Review: Westin Tokyo

Prior to heading up to Hokkaido for a ski trip, my friends flew in from Calgary and we spent a few days in Tokyo as they adjusted to the time difference. 

When I was considering all the options available for us, the Westin Tokyo struck a good balance between value, facilities, and access to the rest of the city. 

Westin Tokyo – Booking

I managed to score a favourable travel agent rate for our stay, which is always helpful in cities like Tokyo where hotel prices tend to be quite high.

Typically, cash rates for the Westin Tokyo range from ¥30,000 ($300 CAD) at the lower end to upwards of ¥100,000 ($1,000 CAD) per night at the higher end. Expect to pay around ¥50,000 ($500 CAD) per night on average, although lower rates are available farther in advance.

If you’re looking to redeem Marriott Bonvoy points, expect the cost to range from 50,000–74,000 points per night, with an average of around 65,000 points.

Depending on the cash rate, you’re likely better off saving your points for another property, since the cost in points is quite high. With our valuation of Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.9 cents per point (CAD), you’re likely to get mediocre value at best for a redemption.

Westin Tokyo – Location

The Westin Tokyo is located in the Mita district of Meguro City, just on the western border of Minato City.

The hotel is located in a largely residential area, which is good if you like quiet spaces but not great if you like to be in the heart of the action.

In the immediate vicinity of the hotel is the Yebisu Garden Place, a shopping area with a few restaurants sprinkled around as well. 

The Institute for Nature Study, which features a large botanical garden, can be reached from the hotel in around 15 minutes by foot.

The area surrounding the nearest metro station, Ebisu, has plenty of restaurants and shops, and is much more lively than the area around the hotel. It’s about a 10-minute walk away.

Ebisu station is on the Yamanote Line, which is a circular line that provides access to many of Tokyo’s highlights. From the station, you can easily access Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Harajuku, as well as Shinagawa Station, all in less than 15 minutes.

Tokyo Haneda Airport is around 20 minutes by car or 45 minutes by transit via the Yamanote and Keikyū Airport Lines. Tokyo Narita Airport is a bit of a trek, and it will take you around an hour by car or around an hour and 45 minutes by train.

Westin Tokyo – Check-In

I’d actually dropped off some luggage with the Concierge team at the Westin Tokyo a few days prior to my arrival. I wasn’t keen on bringing my snowboard and suitcase along with me to Osaka for a few days, and the hotel was very happy to store my luggage until I came back.

My friends flew in to Tokyo Narita, and I met them there after a quick flight from Osaka. We made our way to the hotel by train and foot, and they were very much relieved to hand their skis, snowboards, and luggage to the hotel staff as we approached.

The hotel opened in 1994, and is definitely characteristic of times past. The exterior is easy to spot from a distance but it’s not necessarily pleasing to the eyes; however, it gets better as you head to the grand entrance.

The lobby lounge is grandiose, and was designed to emulate the feeling of a European palace. The space is marked by large columns, tall ceilings, and a bit of old-school elegance.

We made our way to the check-in desk, which is where the hotel confirmed the number of guests in the room and notified me of an extra person charge. We’d opted to have a rollaway bed brought in, and since we were splitting the cost three ways, we were happy to pay. 

My Platinum Elite benefits were acknowledged, and the associate informed us of the hotel’s facilities, including access to the Executive Lounge.

I made some slight efforts at “suite-talking“, which weren’t fruitful, but I didn’t really care too much this time.

We headed over to the elevators and up to our room on the 15th floor.

Westin Tokyo – Double Guest Room

As soon as we entered the room, we had a bit of a chuckle at how it looked with three beds squished together. At the same time, it’s larger than other hotel rooms in Tokyo, and we wound up having more than enough space between the three of us.

The room opens up to a small hallway, with a closet tucked off to the left. Inside, you’ll find the typical extra bathrobes, ironing board, and hangers.

Just past the closet is the room’s minibar, which came equipped with a Nespresso machine, a tea kettle, three bottles of water, and a mini-fridge with beverages for purchase. I appreciated that the hotel had proactively provided three of everything in advance of our stay.

Past the minibar, the room opens up to the bedroom. The three beds took up most of the space, and the rollaway bed was squeezed between the other two beds.

Opposite from the beds is the flat-screen TV, a DVD player, a dresser, and a luggage rack. When we first entered the room, I was pleased to find the luggage that I had left with the Concierge a few days prior.

There were also three sets of Japanese pajamas in the dresser, which we of course had to try on.

In the corner of the room is a desk, which I used during the day when my friends were out exploring the city. The chair was comfortable, and it was a nice quiet space to work from.

Next to the room’s windows were two armchairs, a table, and a single ottoman. We’d selected craft beers as part of the welcome gift, which were brought up shortly after check-in.

Against the wall close to the armchairs is a makeup table, mirror, and air purifier.

The view from our room faced away from the Tokyo Tower, and we had a view of Meguro City instead.

Heading back to the entrance, there is a spacious bathroom complete with a separate bathtub, walk-in shower, Japanese toilet, and large vanity. In keeping with the rest of the old-school style of the room, everything about the bathroom brought me back a few decades.

If you appreciate the charm of carpeted floors, heavy drapes, wooden furniture, and a rather beige wallpaper, you’re sure to be pleased at the Westin Tokyo. While the room certainly wasn’t modern by any means, at least there was cohesion throughout the bedroom, bathroom, and the rest of the hotel, for that matter.

