One night in The Junior Suite at Hilton Tokyo, Shinjuku – Review & one morning walk in Shinjuku

Arriving late at 10pm to Hilton Tokyo, no thanks to a delayed flight, I missed a Japanese dinner (one of my favourite cuisines) and had to order room service. Imagine seeing all the delicious food photos of your fellow friends on Instagram enroute from the airport and then being told that you have missed it.

A slight oversight resulted in a few too many lifts trips up and down during the check-in process. Imagine enduring that after a 7-8 hours flight followed by a 2 hours ride from the airport. I was starving, cold, exhausted and now, officially in a ghastly mood.

The Hilton hospitality kicked in at the right time. I was upgraded and walking into my Junior Suite, I felt my frustrations dissipate. The kind lady who escorted me to my suite assisted to adjust the air con temperature, the lighting and showed me the most important thing I wanted to see; the room service menu.

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She left shortly after and I sat down to contemplate the menu, all the while nursing a terrible headache. Mr Sho came in then, apologizing for the oversight and welcomed me warmly to the Hilton Tokyo. He recommended the katsu don and I added a beef tataki.
He continued to chat with me as we waited for the food while ensuring that everything is in order. Anyhow, since he’s so nice, I asked him to help me take some pictures of myself in the suite! 😀

BELOW: The see through mirror from bathroom to bed. A popular feature in most hotels.

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Me enjoying my dinner at 11.30pm Tokyo time.

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Both the katsu don and beef tataki was good. With the food in stomach I felt better instantly. The smiling and warm Mr Sho had also improved my mood.
So at 12am I started my “work” – a quick video and photography of the Junior Suite. Who says bloggers get free holidays? 😀

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The Junior Suite was going at the rate of 48,400 yen (RM1,558 )/night + 15 % tax on the night I checked in. At the span of 44m²/474sq.ft., it’s luxury in the heart of Tokyo.

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A firm but comfortable bed, roomy space to walk around without bumping into the furniture and subtle colours and details spoke of modern elegance.
The workdesk was made less boring with a free form glass top instead of the usual rectangular ones.
Look out to the Tokyo city view through large windows, and sit back to surf the net with wired & wireless internet access. WIFI is not complimentary unfortunately (though it was for me) but there is free WIFI at lobby and breakfast area (Marble Lounge) .

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Below: The “Japanese sliding door type” of blinds. I thought this is a unique feature which I have not seen at other hotels (not that I stayed in many in Japan). Slide open for the view/sunlight or slide them close for privacy.  The outer one still allows some light while the 2nd inner one is almost like a blackout curtain.

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Stretch out on the sofa in your fluffy bathrobe or better still, change into one of the yukata (Japanese pyjamas) provided and de-stress flipping channels on the large LCD flat panel TV.

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How do you like to watch your TV? Rolling on the bed? Lounging on the sofa? Seated upright on a chair? The TV is strategically placed right in the middle of the suite.

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Obviously switching on the TV was out of question for me that night. Instead I continued to explore doors and drawers, wondering what treasures lies within. 🙂

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The minibar stocks the usual, which I never bother to check since I’m not going to pay for it. The coffee and tea facilities are a highlight for me. Good teas and quality coffee does matter to a lot of guests and I’m sure not many will complain of Nespresso and Twinnings.

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Complimentary bottles of mineral water are a must and happily enough, always restocked.

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I had complimentary fruits on arrival and these Japanese grapes are really nice, not to mention expensive if purchased in Malaysia.

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The nice people from Hilton are either really gracious or they are trying to get me drunk. I had this (which I believe to be sake) and a bottle of wine at my disposal. And in case getting high on alcohol isn’t enough, the option of being on sugar high is not a far out possibility; with boxes of candies, macarons and chocolates laid out enticingly.
But no, I’m not complaining. 😀

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I had always emphasized on the importance of the amount of powerpoints in a hotel room/suite, especially for the urban traveler.
Here I have 2 powerpoints beside the Nespresso machine, none beside the bed and some at the work desk. It’s certainly not enough for me, but I didn’t have anything that needs charging other than my iPhone since I came straight from the airport and my camera, laptop, battery pack are all still fully juiced.
Reading lights and bedside lights are 2 separate components so it allows you to switch on either one or both simultaneously.

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Controls for the rooms are pretty easy to decipher, unlike some hotel rooms where it’s just plain confusing. The below is for the air conditioning and there is another panel (I believe, I can’t remember) for the rest of the lights in the suite.
Of course, when in doubt, pick up the phone and press “0”. 😀

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The cupboards revealed an iron, ironing board, hangers and a safe. Pretty standard.

