Review: Conrad Tokyo

Upon our arrival to Japan, we stayed at the Conrad Tokyo, a luxury chain that’s part of the Hilton portfolio, for the first two nights of our trip.

This would be my first time staying at a Conrad property. I had heard great things about the brand’s Japan locations, so I was keen to break my duck here in Tokyo, before following up this stay with a visit to the Conrad Osaka later on the same trip. 

Conrad Tokyo – Booking

I booked my two-night stay at Conrad Tokyo for 62,000 Hilton Honors points per night. 

However, I’d say that I lucked out on finding this cheaper nightly rate, as points redemptions at this property typically hover in the higher range of 80,000–95,000 points per night. It appears that cheaper rates are occasionally available when booking last-minute, which is what I had done. 

On the other hand, the typical cash rate at this property falls between $250–300 (USD). I was somewhat indifferent between redeeming points or paying cash for this stay, given that we value Hilton Honors points at 0.5¢/point (USD).

However, I’ve collected Hilton points for years without having had too many opportunities to redeem them, so I decided to use points on this occasion and save myself some cash.

Keep in mind that if you’re staying for a total of five nights (which is quite a reasonable length of time for Tokyo), you can take advantage of the Hilton Honors Fifth Night Free benefit, which can further elevate the value of your redemption.

Conrad Tokyo – Location

The Conrad is situated in the heart of the Shimbashi business district, encompassing floors 28–37 of the Shiodome skyscraper.

On one side of the property, you’ll find sweeping views of the city, and on the other side, expansive views of Tokyo Bay. The beautiful Hama-rikyū Gardens are situated right at the base of the building.

You may find this business district a bit quiet at first glance; however, it’s only a 20-minute stroll from here to the bustling Ginza shopping district, which is famous for its numerous boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, nightclubs, and cafés.

The Toyosu Market, the world’s largest wholesale fish market and home to numerous well-known sushi establishments, is another popular tourist destination within walking distance from Conrad.

Furthermore, the Shiodome building’s ground floor is connected to an underground shopping and retail complex that links to the Shimbashi and Shiodome train stations. Therefore, it’s possible to walk quite a distance towards Ginza while remaining indoors.

Getting to the hotel from Tokyo Haneda Airport is a 3o-minute ride via the Keikyu Airport Line. On the other hand, Tokyo Narita International Airport is about an hours and 15 minutes’ journey by way of the Narita Express or the Keisei Narita SkyAccess trains, followed by another local train journey to Shimbashi station. 

Overall, the hotel’s location is central and convenient, especially if you’re interested in the dining and retail attractions around Ginza. Moreover, the hotel’s proximity to the two train stations on numerous Tokyo rail services essentially puts any destination within reach.

Conrad Tokyo – Check-In

The hotel lobby is located on the 28th floor of the Shiodome skyscraper.

When you arrive at the first-floor lobby, a set of elevators takes you to the 28th floor, and then another set of elevators takes you to the guest rooms.

As soon as you enter, you’ll find artful touches are dotted around, such as the glossy red sculpture in the centre of the ground level lobby.

Immediately upon entering the lobby, the space is expansive and minimalistic, with plenty of negative space between furnishings.

A cherry blossom design can be seen in the carpeting of the floors, which is a theme that persisted throughout the hotel. 

The space is fairly dimly lit, except for warm glowing check-in counters and light fixtures hanging from the ceiling.

As usual, I had been in touch with the hotel in advance to see if I could score a suite upgrade on account of my Hilton Diamond status. To my delight, I was granted an upgrade to a King Bay View Suite.

The hotel staff confirmed my two-night stay, let me know about my Hilton Diamond benefits, and then reviewed the hotel’s facilities. The whole check-in process was quick, which I appreciated after a long journey from Narita Airport into town. 

Conrad Tokyo – King Bay View Suite

There are a total of 291 guest rooms here at the Tokyo Conrad, all of which combine modern décor and Japanese minimalism into an elegant interior design. 

The King Bay View Suite was notably spacious at 775 square feet. It features a separate living room, bedroom, and walk-in closet.

As you enter the suite, you’ll first pass through the foyer, which then opens up to the living space. This room is separated from the bedroom by a twin set of double doors on either side of the wall-mounted television.

