For my second visit to Tokyo I had just over 24 hours on the ground, as I was arriving in the afternoon from London, and departing the following afternoon to Seattle. I was flying into Haneda and out of Narita, so I decided to book a hotel in the city.
Continue reading: Review: Andaz Tokyo, A Hyatt Hotel
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
I love this hotel. When I arrived by taxi, they knew my name somehow as they took my bags. The paper art in the elevator is beautiful. The lobby is quietly stunning. The room floats above the Tokyo skyline as you note. And I’m delighted they still have ikura at the breakfast buffet.
I’ve also stayed at the Park Hyatt and Grand Hyatt in Tokyo. For me this edges out the PH.
When booking through Hyatt Prive, do you still earn points? Do I still pay for the stay when I arrive at the property with my CC, or is it prepaid?
Staying at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo for two nights soon. I've been to Tokyo before but stayed at Park Hyatt. Should I keep GH or switch to Andaz? I booked with points and used a club upgrade. Just a lowly Discoverist.
@ Andrew -- You still earn points as usual and pay as usual, at the property. For all practical purposes it's the same as booking directly through Hyatt.
@ AJ -- Tough to say since I've never stayed at the Grand Hyatt. Hopefully someone else can chime in. My initial take is that it comes down to how much you value club access -- if it's something you value greatly then I'd stick to the Grand Hyatt, while otherwise I would choose the Andaz, because I would guess it wins in most other ways.
This is the nicest city hotel I've ever stayed in and has to be in the top handful of Hyatt properties worldwide. Absolutely fantastic hotel and use of Hyatt/Chase points.
@ Ben -- Thanks for the review. Hope to stay there one day soon! Japan is so awesome. I figure after the Olympics will be incredible for hotel stays in Japan with all the excess capacity that will exist!
I love this place. Better located than the PH. I do think the rooms at PH are bigger, though.
This is my favorite hotel in the world. In a way, the PH is more incredible, but it is a bit dated and a decent walk from the subway. The GH is also great and right on the subway station. All are great, but the service and aesthetics of the Andaz are a notch above.
The GH is a very nice hotel, not as upscale to me as PH or Andaz, but in some way better located near Roppongi, museums and shopping than the Andaz. The club lounge is good so if you value that it could be the way to go. Otherwise the Andaz (and PH) have that extra special feeling, to me.
Life hack: Stay at the Hyatt Regency for 12k/night and visit the Park Hyatt/Andaz rooftops for drinks
Yep, this is one of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed at. Actually I'll just say point blank it's -the- nicest hotel I've ever stayed at. Everything about it is exquisite, and I love the 'modular' layout of the standard rooms that give you more changing space or privacy.
The design is bold as hell but backs it up with well thought out details. The views are amazing. The Andaz service concept is awesome and I feel like they are the only luxury brand that doesn't nickel and dime you.
Fantastic hotel top to bottom.
This was my favorite Hyatt in Tokyo, and one of my favorite hotels in the world, but it has become a bit too pricey for my taste over the past 3 years, so I've switched to HC Ginza, which has standard suites to use Suite Upgrade Certificates on, and is usually 30-40% less than the Andaz. I still love the Rooftop Bar though!
Glad you got to check it out! I absolutely adore the hotel for 2 reasons: the views are incredible no matter which room you get (in fact I'm not sure there are many hotels if any in Tokyo with rooms on higher floors?), and that breakfast is to DIE for. I also really like the Japanese room decor, which you can't really find at the other usual suspects (PH, Conrad etc). I do agree that the carpet and bathroom design are kind of odd, though.
When I was in Tokyo a few months back I booked a couple of nights at the Conrad to compare, but in my opinion the Andaz is far better with guaranteed stunning views, and a much better breakfast and restaurant (both food wise and space wise).
FYI for the rooftop bar I thought that the cocktails were really great, very creative and again with an emphasis on Japanese ingredients; the food however... quite disappointing and overpriced. Now I can't wait to come back :).
Do you prefer this to the Park Hyatt?
BTW, check out the new Andaz in Apgujeong, Gangnam in Seoul. This is another great Andaz property. I’ve stayed there a few times in past few months.
Excellent review, Ben!
