Premium upgrade: Prince Park Tower Tokyo’s impressive new look
Impressively, the Sky Bar on the 33rd floor and private dining at Brise Verte were also given a makeover and the result has seen the hotel never look better in the 20 years it has been open.
“Favourably situated near Shiba Park, with its lush greenery in the heart of the city, the location is rich in history and culture, and we are favoured by many patrons as a luxury hotel where guests can enjoy a view of Tokyo Tower soaring right before one’s eyes,” said the Prince Park Tower Tokyo General Manager, Yasutoshi Kanda.
“As for the renovations we conducted for our 20th anniversary, in addition to sightseeing, dining, and shopping, in recent years, there has been an emphasis on capturing photos and video as a reason for travel among foreign visitors to Japan.
“Through these renovations, we provide a unique, unrivalled location offering spectacular views from every area as a hotel situated in a spot with fantastic scenery where guests can capture beautiful shots of Tokyo’s iconic Tokyo Tower and the Tokyo nightscape.
“In addition, we have crafted photogenic menu items and cocktails to amplify the beauty of the scenery, and we continue to make new improvements to the guest experience,” he said.
From a design aspect, Kanda said based on the concept of ‘Tokyo Fusion’, the property “have created spaces that convey refined, modern luxury – loved by our diverse guests – ensconced within Tokyo’s cityscape near Tokyo Tower and surrounded by history and culture”.
“For accent colours, we incorporated international orange to complement Tokyo Tower and the green of Shiba Park stretching below, and everywhere there is interior decor reinterpreting the glittering upper floors and traditional culture in a modern style,” he said.
Headlining the makeover, the rooms on the 32nd floor have been converted into five suites that range in size from 70 square metres to 135 square metres and are ideal for families and business travellers alike.
The Familia suites A and B are equipped with kitchens and Kanda said they are recommended for extended stays.
“These are intended to harmonise with the international orange [colour] of Tokyo Tower and the greenery of Shiba Park,” he said. “The design enhances the added value of stays.”
Atop the hotel, Sky Bar and Dining Stellar Garden was fully renovated to allow guests to view Tokyo Tower Tokyo scenery from any seat, which was expanded to include 84 customers.
There are Platinum Seats that directly face Tokyo Tower (limited to three groups per day) and the hotel also created a new dining area with fantastic views of Mt Fuji and Tokyo.
At the private dining restaurant Brise Verte, the space was evolved into a private dining experience with four rooms and seats for 26 guests.
“Hospitality is tailored to each individual guest, with wholehearted service and cuisine,” Kanda said.
He said Head Chef Ryo Motegi, a winner of international competitions, emphasizes nature’s bounty, serving choice ingredients selected at contract farms and shipped in from contracted fishing ports prepared in the way best suited to their individual qualities.
Impressively, the Premium Club Lounge has been expanded, with seating tripled to allow for 110 customers.
“It has been renovated to a design full of relaxing warmth with gorgeous views from every area, including Tokyo’s three big sights, the Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Skytree, and Rainbow Bridge,” Kanda said.
“The Tower Seats are newly created paid seats are special seats which offer a view of both Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree.”
Book a seat in ANA’s brilliant Business Class cabin
ANA (All Nippon Airways) flies to Tokyo from across the globe, including New York, London, Sydney and more global gateways. The author recommends flying in ANA’s Business Class cabin, which features lie-flat seats in a 1-2-1 configuration.
Each seat has direct access to the aisle, a spacious side table with a personal light, a large table that’s ideal for working and dining, storage space under the ottoman for a large item, plus a universal PC power port, USB port and an 18-inch touch-panel LCD wide-screen monitor with a fantastic selection of movies, TV shows and games.
Flights offer ANA’s WiFi service, which will soon become free for all travellers in the Business Class cabin, plus an expansive duty-free offering including premium Japanese Whisky and luxury goods.
Where ANA’s Business Class stands out is food, drinks and hospitality on offer. On the dining front, there is a choice of a western or Japanese meal set and the quality and taste is so impressive, you’ll already feel like you are dining in a top Tokyo restaurant while you’re in the air.
If you go for the Japanese option, you can expect some Zensai (including sushi and morsels), Kobachi (a salmon salad and simmered icefish) and Shusai (simmered beef in wild vegetables), alongside steamed rice, Miso soup and Japanese pickles.
On the Western front, there will be a selection of small appetisers (like citrus marinated shrimps and scallops), followed by a main dish (beef fillet steak with Madiera sauce or steamed golden bream).
Both meal options come with a delightful dessert offering, including strawberry mousse, cheese and fruits.
On the wine front, expect a fantastic selection of top drops from across the globe, spanning France to Australia, New Zealand, Spain and Argentina, alongside a tasty selection of Sake and Shochu.
When it comes to an after-dinner tipple, incredibly, ANA offers the Hibiki Blender’s Choice from the House of Suntory of Japan (a $400 retail whisky) and it’s very, very hard to go past a dram of that.
The service on board ANA is well known as being called ‘five-star’ but that genuinely is what you can expect in the air and the hospitality is one of the many highlights onboard this impressive Business Class cabin that’s nothing short of five stars.
Before you depart from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, stop by the ANA Lounge where you’ll find views over the airfield, seats for working and relaxing, plus a noodle bar, buffet (don’t skip past a Japanese curry), self-service drinks station (offering sake, shochu and other alcoholic beverages like beers from automated pourers) and a dining area.
For the best prices, get your tickets at https://www.ana.co.jp/