The suite’s décor is inspired by a mostly neutral colour palette, along with light and dark wood accents. Modern light fixtures and sleek furnishings exude a sense of luxury, but with a warm and comforting atmosphere.

The living room features a plush sofa, armchair, and coffee table, over a bold carpet with cherry blossoms woven throughout.

A desk and an ergonomic chair are positioned to the left of the couch by the windows.

Adjacent to the living room is the bedroom, where a soft and comfortable king bed sits in the centre of the room.

A small Conrad rubber duck and bear were placed on the bed as a welcome gift.

Moreover, Conrad is the first hotel I’ve seen that provides pajamas as part of the nightly turndown service. Embroidered with the Conrad Tokyo logo on the sleeves, these comfortable pieces of nightwear were laid out on our beds in addition to the bathrobes that hung in the bathroom.

I wasn’t entirely sure if these were pajamas you could take home with you, so I assumed they weren’t – but I was definitely tempted to add these to my airline pajama collection!

The same cherry blossom design was placed here in the bedroom carpet, in addition to more subtle cherry blossom artwork on the wall behind the king bed.

A second TV is positioned on the bedroom wall for optimal viewing while in bed. Near the windows are a lounge chair and a side table.

In the primary bathroom, the vanity is fitted with twin vessel sinks and one large circular mirror.

The shower and bathtub are tucked into the same glass-walled “wet room” in typical Japanese style, while the toilet is found in a separate frosted-glass enclosure. 

The suite also features a guest bathroom with a single toilet, sink, and mirror.

The upkeep of this hotel was quite impressive, with a modernized and elegant design despite having opened back in 2005. However, I thought the bathroom was somewhat dull in comparison to the rest of the room, and was the one area where the design could have been improved.

Lastly, the walk-in closet is attached to both the foyer and the bathroom, completing the circular arrangement of the room.

Overall, the suite was very comfortable, and provided us with a great deal of relaxation during our first two nights in Tokyo as we took things easy and adjusted to the time difference.

And to top it all off, the panoramic views overlooking the Hama-rikyū Gardens and Tokyo Bay were unbeatable too.

Conrad Tokyo – City View & Bay View Rooms

I had a chance to tour a few other room types at the Conrad Tokyo, including the Twin Guest Rooms with City and Bay Views. (Bay View rooms and suites are generally categorized as one room type higher than their City View counterparts.) 

Both base-level rooms feature double beds against the wall with the same cherry blossom design on the wall behind and on the floor below.

A plush bench is spread along the room’s window, with a small marble-top table at the centre to rest a drink or book, perhaps.

Furthermore, a desk and chair are positioned near the windows in the corner of the rooms.

Opposite the bed, the TV is mounted on the wall, with a small coffee station below.

The bathrooms in the City View Room and Bay View Room are relatively spacious. In keeping with the suite, twin vessel sinks sit atop the counter in front of a large circular mirror.

The bathroom in these rooms features a large glass pane with direct views of the bedroom. However, wooden blinds can be drawn down to seal it off for greater privacy. 

In both cases, these rooms were quite spacious for base-level rooms. Moreover, the bathrooms here have a separate shower and bathtub, unlike the King Suite, which contained both within the same space.

Even without an upgrade, I thought these base-level rooms would certainly still offer a comfortable place to call home in Tokyo.

Conrad Tokyo – Breakfast

Guests with Hilton Diamond status can choose between complimentary breakfast in the Cerise restaurant or in the Executive Lounge.

On our first morning, we decided to check out the buffet at Cerise, and upon first glance, the spread was quite impressive indeed.

There was a rice bowl station with plenty of customization options, including mentaiko, onsen tamago, natto, and various seafood trimmings. You can mix these items with rice and drizzle with soy sauce to create a delicious rice bowl of your choice. 

Then, there was a soba noodle station, miso soup, and your standard Western breakfast selections. Hot items included sausages, bacon, steamed vegetables, and even spaghetti, while cold items consisted of pastries, charcuterie, salad, and fruit.

In addition to the buffet spread, there was an à la carte menu which included several interesting egg interpretations. These included a lobster omelette and lobster with eggs on toast, both of which we quite enjoyed.

The signature items on the à la carte menu were more impressive than I’d normally expect from a brand like Conrad.

Expensive trimmings like lobster are typically associated with top-tier luxury brands like, say, Waldorf Astoria in the Hilton family, so to find them at a Conrad was a pleasant surprise.

