Bulgari Hotel Tokyo Review: Italian Style Meets Japanese Hospitality

For the hotel portion my first class quest to Japan, I stayed at four different hotels, starting with a stay at the 98-key Bulgari Hotel Tokyo (or BVLGARI Tokyo, if you prefer), which opened in 2023.

The Bulgari hotel brand is an interesting one, and up until this point, I had stayed at the brand’s properties in Milan, Rome, Dubai, and Paris. I had heard from many people that the brand’s Tokyo property is the best to date.

After staying there, I’m absolutely inclined to agree with that — not only is the Bulgari Tokyo one of the brand’s newest properties, but of course everything on the service front is better in Japan. Not surprisingly, this property does an amazing job blending Italian style and fashion with Japanese hospitality.

I think the Bulgari Tokyo is an excellent hotel, and I think it’s definitely a contender for being among the city’s best. Admittedly the Bulgari brand is very consistent in terms of its food & beverage outlets, and it’s perhaps not the property with the best sense of place, given the extent to which Bulgari is about fashion and Italian design (though there are some nice Japanese elements to it as well).

Booking the Bulgari Tokyo

Even though Bulgari is a collaboration with Marriott, the brand unfortunately doesn’t participate in Marriott Bonvoy. That means you can’t earn or redeem points for stays at Bulgari properties, and also can’t take advantage of any Bonvoy elite benefits. It sure would be nice if that changed, just as Ritz-Carlton Reserve has joined Marriott Bonvoy.

Tokyo is of course an expensive hotel market, and pricing does vary seasonally. You’ll find that rates at Bulgari Tokyo generally start at around $1,200 per night in the low season, though in peak season (around Cherry Blossom) can go up to over $2,000 per night for a standard room. This is definitely priced toward the top end of the market in Tokyo, with only Aman Tokyo consistently having higher rates (maybe it’s a hot take, but I think Aman Tokyo is sort of overrated at this point, and it’s living more off its name than anything).

The best way to book a stay at any Bulgari property is through a travel advisor affiliated with the Marriott STARS program, so you can receive extra perks, like complimentary breakfast, a room upgrade subject to availability, a hotel credit, and more. Since STARS is Marriott’s own proprietary program, these upgrades are prioritized over those through other programs, like Virtuoso, as well as credit card luxury hotel travel portal bookings.

Full disclosure — Ford and I overlapped in Tokyo for two nights. I was starting my review trip, and Ford was attending a conference in Japan, so we stayed here together for a couple of nights. Ford received a travel advisor rate for our two night stay, though all opinions expressed are my own. All the other hotels on this trip were booked with points, publicly available cash rates, etc.

Bulgari Tokyo location

The Bulgari Hotel Tokyo is located on floors 40 through 45 of the Tokyo Midtown Yaesu skyscraper in the Chuo City district. Everyone has their preferred area of Tokyo to stay in, and I’d say Bulgari Tokyo has a very central location.

The Bulgari Tokyo is located right by Tokyo Station, which is incredibly convenient. For example, I was taking the train to Osaka after my stay, so it was great to be so close to that. The hotel is also within walking distance of areas like Ginza, the Imperial Palace, etc.

I will say, the area immediately around the hotel isn’t necessarily that charming, but that’s often a reality of being in a really central location. One thing that is awesome is the views from the hotel, thanks to it being on the top floors of a tall building.

Bulgari Tokyo lobby & check-in

Bulgari properties are incredibly stylish, and unsurprisingly, the Tokyo location is no exception. The hotel’s entrance is a bit hidden, given that the hotel is in a huge building. So it really feels like an oasis of calm as soon as you step into the space dedicated to the hotel. There’s a large driveway with a pretty striking marble wall.

As you step into the hotel, there’s then a desk for the bellmen, where they can help with luggage, transportation, etc. However, the real lobby of the hotel is on the 40th floor, so you’re immediately escorted up there.

