Hotel New Otani Tokyo

Beautiful old hotel with landscaped garden and waterfall. Next to Akasaka Subway station. Walking distance to numerous eateries across the river. Near the Imperial Palace. Nice scenic jogging area. Free wifi. Small gym (only 1 treadmill available). 40 mins drive from Haneda airport.

I first stayed at the New Otani Hotel Tokyo in July 2004 and have been returning ever since! - Little has changed in the last 13 years - and I guess this is appropriate as the New Otani mainly caters to the older generation of Japanese business people and Tokyo resident. But when old style is done well enough it becomes classic and the New Otani is a truly classic Japanese hotel. The location is ideal, one hour from the airport by regular shuttle bus, 15-30 minutes taxi drive from Shibuya main train station or Tokyo stations which can bring you anywhere, and within easy walking distance to the Akasaka area for a more relaxed environment to have dinner with your business partner. The rooms are also classic Japanese, catering to their understanding of western requirements which is comprehensive! The electric black out drapes are very helpful for the jet lagged traveller otherwise the rooms do speak to the classic 5 star standards but with nothing new to write home about. The staff are extremely polite, bowing and reciting the well rote learned "Thank you for waiting!" -for the super fast elevator! But as is so often the case - professional politeness is only skin deep and whatever happens don't be late for the departing airport bus.... I was once and they told me it had left when it hadn't. The garden restaurant serving wonderful cakes connects the main building to the tower is where you can honestly see Japanese non working spouses society on display! The hotel hosts a Traders Vic restaurant but the main dining hall is classic is nothing special. The gardens are fantastic in Japanese style- mainly used for wedding photographs but the swimming pool (outdoor and closed during the winter) and gym are are dated! Stay here if it's your first time to Japan - or if classic is your taste - but not if you're looking for something special.

You can stay there like a king! Everything went so smooth from checking in, dining, to checking out. There are many restaurants and shops inside the hotel, but also adjacent to it, which are more reasonably priced. Need to take a cab to go anywhere.

Coming to the New Otani was a 2 day splurge after staying in a business hotel in Akabane (Daiwa Roynet Hotel) for 7 days. I can't believe I was happier at the Daiwa Roynet. No, it wasn't luxurious, but the rooms were cooled properly and didn't smell like cigarettes. Even in a non-smoking room, I smell cigarettes here at the New Otani. My sense is that the air conditioning system is outdated. The hallways are not air conditioned which is quite surprising. It is very unpleasant to step out of the elevator into a muggy hall when you're coping with the hottest days of the year. Furthermore, I was frustrated to learn that the indoor pool has a $30-$50 a day fee. This was not obvious from the website that shows many beautiful photos of the indoor pool. On the plus side, the lobby is quite upscale and the views of the garden are very beautiful. Also the majority of the staff speak excellent English which makes interactions easier.

Stayed for 5 nights and was impressed by the size of the room, especially for a city like Tokyo. The rooms are clean and amenities are well thought through, the hotel provided everything that made my stay as comfortable and as expected for a 5-star hotel. The rooms are clean despite being old. Hotel is well located and easy to walk to metro to get around Tokyo. Customer service was as expected and no complaints. Breakfast could be better in terms of selected and I felt myself having the same selection over 5 days was a little too boring.