The Peninsula Tokyo

Stand at the corner of Hibiya-dori and Harumi-dori at dusk and the Peninsula's tower lights up floor by floor, a stone lantern on an urban scale. The Peninsula Tokyo, at 1-8-1 Yurakucho in Chiyoda ward, was built on one of the last open corners facing the Imperial Palace grounds, and the Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels company, owned by the Kadoorie family, waited years for the plot. It opened on 6 September 2007 as the group's first hotel in Japan.

History

The Peninsula name dates from the 1928 opening of the Hong Kong original. By the early 2000s the company was expanding carefully, one city at a time, and Tokyo was chosen over Osaka for the Japanese debut. The building replaced an older office block on a site that borders Hibiya Park on one side and the Marunouchi business district on the other. Within two years of opening the hotel was being used for state and diplomatic business because of its position opposite the palace outer gardens.

Architecture and design

The tower is 24 storeys and stands alone, which is rare in this part of Tokyo. The exterior was conceived as a Japanese lantern, with a stone base and a top that glows at night. Inside, the designer Yukio Hashimoto used lacquer, washi paper, bamboo and dark stone, and commissioned Japanese artists for the lobby and corridors. The lobby is double height with a bamboo installation above the restaurant tables, and the lifts carry the brand's usual fittings in brass and wood.

Rooms and suites

There are 314 rooms, of which 47 are suites, and they are among the largest standard rooms in the city, starting at around 54 square metres. Each has a walk-in dressing room with a valet box opening onto the corridor, a bathroom with a separate soaking tub and a television in the mirror, and the Peninsula touches that regulars expect: a nail dryer in the dressing room, a humidity readout at the bedside, a mood-lit tea station. The upper floors face the palace moat and Hibiya Park; the other side looks over Ginza.

Dining

Peter, on the 24th floor, is the grill restaurant with the best view in the building, and Peter: The Bar sits beside it. Hei Fung Terrace serves Cantonese food on the second floor in a room modelled on a Suzhou garden. The Lobby is the all-day room and the place for afternoon tea. The Peninsula Boutique and Cafe on the ground floor sells the house chocolates and pastries.

Wellness

The Peninsula Spa occupies two upper floors with treatment rooms, a 20-metre heated indoor pool, a fitness centre and relaxation lounges. The pool deck has views over the park.

Weddings and events

The hotel hosts weddings and corporate events on its dedicated function floors. The main ballroom is column-free and divides into sections, and a series of smaller rooms serves meetings and private dinners. Wedding couples have a chapel and reception rooms within the building, and the hotel's fleet of Rolls-Royce Phantoms, painted in Peninsula green, is used for arrivals.

Location

Hibiya station on the Hibiya, Chiyoda and Toei Mita lines is beneath the hotel, and Yurakucho JR station is a short walk. Ginza begins across Harumi-dori; the Marunouchi offices and Tokyo Station are ten minutes on foot. Haneda Airport is around 30 minutes by car and Narita 60 to 90 minutes. The hotel's position between the palace and Ginza makes it the most central luxury hotel in Tokyo for a first visit.