The 40th floor lobby is mighty impressive. Given the consistency of the Bulgari property branding, there’s a ton of art and very cool patterns and finishes throughout the lobby. I also love all the colors, patterns, shapes, textures, etc.

While the 40th floor has most of the property’s food & beverage outlets, the reception and concierge desk are off to the side, and that’s also where you’ll find the elevators to the guest rooms (which are separate from the elevators that take you to the ground floor).

Bulgari Tokyo offers in-room check-in, so we were escorted straight from the ground floor to our room, and then our passports and credit card were handled in our room. It’s nice to see such a level of seamlessness.

Bulgari Tokyo guest room

The 98 accommodations at Bulgari Hotel Tokyo are split between a few room types and then half a dozen suite categories. We were assigned a deluxe king room with a skyline view, which is essentially the standard room type. Our room was located on the 41st floor, the lowest floor that has guest rooms on it.

The Bulgari Hotel Tokyo has very cool hallways on the floors with guest rooms, which is quite the contrast to the Tokyo EDITION Toranomon, for example. It’s hard to put into words, but the effort put into the design of this property really stands out all over the place. It’s not just stuff that’s designed to look cool from a distance, but it all feels so high quality as well.

We were assigned room 4103, just a short distance down the hall and on the left.

Nearly half of the rooms at the property are these deluxe rooms, and they’re downright massive by Tokyo standards, as they measure 603 square feet (56 square meters). The room featured an entryway, with the bathroom and closet area immediately inside the entrance and to the left, and the rest of the room straight ahead.

The centerpiece of the room was a very comfortable king size bed, with six large pillows.

I appreciated the outlets and light and curtain controls right next to bed, concealed in the drawers.

In terms of seating in the room, there was a chair with a coffee table on one side of the bed, a desk area with a stool on the other side of the bed, and a loveseat of sorts at the foot of the bed.

I appreciate the number of seating options, though personally I’d prefer if they had a proper desk with a more ergonomic chair, and/or a proper dining table with two chairs. Because if you did want to have room service, you’d have to settle for a bit of a makeshift setup.

The room had lovely views. Tokyo is one of my favorite cities in the world, and it’s so sprawling, and the views here really put that into perspective. Also keep in mind we had the less premium view, so they get even better than this, as other rooms look out toward the Imperial Palace Gardens.

Waiting on one of the tables was a lovely welcome amenity, with some fresh fruit, delicious chocolate brownies of sorts, and a couple of bottles of water.

Behind the bedroom area was the closet space, which was also large. Given the typical profile of a Bulgari guest (someone who shops a lot and is into fashion!), it’s logical that a great closet setup would be a priority. 😉

One side of the closet had a vanity, which was very similar to the desk, in terms of functionality.

The other side of the closet had the minibar setup. The minibar had a Nespresso coffee machine and a kettle, along with a variety of drinks and snacks. One nice touch about this hotel is that non-alcoholic drinks and snacks in the minibar are complimentary.

Behind the closet space was the downright massive bathroom (for a non-suite), which contained double sinks, a soaking tub, a walk-in shower with incredible water pressure (it was like stepping into a human car wash), and a bidet-style toilet in a separate room.

As you’d expect, toiletries were Bulgari branded, and Bulgari properties also have fantastic dry amenities, which always come in handy (especially the Marvis toothpaste and shaving cream).

Turndown service was provided nightly, and tea, sweets, and even Bulgari luggage tags, were offered as part of that.

All-in-all, I thought the room was awesome. It was incredibly spacious, and the design was just stunning. I liked how the design blended some Japanese touches (like the wood finishes) with the Italian style you’d expect from Bulgari.

Bulgari Tokyo spa & pool

Bulgari properties are known for having incredible spas and pool complexes, and the Bulgari Hotel Tokyo might have the nicest of them all. The spa is located on the 40th floor (the same as the lobby) and it covers over 19,000 square feet (1,800 square meters), so it’s massive.

We didn’t get any spa treatments, but the hotel has nine spa treatment rooms (two of which are for couples), and you can find the treatment menu here. The spa primarily partners with Augustinus Bader and Mauli on treatments, in case that matters to you.

