Best Tokyo Hotels for First Time Visitors from Mid-Range to Boutique and Luxury. Park Hyatt, Tokyo, Japan.

Best Tokyo Hotels for First Time Visitors from Mid-Range to Boutique and Luxury

This post may contain paid links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

The best Tokyo hotels for first time visitors are lodgings that are close to train stations in the essential Tokyo neighbourhoods to explore, such as Shinjuku, Shibuya, Roppongi, and Akasaka. These are our top picks of the Tokyo hotels to check into if it’s your first time in Japan’s capital, from mid-range to boutique and luxury.

The best Tokyo hotels for first time visitors to Japan are close to train stations and located in lively local neighbourhoods. For your second Tokyo holiday, an apartment rental is a must – on our last Tokyo trip we stayed in a comfy apartment a 10-minute walk to bustling Akasaka and 15-minute hike up to Roppongi Hills; we’d stay there again in a heartbeat – but for first-timer Tokyo visitors we recommend checking into a hotel.

Tokyo and its transportation can be tricky to navigate at first and can take some time to get used to. The services of hotel door staff to point you in the right direction and a good concierge to make restaurant bookings shouldn’t be underestimated. We found ourselves lost a few times just minutes after leaving our Akasaka street.

The best Tokyo hotels for first time visitors should be centrally located and not far from train stations in essential Tokyo neighbourhoods you’re going to want to explore, such as Shinjuku, Shibuya, Roppongi, Akasaka, and The Ginza. These are our picks of the Tokyo hotels you need to check into, from mid-range to boutique and luxury.

Best Tokyo Hotels For First Time Visitors

Best Shinjuku Hotels

Shinjuku is quintessential Tokyo with its neon lights, cat cafés and two of our favourite quarters, Omoide Yokocho or ‘Memory Lane’ and the Golden Gai.

Tucked beside the railway line, Omoide Yokocho has narrow alleys lined with smoky yakitori joints and noodle bars, while a short stroll away the Golden Gai, has more dimly-lit lanes lined with some two hundred diminutive bars, each with a different theme.

Close by is the red light district of Kabukicho that’s become more family friendly in recent years. By day there are department stores galore and one of Tokyo’s loveliest parks, Shinjuku Gyoen.

Park Hyatt Tokyo

I have to confess that the reason I have a thing about the Park Hyatt Tokyo is because it featured in one of my favourite films, Sophia Coppola’s 2003 indy hit Lost in Translation.

The New York Bar and Grill, pictured above, where the film’s stars Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson meet, is on the 52nd floor and offers nightly live jazz and jaw-dropping views over Tokyo.

On the downside, it’s packed with other tourists and prices are sky-high, but it’s one of those spots where you have to sip a Suntory if you’ve seen the film. Being one of the best five-star hotels in Tokyo, with impeccable service, makes it one of the best Tokyo hotels for first time visitors.

As do the luxurious rooms – larger than most Tokyo apartments – with marble bathrooms and a complimentary mobile phone, handy if you get lost or need to call the concierge for restaurant reservations. The sweeping views across the city to Mount Fuji are a bonus. 3-7-1-2 Nishi Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan Book the Park Hyatt Tokyo with our booking partner.

Gracery Shinjuku

The mid-range Hotel Gracery is one of the best Tokyo hotels for first time visitors thanks to a helpful multi-lingual concierge team and central location a five-minute saunter to JR Shinjuku Station.

Even closer, just a few minutes’ stroll away, is Seibu-Shinjuku Station, in Kabukicho, the red light district that has evolved into an entertainment precinct with family-friendly cinemas and the Robot Restaurant close by.

While the hotel tower itself is striking, the Gracery grabs attention for the gigantic Godzilla that peeps its head out from the eighth floor. The building is home to Toho film production company, which runs the on-site IMAX theatre and cinema complex.

The hotel itself is huge, with almost 1,000 rooms, making it easy to find bargains. Rooms are comfy with super-soft feather comforters, pyjamas, complimentary Japanese tea, and fantastic city views.

Although do note that standard rooms are snug, starting at 18 square meters. Free Wi-Fi, free computers, an ATM and currency exchange near the concierge desk, and a coin-operated laundry, makes life easy for first-time visitors. 1-19-1 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan Book the Gracery Shinjuku with our booking partner

Best Shibuya Hotels

Along with Shinjuku, Shibuya screams Tokyo thanks to its famous Shibuya Crossing, a diagonal pedestrian ‘scramble’ crossing which millions of people cross a day, where we once did a late night photo shoot in the rain. It’s watched over by enormous video screens and towers of department stores such as Shibuya 109.

Nearby is the tree-lined shopping avenue of Omotesandō with its upmarket malls and luxury stores, the youthful street fashion shopping quarter of Harajuku and crowded Takeshita Street, and Dōgen-zaka’s love hotels.

And when you need to escape the busy streets, there’s lovely Yoyogi Park and Meiji Shrine, and Shinjuku Gyoen, the former Imperial gardens, now a public park.

Trunk Hotel

Stylish boutique hotel, Trunk, is an absolute stunner with cool, contemporary décor that feels more Japanese than most and individually decorated rooms that feel more like apartments than hotel accommodations.

