you fancy a wrap-around vista, pick a Deluxe Corner Room, which has two walls of windows. All rooms come with a 55-inch HDTV, bluetooth speaker, traditional Yukata kimonos, bathtub, walk-in shower and a sitting area with sofa. The Presidential Suite also has exclusive artworks, a dining room and lounge, pantry and a deep soaking bath.   

Restaurants and bars 

You’d need a week to experience all 12 restaurants and bars, so pick carefully. Drop into the Mandarin Bar for a tea-infused Tokyo Martini or the innovative Immersive Museum experience: five gourmet Japanese snacks and a cocktail. Then head for dinner at Sushi Shin by Miyakawa, the first Tokyo branch of Hokkaido’s three Michelin-starred Sushi Miyakawa restaurant, to eat sushi from a 350-year-old Hinoki cypress counter. A slightly more adventurous option is Tapas Molecular Bar which creates dishes using secret, science-lab techniques. From almost all the hotel’s venues, guests can gaze out over the endless neon city.  

Sustainability 

The Mandarin Oriental group’s Naturally Better program is aiming to make all its hotels plastic free, as well as responsibly procuring seafood, coffee, tea, vanilla, cocoa and cage-free eggs. The group’s executive advisory panel for sustainability guides and champions its initiatives. The panel uses the UN Sustainable Development Goals to help it decide how best to tackle issues of energy, water, waste and carbon emissions.   

Travel for work

It’s hi-tech heaven in the hotel’s 12 meeting and event spaces and very grand ballroom. The ballroom alone has 36 projectors allowing 360-degree presentations, the first system of its kind in Japan. All spaces are fitted with high-speed internet connection (wired and wireless), screens and TV conferencing facilities.  

Spa and gym  

The hotel’s spa is on the 37th floor, so high that as you relax after a Rasayana detox body wrap – still smelling like a luxuriant cinnamon and green tea candle – you can sip ginger tea and gaze at the snow cap on Mt Fuji, way out on the horizon. The spa has an innovative menu (try the Five Journeys from Nihonbashi special) and includes a gym and pilates machines.

What you need to know

When booking, ask for a room with a Mount Fuji view. Also, ask about the sushi cooking class; it’s fun and includes a trip to the famous Tsukiji fish market. 

SEE ALSO: The Best Hotels in Tokyo