I’ve always been the type who can sleep anywhere, but on this trip I actually put some thought into where to stay. Of all the six-star hotels in Tokyo, the Mandarin was the one I most wanted to try, and since a friend of mine works there I got to stay at a really low rate. I don’t know if a chance like this will ever come my way again. Glad to have good friends ^_^
The hotel is right next to the Mitsukoshi department store in Nihonbashi. You do have to use the Tokyo Metro, but getting around was more convenient than I expected.
Welcome drink
When the staff member showed me to the room they asked what I’d like as a welcome drink, so I asked for a cold tea. What came out was a seriously good iced tea. Six-star service indeed, I thought.
A fan and yukata
I think they’re meant for wandering around the hotel, Japanese hot-spring style. In the end I never got to use them.
The view outside
This time I stayed in a Premier Deluxe room on the 36th floor. Being that high up, the view is bound to be good, but the whole front is floor-to-ceiling glass, which makes the scenery even more impressive. It felt like a movie set. Prices vary depending on which way the room faces, and apparently rooms looking out over central Tokyo cost more.
Here’s what it looks like inside.
For Japan it’s very, very spacious. If you’ve ever stayed in one of Japan’s palm-sized hotel rooms, you’ll know what I mean.. The part behind the blinds is the toilet and bathroom, with a big bathtub inside, and the mood was honestly pretty erotic. As you’d expect for the price, it has a resort-like feel too, and once you’re in the room you don’t want to go out.
The bed
The bed is set up differently for day and night. Right now it’s in day mode so you can lie on top and relax, and at bedtime they turn it down so it’s ready for sleeping..
A photo from the lobby: across the way, Tokyo Skytree is going up.
They say it has already reached its full 634 meters, but they were still hard at work building something. Supposedly it’ll be finished next year.. Honestly it’s a neighborhood without much to see, but Skytree has made the view so much better. It might even be more romantic than the central Tokyo side. It isn’t lit up at night yet so there’s not much to look at, but once it officially opens it’s going to look amazing.
A decoration in the lobby
It looks sort of like a giant durian and gives the place a tropical vibe.
A shot from the toilet!
The whole front of the toilet is glass. I never imagined I’d end up taking a photo like this. The Mandarin really is something.
The view from the room
You can see the Shinjuku skyscrapers way off in the distance. A good room really is worth what it costs. Until now I thought I could sleep in any old hotel, but this stay changed my mind quite a bit. That said, I have no plans to stay at the Mandarin again on my next trip, sadly.
Down below, the cars go by like toys.
It feels unreal. Or rather, it makes you forget reality. Such a cozy space.
You can even see the Rainbow Bridge in the distance.
A Dojima Roll I bought in the Mitsukoshi basement
It’s a nationally famous roll cake, and it was really soft and not heavy at all. It deserves its fame, but because of the short shelf life I had no choice but to polish it off on the spot..
The sunset from the room
It would have been so nice to stay a few more days. I really hated watching the time slip away.