Ascott Marunouchi Tokyo
"How did it strike you on arrival?Though the Ascott Marunouchi Tokyo's "serviced apartments" might ring alarm bells—Tokyo apartments are notoriously petite—accommodations at this hotel are assuredly larger than your typical five-star, and maybe even shinier. Starting on the 22nd floor, the lobby is just as tall and tailored as any hotel, perhaps with a more relaxed, natural vibe. With its wooden floors and floor-to-ceiling bookcases showcasing various white ceramics, it feels quite like a living room—if living rooms had soaring ceilings and expanses of Bellagio marble. What’s the crowd like?It's an easy bet that most other guests are here for business. The good stuff: Tell us about your room.There's a soft focus on seasons throughout the property, an evergreen inspiration for hospitality that gives each room a certain vibe that's crisp, chic, and light enough to live in for longer than the average booking period. Sparkling, white-and-grey kitchens offset that vibe, all kitted out with svelte, homey appliances like an oven, dishwasher, and refrigerator—a rice cooker, if requested. And yet the room still functions like a five-star bedroom should, with control panels installed above each bedside table, built-in sound systems, and flatscreen satellite in either the bedroom or the delineated living room (depending on the apartment); there is also ample storage space. How about the little things, like mini bar, or shower goodies. Any of that find its way into your suitcase?All apartments have a designated area suitable for working, whether it's a simple long table poised along the window with a chic desk chair, or with luck, with its very own nook in the Two-Bedroom Executive. There are both coffee tables and dining room tables, which make it a proper apartment, and if anyone spills soy sauce on their shirt, thankfully, there's a washing machine. Please tell us the bathroom won’t let us down.Bellagio marble is tiled along the walls and across the vanity, into the shower room and along the deep tub. It's a beautiful look, as if bathed in cream. Maybe the most important topic of all: Wi-Fi. What’s the word?As the hotel caters to longer stays and business stays, the Wi-Fi is free and high-speed. Room service: Worth it?Alas, these serviced apartments aren't set up with room service, but the kitchens are well-equipped for D.I.Y. cooking. Next to the 22nd-floor courtyard garden, Triple One (the property's sole restaurant) leans towards Singaporean dishes throughout at each meal. Anything stand out about other services and features? Whether it’s childcare, gyms, spas, even parking—whatever stuck with you.Set in granite, an attractive medium-sized pool peers into a tidy glassed-in courtyard, while the gym has all of the necessary equipment. Housed throughout the top eight floors of a skyscraper, it's not alone—several big-money headquarters share the same building and neighborhood—and the structure itself connects with Otemachi Station. What was most memorable—or heartbreaking—about your stay?The rooftop terrace is a highlight, a lovely, lush oasis with just a handful of cushiony seats. Bottom line: worth it, and why?Coming to Tokyo for business, or with a family? There are home-style facilities." - Keith Flanagan