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Do you bring a set of pajamas on your travels? I don’t. I usually wrap myself up snugly in the hotel’s bathrobe, which is why I’m always on lookout for the bathrobes whenever I checked in a hotel.
The Hilton Tokyo provides 2 sets of thick, soft robes, and to my delight, a pair of yukatas too!
This is my first time wearing one but it wasn’t as complicated as a kimono or hanbok. It’s basically a big robe with a sash, just tie at the waist and you’re done. Or so I think. 😛

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Ho ho ho… what do we have here? 🙂

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Am I cute? Ok, you don’t have to answer that.

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Last but not least is the washroom. The vanity area is spacious enough for one, and somehow they managed to fit in a bathtub together with the shower room.

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In between both is the usual high-tech, press-some-buttons-and-all-will-be-done-at-your-command toilet which is really fun to use. 😀

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Towels. I’m the sort who’s obsessive that a good hotel should at any one time; provide hand, face and bath towels. And of course one for the floor as mat.

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The Hilton Tokyo passed on all accounts. The toiletries aren’t shabby either. Peter Thomas Roth is a an established brand, and the set provided is a full set of shampoo, conditioner, lotion, body wash, facial bar, shower cap, vanity set, and whatever else you see below.

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Here’s a simple video of the Junior Suite for a 3D perspective.  Watch it! 🙂

Moving out of the suite, from the corridor to the lift the space is well-lit, clean and feels new.

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I overslept (my first time ever on a trip!) and had to skip breakfast. I did however managed to grab some pastries from the Executive Lounge on the 37th floor.

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Overall the spread is pretty much Continental with the exception of Japanese condiments with congee.

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After checking out we made our way to Shinjuku for a walk. From my experience after being in Japan for 10 days last year, shops are usually not open before 10-11am. So here we are walking around in the cold and rain at 9.30 am in Shinjuku.
But I must say it was a invigorating walk. It was my first morning in Japan after a year and I was just thrilled to be strolling the streets, staring up at all the colourful buildings and marvel at the human traffic.

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The Shinjuku Station is 10 mins walk from Hilton Tokyo or you can take the complimentary shuttle from Hilton Tokyo that runs at a timely 20 minutes interval from the front entrance.

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In this eclectic mix of neighborhood the ancient and the hip shares the space. We have huge Pachinko outlets, tall malls and small businesses that offers household products to clothes and electronics.

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Hi uncle, thanks for the being at the right place and at the right time. 🙂

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Some shops eventually opened and I very nearly bought some shoes..if only the shop had accepted credit cards! 1050 Yen is about RM35, which is really cheap, considering that this is Tokyo.

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I was told that this is a very iconic building in Shinjuku (the one in the middle) – the Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower, a 50 storey educational facility.

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Th obligatory “I was here” shot. Thanks Adrian! 🙂

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Lunch was at the Menya Musashi branch in Shinjuku. Further details on that would be in a separate post. And yes it’s different from our Menya here in KL.

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That pretty much sums up my one night (first 15 hours) in Tokyo! We moved on to Ginza to check in at Conrad Tokyo after our lunch. And of course, the adventure continues in Ginza! 🙂

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Additional info:
1. Shuttle to Shinjuku station and vice versa was frequent and timely at the intervals of 20 minutes.
2. WIFI is free at the lobby and the Marble Lounge, where breakfast is.
3. Metro is just below the hotel : Tochomae for Toei Oedo line and Nishi-Shinjuku for Manorouchi line.
4. Hilton Tokyo is located near a park with playground
5. From Narita airport, the travel time is about 2 hours. There are several transportation methods available and I took the Airport Limousine that drops me off directly in front of the hotel.  It is cheaper and more convenient too compared to the other options.
6. There is a 24 hours gym which I obviously didn’t have the time to visit.
7. There are 8 Restaurants and Bars here. 816 guest rooms. Banquet facilities and MICE.

Marble Lounge for breakfast. 

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My 3,000 Yen ticket from Narita airport to Hilton Tokyo. Buy your tickets at the counters which you’ll see when you come out from Arrivals.

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The shuttle. Clean, timely and your luggage is tagged before you board. You got to love the Japanese for their orderliness and punctuality. 🙂

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Here are your options for getting from Narita to Hilton Tokyo. All necessary information can be found on their site: http://www.tokyo.hilton.com

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Thank you again Hilton Hotels for hosting us for the night! Ittekimasu for now! 🙂

6-2 Nishi Shinjuku
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan 1600023
Phone +81 3-3344-5111
Email [email protected]
Website http://www.tokyo.hilton.com
http://www.hilton.co.jp

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This Post Has 6 Comments

  1. KY

    when I grow up I wanna be able to afford to do this!

  2. David

    Wonderful detailed post as usual. Keep it up Becky and looking forward to the Conrad one. Saw all the pictures of your trip to Japan – amazing!

  3. Sherlyn G

    You look so pretty in that yukata!

  4. Doreen

    A suite in Tokyo! I can only dream! LOL

  5. Florence

    A lovely detailed post! I felt like I was with you on the journey! Except that I’m NOT. Urgh! 😛

Leave a Reply to Doreen Cancel reply

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