Hello!
We currently have reservations at the Park Hyatt in Shinjuku this coming October. That said, we’re not big walkers (my wife has early MS) and we are \*huge\* foodies/nightlife people.
Everyone’s said that the Park Hyatt is super-duper nice, which is why we booked it. I’m also hearing now that the Tokyo Station Hotel has a more ideal location for food/nightlife/getting around the city and an incredible concierge that’d help us figure out where to eat/drink in the city.
Anyone have any experience with either/both?
Thanks!
9 comments
I haven’t stayed at either hotel, but I know that the area around Tokyo Station isn’t as lively as Shinjuku, at least from my experiences. Main area for nightlife would be Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Ginza in my opinion. However, it seems the Park Hyatt is about 20 mins distance walk from the most popular area in Shinjuku. From Tokyo Station Hotel, it’s about 20 minutes transit by subway to the main Shinjuku area, so you may prefer staying at Tokyo Station if you’re not big walkers. Park Hyatt also seems kind of far out from subway stations, so you’d probably do more walking if you stay there as opposed to Tokyo Station Hotel, where the station is pretty much right there.
Can’t make any comparisons because I’ve only stayed at the Park Hyatt. But I can say it is very nice. And the service is everything you would expect.
Should be an easy place to catch a cab however if you need to get to anywhere outside of comfortable walking distance. We were just walking/taking the subway everywhere and didn’t need a cab and never felt bad but we didn’t have the same considerations as you so hard to say of it would be too much for someone with MS.
I don’t do as much nightlife but food is a big one for me. It’s been a while since I’ve done research but Tokyo Station Hotel has been well regarded when I was looking into things. Depending on what you’re looking to eat, some of it might actually be closer to Tokyo Station. Ginza is a stop away in principle and is where a lot of higher end fine dining is.
I think one of the shortcomings of the Park Hyatt is convenience. I personally see it as less than ideal as it’s a longish walk or you have to hope to grab the shuttle.
Regardless of hotel, I would start working with concierge ASAP as some restaurants start taking reservations starting 2-3 months before the date.
So I also have a ticket to Japan for Oct 2022, but I haven’t done my lodging yet, the country isn’t open yet for independant tousists, so I was thinking of waiting a bit, so OP, are you just rolling the dice and booking now?
Access: Tokyo Station is a bit easier to use for any rail transport—as well as airport access. Park Hyatt does have a shuttle to the station, but other wise is a 12-15 min walk. Cabs and busses are comfortably available at each.
Hotel: Park does have larger rooms, but can feel a bit dated in some regards. TS is iconic, and more or less is an architectural heritage site in its own right with over a hundred paintings/photos highlighting the hotel over the years. The rooms are quite cozy (rather small), so depending on length of stay, you may want to factor this in.
Nightlife/Food: Though Park is in Shinjuku, you’ll need to walk around (or use a taxi) to try different locations. Tokyo Station has some nice restaurants in and around the hotel (including those in Kitte mall across the street). It’s also a short train ride (1-2 stops) to Ginza and Yurakucho for shopping, nightlife, and more food. Breakfast is really nice at Tokyo as well.
Service: Service at both are great, and concierge can certainly provide assistance at both.
As both of these are Hyatt… I would also highlight two other options. Centric is in the heart of Ginza, and is a great choice (accessibility [airport
bus included], trains, nightlife, food, and being less expensive)—one note is taxis are not allowed to go directly to the entrance at night and drop off would need to be 1-2 blocks away. The second, and my personal go-to is Andaz. Though it’s in Toranomon Hills, it’s only a 10-12 min walk (or cab) to Shinbashi which is a food lovers haven for late night sushi, yakiniku, ramen, drinks, and more. The hotel is fantastic, and the large round bathtubs give a traditional touch of Japanese ofuru to relax and unwind in.
Safe travels!
I stayed at the Tokyo Station Hotel in March 2020 and it was very nice. I had a room that looked over the interior train station lobby, which was pretty cool. I didn’t use the concierge but the property was very high quality. Having stayed many times in the general area of Park Hyatt – I have to echo the others here on it being less convenient in terms of connectivity, unless you are taking cabs everywhere or really centering your activities around Shinjuku.
I would recommend against staying at Tokyo Station Hotel. That area is primarily business and absolutely dead at night. If you’re considering any alternatives to where you’re staying now, look to Shibuya. It probably has more night life than even Shinjuku.
The Park Hyatt is also on the west side of the station which is nice but all the excitement is really around the east side, especially Kabukicho. In Shibuya, the excitement is primarily on the west side.
I have stayed at Park Hyatt pre-covid and it was a great place to stay for 3 nights towards the end of my trip. They have a robot at the entrance that gives you recommendation on near by places 🙂 The staff was very friendly and they help book the bus ride to our airport (Narita) on our departure day. The rooms were fine and clean, enough space for 3 ppl in one room. They had a nice bar/lounge that we visited, pricey but the decor was great. Close by is a 7/11 which came in handy for late night munches and beer run. Kabukicho is about 25min walk, which I didn’t mind cause I love walking around Tokyo (Shinjuku Engery!) but since you’re not big walkers that might be an issue. Love Object, famous Love sign, is close by the hotel too so don’t forget to take some pictures there.
I stayed at the Park hyatt. Hands down my favorite hotel ever. The staff and concierge took care of us.