From spruced-up boutique hotel digs to old-school artisan retailers and to-die-for restos, here’s our weekly spotlight on what we love right now.
What:
Hoshinoya Tokyo
Where:
Biz-central Chiyoda, Tokyo
Why we love it:
The Nippon capital has entered the ryokan race, and has sprinted straight to first place with Hoshinoya Tokyo, a brand spanking urbane escape that takes the best bits of traditional omotenashi hospitality – serene decor, exquisitely considered service, a sense of ceremony – and imbues it with a thoroughly contempo design aesthetic.
Beyond the lattice-covered skyscraper facade are 84 guest suites replete with wall-to-wall tatami floors (that means shoes off, Suzie), shoji sliding doors, hand-crafted curvaceous wood furnishings and fluffy futon beds.
Each level is self-contained, with just six rooms that share a Ochanoma lounge for Nihon-style breakfasting, or you can head down to the striking basement resto for toothsome Franco-Nippon fusion cuisine.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a ryokan without an onsen, and Hoshinoya’s 17th floor steamy spring-fed stunner will seriously float your fancy, with in- and outdoor communal baths clad in swarve black tiles. Toky-oh take us there!
1-9-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. +81 50 3786 1144. hoshinoyatokyo.com
Traverse Tokyo in style – take a peek at the LUXE Tokyo Guide.