This reminds me of my recent stay in Conrad, Pune (India) with Executive floor access using my Hilton Honors Gold membership.
They have 6 restaurants (Indian, Mixed Mediterranean, Pan Asian, Japanese, Western, BBQ Grill, Sweets and Cakes).
As a Gold member my breakfast was included with an exhaustive spread of 70+ course delicacies from all over the world, with a backdrop of the pool and 30-ft rock fountain!
I kid you not, I had to change the plate 4 times to try out some, and I surrendered after trying 30 items! Every time I'd be about to finish my plate, there was someone who'd stop by to ask me what I'd like to try next and he would even order to make it fresh from the pan for me (esp. bread specialties).
They had at least 20 varieties of coffee and more than 30 varieties of tea/ chai!
Finally, every evening I had a free pass for myself and a guest for BBQ grill. tandoori and drinks (as much as you can) - all included in the price.
I can go on and on with the amazing features and amenities - esp. in suite bathtub, rain and standing showers, touch button lights and room controls, electronic shades etc.
All this for only $100 a night! I could have used my HH points but that'd cost me almost 50,000 points per night - I'd rather save them for a St. Regis or Conrad in US or Europe.
With the Pune Conrad though, I was simply blown away with their amazing comfort, luxury, quality and service!
Can anybody tell me how much the breakfast buffet costs when not included? Can’t find this info on the hotel website. Thanks!
The Grand Hyatt has a great and convenient location in Roppongi and their club lounge is amazing with restaurant style service (but with a buffet). Their rooms are big by Tokyo standards but smaller and more compact than standard U.S. rooms. The rooms otherwise are really good, but the hotel isn't a high rise, so the views are distant but not as extravagant.
@Lucky - Any chance you can review the Grand Hyatt on your next Tokyo trip, perhaps while flying ANA's A380 to HNL
Greg - The breakfast buffet is about $45USD. Well worth it IMO.
My family and I stayed here two years ago and then again last year when our flight was delayed and we had an overnight stay. Excellent property! The rooms are on the smaller side when you are traveling with two kids but they love it. There is also a fantastic tsukemen noodle place down the street which I highly recommend.
What about the boring location? I worked in the next building over for 2 years and wouldn't wish my worst enemy tourist to have to stay in Toranomon.
Have stayed at PH, GH and Andaz in Tokyo. With low level status I would recommend Andaz then GH then PH. The PH was underwhelming to say the least. On an award they threw me into a tiny dated room. I have no idea who is paying those high cash rates at that property, but I would never pay to stay there. The GH has very convenient subway access. The GH also felt pretty overrun with people and I found the service to be a bit lacking. That being said if I had status and could get club access or an upgraded room then I would probably stay there, even at low level status the room wasn't bad. Didn't get a great view like with the andaz but probably got what seemed like the largest bed I had anywhere in the world. Andaz is costing 30k points now so its not the bargain it used to me. Its also getting a bit older. Have stayed here several times including when it was new. The room layout is a bit weird but I really enjoyed the views. The concierge is hit or miss. Sometimes they don't even have the most basic information, so I really don't know what their problem is. PH did concierge better. In summary with low status I would probably go Andaz, GH, PH. With mid level status I would probably go GH, Andaz, PH. I would only consider PH if I knew I would get an upgrade out of their pathetic room they use for people staying on points.
The new Toranomon Hills building now ruins the view. That's the really sad part.
It was simply gorgeous when that was not there.
Lucky, can you please clarify: Are you or are you not allowed to pay with points when using Prive?
Thank you!
I am with you on the decor being a bit funky at the Andaz but I love the pool, gym and locker area. There are lovely’ baths in the locker area plus steam and sauna. There is also a relaxation room with fresh fruit and other snacks and beverages. And breakfast is superb, including avocado. That said, if you are into lounges, the GH has a lovely evening service. But while it has a nice pool., the gym is cramped and often crowded. Suites are great if you can get an upgrade.
My favorite Hyatt in the Tokyo area is the Hyatt Regency in Hakone. Much more than a typical Regency (Cat 6). We go frequently for the weekend and they remember us and our preferences. The staff never seems to change.
I have 3 nights booked with UR at the Hyatt Regency in March. Without status, I think it's a better choice for me.
