The Okura Tokyo

Cold, perfunctory (borderline condescending) service; saved only by the size of the rooms, exquisite lobby and excellent facilities. It is a very storied hotel (with commensurately priced rooms), so perhaps our expectations were unrealistic or we don't understand what luxury service is in Japan. We have stayed in small humble inns where we were made to feel more welcome than The Okura. The feeling we got was that they would prefer much domestic guests to foreign ones. We will not be returning, not even to patronise its restaurants and bars. (Also after reading other reviews, it seems we were not the only ones who felt this way.)

Great hotel. Not much to say. Cleanliness, staff, rooms, gym, breakfast, location, all top-notch. Pavilions: I booked a room unaware that the hotel was divided into two sections, Prestige and Heritage. The sections are interconnected, but there's a certain unbalanced treatment. The Heritage entrance makes it look like a subway station. There are class dynamics within the two buildings.

Considered as one of the top hotels in Tokyo, the location is indeed excellent, the design is elegant, the breakfast buffet is generous, our 38th floor corner room was super, the executive lounge is a gem, the pool and onsen infrastructure is unique, … and yet. We have stayed a week in a luxurious suite and have spent quite some money. That’s all good, it’s a conscious choice. But the experience at our arrival was of such a contrast with the expected service and luxury of this Leading Hotel of the World (I am a Leaders Club member since many years and am ‘used and privileged’ to stay around the globe in leading hotels), that I wouldn’t give more than an average for this hotel. My recommendation is that hotel GM Kenji Takayanagi drastically reviews the welcoming ‘procedure’. A welcome that was VERY transactional (“Your room is not ready yet and won’t be until 3pm”; “Can I have your credit card?” ; …) and without any warm charming approach to customers who were going to spend a week in the hotel and by that spend a substantial amount of several thousands of dollars. When we arrived from our two week cruise, around 10:30am, we were told that our room wasn’t ready. We didn’t consider this as an issue; it’s often the case. But being told, when we asked, that it wasn’t possible to have breakfast, as our reservation only started from the afternoon, was unacceptable. We were not even offered the possibility to have a tea or coffee. Oh well, there was an opportunity, as said the guy who was doing the check in for us: “I’ll recommend you go to this hotel not far from here where you can buy a coffee.” “Alternatively you can go to the gym and spend your day there.” NEVER have I or we been to a top class hotel where such an attitude was the standard. Being so surprised with the total inflexible attitude of the receptionist, who didn’t do the least of efforts to accommodate us, we asked to speak with his manager. And the situation got only worse! The guy, of a stoic distance, said that his colleague had already explained that there was no way of offering us a drink or breakfast. The manager and his colleague spoke in Japanese to each other while laughing … and that while we were flabbergasted by the situation. If I hadn’t prepaid the hotel, I’d have left and returned to the Palace hotel where we had stayed before and where the service was great and much more accommodating. This being said, the hotel has great assets and is worth staying. The ladies from the concierge desk were excellent and very accommodating. We have adored the executive lounge, accessible for the higher category rooms and suites, and offering a great discrete service. We were even more surprised with the receptionist’s attitude when we realised that there was this exceptional lounge and that he could have suggested us to go there upon our arrival. A second negative experience was when we wanted to take a cab to go for dinner. We came out of the lobby and there was a long queue of delegates who had been at a conference in the hotel. NB: this hotel has a large conference center and there is also that vibe of people who are passing by for the day but are not necessarily hotel guests. I asked to the bellboy’s manager if he could help us get a taxi. He said that we had to wait in the line. I said that we were hotel guests and that we were going to be late for dinner if we had to wait for all the people being gone. He repeated that we had to wait in line. I said that the hotel should organise things differently, with a fast service for hotel guests and a separate line for conference delegates. When a taxi arrived and deposited guests, I went to the taxi driver and asked if he could take us to the restaurant. Normally, I learned, taxi drivers are supposed to deposit guests and drive off the property and eventually come back to pick up guests. Long story short, the driver was willing to take us. So we got in the taxi. When the bell boy saw us almost driving away he came to us a,d said that we couldn’t do this, that this wasn’t the procedure and that we should get out of the taxi. I told him that he was crossing a red line and that he had nothing to do there. We drove away and got to our dinner reservation. Would I recommend to stay at The Okura Tokyo? Not for the reasons I explained. Would I go back? No! The attitude of this one guy and of the non-welcome was so decisive in our overall experience that we couldn’t keep referring to it when we speak about this hotel, and when I write this comment. The taxi line experience was an additional frustration and learned us that at the Okura Tokyo they don’t understand how to deal with non-Japanese customers. If we wouldn’t have had these lousy experiences I’d have scored the hotel with a great score.

