The Strings by InterContinental Tokyo

It was the end of our 3 week trip and we wanted to finish on a high with a luxury hotel , so we chose the Intercontinental, The Strings, and it certainly delivered. We chose it for a number of reasons: 1. The proximity of the hotel to Shinagawa station. 2. Ease of access to different transit options during our stay. 3. The reviews about the hotel and of the Club Lounge. 4. The proximity of the hotel to Haneda Airport, by taxi or train. We travelled on the Shinkansen from Hiroshima to Shinagawa, having used the luggage transfer service. The train arrived at 14:40hrs and we were standing at the reception desk on the 26th floor at 15:00hrs. Our room was ready and better still, our luggage was already there. All the staff are very helpful and we were given a great room on the 27th floor, which was spacious and included a free mini bar and Club Lounge access. The Club Lounge had great views over the city and a lovey Afternoon tea , canapés and drinks in the evening. The selection was very nice as were the drinks offerings. All the staff were very good, but Fuko Kashii, really stood out as someone who wanted to make our stay memorable and she looked after us exceptionally well in the Lounge. We ate breakfast in the restaurant and we loved the selection of food on offer. Service was always excellent. When leaving, reception arranged a taxi for us, which arrived early at 05:15hrs and only took 25 minutes to Haneda T3 and it cost us £32, which we thought was excellent value. This hotel was an ideal way to finish our fantastic trip.

We stayed at InterContinental The Strings Tokyo by IHG and were really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, it ended up being one of the most disappointing hotels we've ever stayed at, and I don't think it was worth anywhere near what we paid. Other negative reviews seem to reflect a very similar sentiment. The biggest positives are the location—it's directly connected to Shinagawa Station—and the rooms, which are fairly spacious for Tokyo. Every staff member we interacted with was polite and friendly as well. That said, the hotel just doesn't feel like a five-star property. The facilities are dated, and there's no pool or spa, which is surprising at this price point. The arrival experience also set the tone. When our taxi pulled up, there was nobody outside or in the lobby to help with our luggage, and there wasn't any bellhop service during our stay. Breakfast was probably the biggest letdown. The buffet had a very limited selection that barely changed from day to day. On Saturday morning it was so crowded that there was a wait just to get a table, and the staff couldn't even tell us how long the wait would be. The quality wasn't much better. I ordered a matcha latte expecting freshly prepared matcha, but it turned out to be a powdered instant mix rather than properly prepared matcha. For a five-star hotel in Japan, that was especially disappointing. One thing that also surprised me was the security. You need your room key to access the elevator bank, but once you're in, anyone can go to any guest floor. It felt much less secure than other hotels I've stayed in. We also booked through the Chase Sapphire Reserve program. The hotel credit could only be used on food, which wasn't very good. The bigger issue was that we made two back-to-back reservations using two different eligible Chase Sapphire Reserve cards. The hotel had us check out, check back in, and move to a different room because they treated them as separate reservations, but then only gave us one property credit because they considered it a single stay. That felt inconsistent. To their credit, after I pointed this out, management did make a one-time exception and honored the second credit. One additional note—the room views were directly over the train station. We could hear trains rumbling throughout the night and again in the morning, even from the 27th floor. We are used to city noise, but it was still very noticeable and could be disruptive for light sleepers. Earlier in our trip we stayed at hotels in Kyoto and Ginza that cost a fraction of the price but offered an experience that was just as good, if not better. We expected this to be the highlight of our trip, but instead it felt like a waste of money. I wouldn't stay here again, and at this price point, I'd recommend looking elsewhere.

While this portion of Minato is not the most touristy, The Strings is almost above Shinagawa station has has direct access to several subway lines as well as the Tokaido Shinkansen, making this a great location for a busy city stay. Our room was quite compact with an extra bed for our child, but spotlessly clean, comfortable, and brightly lit. A bench seat and table provided a convenient work spot, and we had a direct view of the rail lines which was a delight for our son. (If you are less excited about trains, you may notice the noise in the morning, although it was not very noticeable at our floor.) Breakfast in the main atrium was a great start to each day, which an extensive buffet including options across many cuisines and a variety of coffee and tea options. Service was efficient, and staying at The Strings was a delightful start to our vacation in Japan.

Nice but dated and the staff was not as friendly as other hotels we stayed at in Tokyo, although this hotel was the most expensive. We also had a problem with our reservation and the hotel did nothing to help fix it.

Stellar in every way! Lovely rooms Clean, excellent service. Good gym facilities. A pleasure to be there