The Cerise restaurant is a beautiful spot to sit down and enjoy coffee and breakfast in the morning, in an atmosphere that’s both elegant and exciting thanks to the close-up city views and the daylight pouring in from the windows.

Conrad Tokyo – Executive Lounge

The Executive Lounge is located on the 37th floor of the hotel. This space was recently renovated, reflecting a newer design identity that the rest of the hotel may eventually move towards in the future.

There’s a variety of seating within the lounge, from two-person to four-person dining tables, lounging areas with couches, and then some seats overlooking the window views.

The lounge spans two rooms on both sides of the building: one facing the city and one facing Tokyo Bay. Both are tranquil spaces to come up and relax, have a drink, or get some work done.

The Executive Lounge offers a breakfast spread, an afternoon tea spread, and an evening hors d’oeuvres spread, alongside complimentary drinks.

The breakfast is a more limited spread than at Cerise, but it’s a much more exclusive environment when enjoying breakfast up here. The lounge is only open to Hilton Diamond members and guests who have booked an Executive room type.

On the second morning, we were just as content to have breakfast up here rather than in the restaurant, as the delightful rice bowl station and all of its trimmings were also available here.

Aside from the rice bowl, there was also a different set of à la carte menu creations here in the Executive Lounge.

I particularly enjoyed the sea urchin egg scramble, which I found to be absolutely delectable and the best breakfast item in the hotel. It’s a must-try if you like uni and you have the pleasure of staying here at the Conrad with access to the Executive Lounge.

On the other hand, I found the evening spread to be more average. There were a few unusual items on offer during the one evening we went up, such as okra noodles and some kind of dish made out of sesame paste.

Most items were lighter options for nibbling, but nothing of real substance could be served as a dinner replacement – unless you simply helped yourself to many rounds of the tiny portions. 

Conrad Tokyo – Other Facilities

Here at the Conrad Tokyo, there are no fewer than five dining options within the hotel.

In addition to breakfast, Cerise offers all-day casual dining for lunch and dinner. The offerings range from soups, salads and sandwiches to pasta and steak.

China Blue allows guests to indulge in modern Chinese cuisine, while overlooking the skyline through floor-to-ceiling windows.

Collage focuses on modern fine French dining, while Kazahana serves traditional Japanese dishes in a more intimate atmosphere.

Lastly, Twenty Eight is the hotel bar and lounge situated on the 28th floor. They offer a selection of cocktails, beers, spirits, and whiskies to enjoy while watching the sunset over sweeping views of the city.

I went for a workout down at the fitness centre on the 29th floor, and found it to be well-stocked with ample equipment types.

The space has plenty of free weights, treadmills, exercise machines, and an aerobics room for a good workout.

The indoor pool also looked like a great place to swim some laps or simply relax. It’s quite a lengthy pool, with plenty of lounge chairs and seating dotted around.

The pool area faces out towards the city, offering views of the skyscrapers around the hotel as you take a dip.

The Mizuki Spa is also located on the 29th floor, housing the fitness centre and pool within its long hallways. There are 10 private spa rooms, a sauna, and a steam room.

Lastly, a gift shop is located on the 28th floor near the check-in. You can purchase various items, including the Conrad bear and ducks that are used as welcome gifts at the hotel.

Conclusion

The Conrad Tokyo is one of the city’s more upscale hotels, and can represent great value for your Hilton Honors points or at a reasonable cash rate. 

My King Bay View Suite was spacious and stylish, and even the base-level rooms are more than suitable for a pleasant stay in Tokyo.

Furthermore, the hotel’s central location makes it an excellent choice for any visit to Tokyo.

The property connects directly to the Shimbashi and Shiodome train stations for easy transportation, but also sits within walking distance of popular neighbourhoods, boutiques, and dining options. 

You certainly won’t go hungry at the Conrad, either. The breakfast spread is refined in its quality and quantity, and there are plenty of in-hotel dining options to choose from.

Hilton’s top-tier Diamond members enjoy access to an impressive Executive Lounge, whose kitchen whipped up one of the most creative egg dishes I’ve come across along all my travels. 

While my focus on this trip was sampling as many of Tokyo’s high-end hotels as possible, I can definitely see myself happily returning to the Conrad as a home base for a longer trip, especially if I can maximize the Fifth Night Free benefit when redeeming points.