We stayed as a family in the Prestige Tower, and received an upgrade to a high floor room via a Virtuoso booking, which was much appreciated. The view on entering the room was spectacular. I was slightly nervous having read previous reviews about treatment of non-Japanese guests and families, but found nothing but warm and attentive service throughout, from the security guard helping us find the pedestrian entrance, to the concierge sending our bags onwards via Yamato. We arrived to find our bags (sent from the airport) already in the room, which had been made up for three people. The room was very spacious, and extremely polished, with picture windows looking out over Tokyo running the length of one side. Photos do not do it justice. Amenities were generous and high quality. The breakfast was extensive, with extensive Japanese and Chinese as well as western options, and some interesting patisserie. In terms of location, we enjoyed the quieter surroundings of Toranomon and, after getting to grips with the slightly obscured pedestrian entrance to the hotel (the path beside the vehicle entrance to the conference centre is the best one) found it pretty convenient for the Metro. It's close to the Toranomon Hills and Azabudai Hills developments, with some good, relaxed eating options, including for families. Note that the pool is not accessible to younger children. We knew this in advance. Overall, it's really hard to fault this hotel. Thanks to the team for making our stay in Tokyo special. I wouldn't hesitate to return.

The Okura Toyko is located in Toranomon Hills, a business district encompassing skyscrapers and embassies. It's conveniently a short walk to the Toranomon metro although there are several onsite restaurants, bars, and shops to keep you occupied. From check-in to check-out, the service provided is among the best in the world. There are tons of employees around to say hello, answer questions, and assist with luggage or directions. The service goes above just assisting guests, they pride themselves on anticipating your needs. Service here is serious business. Employees are always watching, trying to anticipate if you require any assistance. The lobby is huge. A beautiful re-incarnation of the original mid-century design. Google the hotel's history and you'll get why. It's also quiet. It's frowned upon to take calls or speak loudly, but that's a lot of places in Japan. Everything...literally everything, has it's own place. The lobby chairs are positioned around coffee tables to look like flower petals. The lighting is symmetrical. You expect James Bond to descend down the stairs from the second level. There's an architectural heritage here that's apparent immediately when you enter, but it's not overbearing. We stayed in a bathtub view room on the 36th floor. The room was spotless. The coffee station has a precise spot for the Okura branded china, Nespresso pods, glasses, etc... The bed is ridiculously comfortable. Maybe it's because the pajamas provided are so cozy, we even tried to purchase them at check-out. Unfortunately, they are not for sale. The bathroom is large, clean, and of course has a Toto toilet. Heated seat, several sprays, you know the deal. The grout looks like it was done yesterday. There was not a spec of dust, dirt, or water spots anywhere in the room. There are several restaurants and bars on site. We had breakfast in the lounge one day and Orchid the following day. While the lounge is quiet and refined, the Orchid had a huge variety of Japanese and Western options. There's also a French, Chinese, Teppanyaki, and Japanese restaurant at the hotel. All are fine dining. They are equally great for talking business or having a quiet date, but not for a boisterous meal. The top floor lounge provides great cocktails and sunset views. Again, all of the dining and drinking facilities have over-the-top service. Worth trying once at least. There's an indoor pool, gym, and a huge spa. We toured the spa, but didn't have time for any treatments. It looks amazing though. There's a ton of hotel options in Tokyo. The Okura has a pedigree for good reason. It's not necessarily a fun hotel, but it's a perfect hotel. Everything is in it's place. Every detail has been thought through. Every employee we encountered was impeccably trained. It's refined and understated. Luxurious yet welcoming. It's the pinnacle of Japanese etiquette and we love it.