As we were using the hotel as a base for exploring the city, meeting with friends, and resting up, we had everything we needed in our room. 

Westin Tokyo – Executive Lounge

One of the factors that weighed heavily in my decision to book this hotel was the presence of an Executive Lounge, which I enjoyed access to with my Platinum Elite status. Guests staying on Club Level rooms also enjoy access.

The lounge is located on the 17th floor of the hotel, and is open daily from 7am–8pm. There is a check-in desk with a small lobby, where lounge staff greet you upon entry and confirm your room number.

The lounge faces north, and has plenty of natural light flowing in through an abundance of windows. On the rightmost side of the lounge, there is a nice view of the iconic Tokyo Tower, so be sure to snag a seat in this half of the lounge to enjoy a view.

Otherwise, you can choose from a variety of tables, the best of which are located next to the windows. The lounge staff quickly made arrangements for us as a group of three, since most tables are set up for pairs.

Breakfast is served in the lounge from 7–10am. We came by each morning during our stay to fuel up for the day.

Immediately upon entering, the staff found us a nice table, and then took our beverage orders right away. I appreciated the attentive service we received in the Executive Lounge at the Westin Tokyo, and it continued every other time we came to visit.

The breakfast items are spread out in three different areas, and staff also come around to take orders for eggs.

At the far end of the lounge is the hot food station. While the selection varied a bit each day, we always found some dumplings, quiche, spring rolls, steamed veggies, grilled chicken, sausages, and bacon.

Along the interior wall in the centre of the room was a long counter with a number of cold items, including a modest salad bar, fresh fruits, rice balls, cheese, and cold cuts. There’s also a pot of oatmeal in this area.

A central island in the lounge plays host to a number of other breakfast items, including yogurts, pastries, cereals, and buns.

For beverages, the Executive Lounge at the Westin Tokyo offers fresh smoothies, fruit juices, coffee, and tea, as well as a selection of cold beverages from a fridge.

I enjoyed coming up to the lounge for breakfast in the morning, and usually opted for a Japanese-style omelette, several smoothies, and some items from the hot food section.

After breakfast, the lounge serves as a quiet work area, and you’ll have a choice of self-serve soft drinks and cookies at your disposal.

Afternoon tea is hosted in the Executive Lounge at the Westin Tokyo from 2–4pm. It was pretty quiet when I popped in for some sweets, but there was a nice selection of items available to snack on.

The evening hors d’oeuvres and cocktail service runs from 5–6pm and from 6–7pm in two seatings. This is only if the lounge is busy, and otherwise, it just runs as a continuous service during that time.

We came up here to toast my friends’ arrival on the first night, and then made sure to grab some snacks and a drink before heading out on the town on the other nights.

The staff came by to take drink orders, and there was also self-serve beer, wine, and soft drinks. Additionally, there was a small selection of food available, which could be enough for a meal if you weren’t planning on enjoying everything else that Tokyo has to offer.

In fact, we were having so much fun that I kept my camera tucked away.

Westin Tokyo – Dining

The Westin Tokyo has a number of dining venues throughout the hotel.

On the main floor, you’ll find The Terrace, which serves buffet meals for breakfast from 7–10:30am, lunch from 11:30am–2pm on weekdays and 12–4pm on weekends, and dinner from 6–10pm on weekdays and 5–10pm on weekends.

You’ll also find The Lounge and The Bar on the main floor, open from 12–10pm and 12–11pm, respectively.

On the second floor of the hotel are two restaurants. Mai serves Japanese cuisine for lunch and dinner, and Ryutenmon serves Cantonese cuisine for lunch and dinner. 

On the 22nd floor of the hotel, you’ll find Victors, which serves French cuisine for lunch and dinner, Yebisu, a teppanyaki restaurant open for lunch and dinner, and Compass Rose, a “sky lounge” that’s only open from Thursday–Sunday and on holidays. 

We were busy enjoying Tokyo’s sights, sounds, and tastes, and didn’t manage to squeeze in a meal at any of the venues this time around.

Westin Tokyo – Other Facilities

For a hotel of its size, the Westin Tokyo features relatively few other facilities for guests. Notably absent is a swimming pool.

Le Spa Parisien is located on the fourth floor of the hotel, and it’s open from 10am–7:30pm daily except for Tuesdays.

The fitness centre, officially known as the Westin Workout Fitness Studio, is also located on the fourth floor of the hotel. It’s open around the clock, should you need to work off your jetlag in the middle the night.

It’s a fairly well-appointed space, with three different rooms total. One room is a yoga studio, the main room is host to treadmills, bikes, and elliptical machines, and the third room is a bit smaller, but features weightlifting equipment.

I popped in prior to lunch every day, and found the space to be entirely suitable for a decent workout

Conclusion

The Westin Tokyo is a classic hotel with many dining facilities, a grand entrance and lobby, and an Executive Lounge with views of the Tokyo Tower. 

We didn’t spend a whole lot of time in the hotel, as we were out galavanting across the city and meeting up with friends for dinner. Our room was perfectly suitable for a comfortable, quiet stay, if not a bit cramped for a group of three grown men.

The Executive Lounge is indeed a great feature at the Westin Tokyo. Be sure to head up in the evening for drinks with a view at night, which you can also enjoy while you eat breakfast the next day.

If you can find a cash rate at the lower end of the range, there is definitely some value to be found at the hotel. However, given its location, you won’t be very central to many of Tokyo’s main draws, although there is a metro station relatively close by for getting around.