Fortunately all the spa facilities are open to guests, and are accessible daily from 7AM until 10PM. For one, this includes the stunning 82-foot (25-meter) indoor pool, with amazing views of the city. How gorgeous is this, especially with such high ceilings?!

There’s even a hot tub with all kinds of hydrotherapy jets and seating.

There’s also a good amount of seating around the pool, including some semi-private loungers.

The spa area also has changing areas with lockers, a sauna and steam room, two vitality pools (essentially hot baths), and a relaxation area.

These are all lovely facilities. I should note that the hotel doesn’t have any onsens. This is of course a technicality, focused primarily on the water source and the etiquette. I love onsens in theory, but I’ve gotta be honest, I don’t love all the rules surrounding them (you can’t have your phones anywhere nearby, you have to be naked, etc.).

Bulgari Tokyo gym

The Bulgari Hotel Tokyo has a gym on the 40th floor, located right by the spa’s reception. It’s accessible by guests 24/7, and it consists of one large room with cardio and strength training equipment. I’m a fan of the Technogym equipment, and appreciate the heavy weights (so many hotels just have very light weights, which confuses the heck out of me).

Bulgari Tokyo restaurants & bars

As a brand, Bulgari is very consistent when it comes to its food & beverage outlets, as each hotel has the same signature restaurant and lobby lounge concept, and then has some unique, local additions. In the case of the Bulgari Hotel Tokyo, there’s:

• Il Ristorante Niko Romito, the signature Italian restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• The Bulgari Lounge, essentially the lobby lounge, serving drinks, light bites, and afternoon tea
• The Bulgari Bar, which is more of a destination bar, and it even serves excellent pizzas
• Sushi Hoseki, the eight seat Japanese restaurant with an omakase service for lunch and dinner

Let me start by saying that Sushi Hoseki was closed on the days of our stay, so we didn’t dine there. For that matter, Tokyo is such an amazing food city, so I don’t necessarily value a hotel having a great omakase experience that much.

To start, the Bulgari Lounge is open daily from 10AM until 9:30PM, and it essentially takes up most of the lobby space, and is located right at the entrance to Il Ristorante Niko Romito. We didn’t actually have anything here, but you can find all the menus here. I will say, this place was insanely popular for afternoon tea, with every table taken (seemingly) by locals, so it has a lively vibe.

Bulgari properties also tend to have amazing sweets and pastries (sometimes provided as welcome gifts and with turndown service), so there was a display case for that in the Bulgari Lounge, along with La Pasticceria.

Next, Il Ristorante Niko Romito is the primary restaurant at the hotel, and you’ll find it at each Bulgari property. This location has one Michelin star. The restaurant is gorgeous, and incorporates Japanese design elements with a contemporary vibe, which is kind of fun. In theory the restaurant has an outdoor terrace that’s stunning, I’m sure, but the weather during our stay didn’t cooperate.

Il Ristorante Niko Romito is open daily for breakfast from 7AM until 10:30AM, for lunch from 12PM until 2:30PM, and for dinner from 6PM until 9PM. You can find all the menus here.

We had breakfast both mornings at the hotel. Let me mention that Bulgari actually includes breakfast for all guests — not only that, but it’s also possible to order breakfast 24/7 via room service at no extra cost. That’s a really nice feature that I wish we’d see more hotels offer. Still, we had breakfast both mornings in the restaurant.

Breakfast at the Bulgari Hotel Tokyo is entirely a la carte (there’s no buffet), and you can find the menu below.

One morning we had the Japanese breakfast, which was phenomenal, as you’d expect. It tasted as good as it looked.

The other morning we had the American breakfast. The cappuccinos were exceptional (and beautiful), as you’d hope from an Italian hotel brand!

The juices and americanos were very good as well.

Breakfast began with some bread and pastries being brought out, along with some yogurt and homemade jam. The person at the table next to us commented that it was the best croissant he had ever had, and I can’t disagree.