Spacious rooms are decorated in neutral shades with carpet, white tiled bathrooms, and plenty of natural woods. Each category is very different to the next, so choose carefully: some come with large garden terraces dripping with greenery, some with barbecues and outdoor white tiled bathrooms. If you don’t book a private balcony, there’s a shared garden to enjoy.

The Dining Suite has a beautiful kitchen and table for six for entertaining, while the Living Suite has two long, large sofas, a bar, a record turntable, vintage magazines, and books. All come with lovely robes, beautiful toiletries and there’s free WiFi.

Excellent English speaking staff, an informative local guide, and a great location in the heart of Shibuya, just minutes from hipster-central Harajuku, and a 10-minute walk to JR Shibuya Station, make this one of the best Tokyo hotels for first time visitors.

Meiji Jingu Shrine is a 10-minute saunter from Trunk while the Nezu Museum is just a 15-minute bus ride away. 5-31 Jingumae, Shibuya-Ku, Tokyo, Japan. Book Trunk Hotel with our booking partner

Shibuya Granbell Hotel

The 3.5-star Shibuya Granbell Hotel is one of the best Tokyo hotels for first time visitors with friendly staff who speak English, a fantastic location just a few minutes walk across a pedestrian bridge (don’t worry, there are elevators if you have heavy luggage) to Shibuya station and nearby Shibuya Crossing, and an easy amble to Omotesando and Harajuku.

While I wouldn’t go far as to call it a ‘design hotel’, the minimalist rooms are comfy and the splashes of colour, chandeliers, and art on the walls set it apart from the plain and often drab décor of rooms in most hotels in this price category.

The single rooms are super-snug, so it’s worth paying extra for a double. If the budget stretches, the loft rooms are the best. There’s a casual pub on site and an abundance of eateries in the neighbourhood.

There are two more sister hotels, a Shinjuku Granbell and an Akasaka Granbell, which I also recommend if you prefer to stay in Shinjuku or Akasaka. 15-17 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Book Shibuya Granbell Hotel with our booking partner

Best Roppongi Hotels

Roppongi is home to huge, high-end, mixed-use developments featuring sleek shopping malls, gourmet supermarkets, impressive museums, art galleries and cinemas, parks, residential apartments, office buildings and luxury hotels, such as Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown.

In between are affordable eateries and buzzy izakayas, and lively neighbourhoods such as Akasaka are only a short stroll away. Aside from the great eating, drinking and shopping, the Tadao Ando-designed 21_21 Design Sight, Mori Art Museum, Suntory Museum of Art, and the National Art Centre are musts.

The Ritz Carlton Tokyo

The location of the luxurious five-star Ritz Carlton Tokyo, which starts on the 45th level of the city’s tallest building at Tokyo Midtown, make this one of the best Tokyo hotels for first time visitors. The breathtaking views from floor-to-ceiling windows of the city skyline, including Tokyo Tower and Mt. Fuji, are a bonus.

As you’d expect of a hotel of this calibre the English language skills of staff are impeccable and the concierges must be some of the best in the city, making your first stay in Tokyo a breeze.

Rooms are super-spacious and come in either plush, comfy (albeit conservative) European-style furnishings or a more Zen style with a Japanese aesthetic with futon beds, traditional Tatami mats and Shoji door.

Add to that a fine spa with lap pool, Michelin-starred restaurants plus a sumptuous lounge and bar, a tea house, and unique services, such as an ‘aroma butler’ you can call who will come and waft essential-oil blends around your room depending on your mood and needs.
9-7-1 Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Tokyo, Japan. Book The Ritz Carlton Tokyo with our booking partner

Remm Roppongi

It’s hard to beat the Remm Roppongi for value in an area best known for its pricy high-end hotels, although what makes it one of the best Tokyo hotels for first time visitors is the unbeatable location, just a few minutes’ walk to Roppongi Station, Roppongi Hills, Tokyo Midtown, and the must-see museums and galleries.

Although the bright, light-filled rooms are compact, guests love the sweeping city views, big tiled bathrooms with rain showers, tea and coffee making facilities, bold splashes of colour, and the massage chairs, which are much appreciated after hiking the hilly neighbourhood.

Bonuses: helpful English speaking staff, 24-hour concierge, vending machines for drinks and snacks, free WiFi throughout the property, and on-site restaurant called Cedar, with very generous buffet breakfasts for the price. 7-14-4 Minato-ku, Roppongi, Tokyo, Japan Book Remm Roppongi with our booking partner

SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Lara Dunston Patreon
Advertisement

Find Your Japan Accommodation

Booking.com

AUTHOR BIO

Photo of author
A travel and food writer who has experienced over 70 countries and written for The Guardian, Australian Gourmet Traveller, Feast, Delicious, National Geographic Traveller, Conde Nast Traveller, Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia, DestinAsian, TIME, CNN, The Independent, The Telegraph, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, AFAR, Wanderlust, International Traveller, Get Lost, Four Seasons Magazine, Fah Thai, Sawasdee, and more, as well as authored more than 40 guidebooks for Lonely Planet, DK, Footprint, Rough Guides, Fodors, Thomas Cook, and AA Guides.

Leave a comment