I would enjoy the "crane view" myself.
I love this hotel, but the location is terrible for most things. The centric in Ginza also has a fantastic breakfast and quirky rooms, no view to speak of but a great location.
The hr in shinjuku looks like a bomb shelter but is nice inside and is such a good deal.
Like so many new(ish) hotels in Japan, parts of the hotel and the rooms already feel dated when it opened. The lobby looks chic though!
You should stay at Hoshinoya, it's a more memorable experience than Aman Tokyo.
Stayed at this hotel in Mar 2018. The hard product is absolutely spectacular. Pool, rooms, views. Their lunch special was also delicious and a good value for money. I would still rate service at Park Hyatt as superior though. It is subjective, of course.
I am considering Andaz for my stay in November, but the location gives me a pause...is it as bad/out of the way as people say it is?
Long time reader Ben, and I have to say your reviews are by a long way the best on the net.
Stayed at the Conrad last year and this place actually looks better.
This was the nicest Hyatt that I had the pleasure of staying at, and the breakfast buffet was incredible.
Tip: Avoid the sushi restaurant on the top floor. Extremely expensive and mediocre quality. It was just barely “ok” while cheaper sushi is found elsewhere in Tokyo.
Most interesting moment: When the Concierge showed us our room on the 50th floor, we were blown away by the height. As we all looked out the floor-ceiling windows, a Blackhawk helicopter flew slowly by *at eye level* - I waved to them but they didn’t wave back. The Concierge said “I’ve never had that happen before” - we didn’t either.
This is a beautiful hotel and all Hyatt enthusiasts should stay here at least once.
Solid review. Good work for such a short stay. Shame about the cranes... that's going to obstruct the view for the hotel when it's complete.
@T. The location of the Andaz isn’t that bad. It is close to Toranomon station on the Ginza line, so very central. It is just that the immediate area around the hotel is mostly offices, with not a lot of restaurants. In that sense the GH or Centric in Ginza are better located. The PH is a worse location IMO. As Tokyo is a very walkable city, you are probably just a 15 minute walk or a couple of stops on the subway to more commercial/restaurant areas.
I've had 3 different stays at the Andaz, and 1 at the Regency. I never felt like the Andaz was out of the way or difficult to get to, and there are a lot of restaurants and izakayas in the area between the hotel and Shimbashi station. 10 minutes walk to a Ginza line subway station, maybe a 20 minute walk to Shimbashi on the Yamanote line or Kasumiyacho on the Hibiya line. By comparison, Regency was right on top of the Oedo line but unless I needed to get somewhere on that line (not often) I was usually walking the 15 minutes to Shinjuku instead. Park Hyatt is even farther, though the Grand Hyatt has good subway (but not JR) connections.
I agree with Lou, hard not to stay at the Hyatt Regency for 12k/nt. The teppanyaki spot there is awesome, and even better to earn some points on it charging to the room. Also a nice club lounge.
But Andaz looks awesome for a special thing.
I snagged Park Hyatt Niseko for three award nights next February to ski!
Japan may be the best value in the Hyatt points system.
"If you’re booking a cash stay at the Andaz Tokyo, you absolutely should book through a Hyatt Privé agent."
Why, so your boyfriend can get a cut? Obviously those services aren't FREE.
@ Frank Doyle -- 1) Husband. 2) Privé services are free to the consumer/guest.
Out of their control, but the obstruction of the Tower View Room is tragic. I stayed in one a few years ago and the view was breathtaking.
With regards to location, I vastly prefer this to the PH. The Ginza line is a 5 min walk away, and will link you to the entire city. Shinbashi is also full of small restaurants and bars to discover.
Thanks for this review . I’m considering this hotel for my trip later in the year but also not sure about the style of the actual rooms. I wonder if the cranes from ur view are of the new Tokyo Edition which is opening Q2 this year
Hello love the review. We are looking to stay there on points in a few months. Would we be charged for service fees and taxes if on all points? If so about is the 200 service fee in yen or dollars?
I stayed at the Andaz shortly after it opened....
Beautiful hotel but somewhat sterile...
Lousy location if you're a walker...
I prefer the Conrad Tokyo....
If you make it to the Conrad Osaka now that property will really blow you socks off...