After that, some fruit was brought out, along with eggs cooked to order, and sides.

While we otherwise dined out, we decided to have lunch at Il Ristorante Niko Romito, and it was excellent as well. You can find the lunch menu below.

We decided to split the antipasto selection, spaghetti pomodoro (the portion was already split into two), and the sliced Miyazaki wagyu beef fillet. It was absolutely phenomenal across the board.

Lastly, there’s the Bulgari Bar, which is located on the 45th floor (the hotel’s top floor). It’s open daily from 12PM until 12AM (and until 1AM on weekends), though non-hotel guests are only allowed starting at 6PM. It’s a beautiful space with an eclectic design, and you can find the full menu here.

I’d note that in theory a majority of the bar seating is supposed to be outdoors, but the weather during our stay just wasn’t good. It’s cool how the Bulgari Hotel Tokyo has so many outdoor spaces for guests, given that it’s at the top of a tall building. However, I have to wonder how many days per year that’s actually useful, between the cold winters, and the rainy and hot summers.

I must say, the cocktails were exceptional, and the bartenders obviously have great passion for the craft.

There’s also food on the menu, and the specialty is pizza. That’s not just some baseless claim, but the hotel has partnered with Chef Pier Daniele Seu, who has been named one of the top pizza chefs in the world. We figured we had to give the pizza a try, and it was one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had.

Bulgari Tokyo service & guest profile

I’ve heard people rave about the service at the Bulgari Hotel Tokyo, and that really is a fair compliment. The staff here are incredible. The hotel is very well staffed, and there’s seemingly someone at every corner to help guests.

I also appreciated how unlike many other hotels belonging to international chains, the staff were overwhelmingly Japanese. So while the style of the property may feel a little Italian, the service very much feels Japanese. The staff also have a lot of warmth and personality, so service isn’t unnecessarily formal or scripted.

Just to give a couple of examples of the service level, on the departure day I needed to take a train from Tokyo Station. I had asked one of the bellmen for directions about the best way to get there, and rather than telling me, he brought me there himself. Wow.

As another example, we had some of the pizza at the top floor bar, which was incredible. We couldn’t quite finish it. The staff proactively asked if we’d like to take it to our room. I figured they’d put it in a box for us to take with us. Nope, they placed it on a new plate, brought it to our room on a room service cart, and even had a hot box. All for a few small slices of pizza… amazing!

There’s one other thing I noticed, and I’m trying to approach this delicately. I found the Bulgari Hotel Tokyo guest profile to be quite normal, and what you’d expect with an international guest profile at a luxury hotel. I’ve found some other Bulgari properties to have tons of security, with just the most over-the-top guests one could imagine, particularly from Africa, China, etc. Also, unlike some other properties (hi, Milan!), there weren’t endless people attempting to sell their “services” at the bar. Well, at least not in a super obvious way.

So this all feels like a very family friendly property, with a guest profile that won’t make anyone feel out of place.

I also think one other thing worth mentioning is that the food & beverage outlets were primarily visited by locals, which I loved. It’s funny, often when you go to a great omakase restaurant, you’re sharing the dining experience exclusively with Americans, while when you’re at the Italian restaurant at the Bulgari, you’re the only non-Japanese guests. So that was fun.

Bottom line

The Bulgari Hotel Tokyo is a phenomenal hotel, with gorgeous design, impeccable service, beautiful wellness facilities, great dining, and a central location. I’d argue the Tokyo hotel is the brand’s best, but then again, you’d kind of expect that, given that everything is a little better in Japan.

Obviously this property is priced toward the top end of the market, but that’s also not surprising, especially given how large the base rooms here are.

If you’re looking for the best luxury hotel in Tokyo, I definitely think this ranks up there. That being said, I’d say this is probably more appealing in general to a repeat visitor rather than a first-timer, who may prefer a hotel that’s a bit more consistently Japanese in terms of design.

What’s your take on the Bulgari Hotel Tokyo?