I have been to the bar and restaurant at Park Hyatt Tokyo a number of times, but had never stayed in the hotel. Known as the location used the movie "Lost in Translation," it offers spectacular views and I was always curious about the experience of staying there.
As they recently offered a 30% discount for World of Hyatt members, I decided to treat myself. The experience exceeded my high expectations and I thoroughly enjoyed a fantastic staycation.
On weekdays, check-in is at 13:00, and check-out is at noon, so you can enjoy staying there for almost 24 hours. On weekends, check-in is at 15:00, so I recommend going there on weekdays if possible.
As business was slow before the government subsidy program "Go To Travel" begins on October 1, they assigned me to an upgraded room with no extra charge. Facing east, it was on the 49th floor and its views were absolutely beautiful.
The sunrise was particularly stunning.
I wish my camera worked better -- the real night view was far better than this and just breathtaking.
The swimming pool and gym, which occupies the entire 47th floor, provided a 360 degree view. It was as if it were floating in the sky or sitting on the clouds. It was magical at night. To help prevent COVID-19 infection, they limit the number of users of the swimming pool to only one person per lane. In fact, I was able to have the entire place to myself.
Well-coordinated in bluish green, the interior of the hotel was charming.
There was a DVD player in the room, and I asked the front desk what DVDs they have. In fact, the movie "Lost in Translation" was the only one they have (!) Although I had seen it many times, I borrowed it and confirmed specific places that I had just seen. The rooms in which Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson stayed were both Diplomat Suite, according to the hotel.
Murray found a present to Johansson to console her as he took her to the hospital to treat her broken foot finger. It is a stuffed owl and caught my eye.
It was the same one that I had bought for myself long before the movie was released. Interestingly, I got it on my way back from the hospital where I received treatment for serious acne in my twenties. The bottom of the cutie is nice and fluffy and it does have a comforting effect.
Park Hyatt Tokyo is located in Nishi Shinjuku where skyscrapers started to be built in Japan. You can stroll and see around high-rise buildings there.
Keio Plaza Hotel was the first skyscraper in the area. At Japanese elementary school, fourth graders learn about their prefecture in social science class. For us living in Tokyo, the textbook was entitled "Our Tokyo" and its cover photo represented the trend of each era. In 1972 when my sister was a forth grader, Keio Plaza Hotel was the cover photo.
In 1976 when I was a fourth grader, the cover photo was of Keio Plaza Hotel, the Sumitomo triangle building (below gray one), the Mitsui building (blue one) and a few others.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's headquarters was originally located in Marunouchi, but it moved to Nishi Shinjuku in 1990. It was illuminated in blue to express gratitude to medical professionals at the forefront of the fight against the coronavirus.
Similar to the characters in the movie, I also went for karaoke. I sang "Honesty" while seeing the real singer Billy Joel and reflecting on some scenes in Lost in Translation or my own life. Then I realized that life may not be so bad.
