Maybe its's because Gwen Stefani's music and her little Harajuku girls have invaded our subconscious after a long year of "Hollaback Girl" being played incessantly everywhere. Or maybe it's because we never got over that season of America's Next Top Model that they filmed in Japan. But whatever the reason, this month's Escape from LA is taking us to Tokyo.
First off, The Grand Hyatt Tokyo is different from the Park Hyatt in that it's $100 cheaper at $305 a night. It also doesn't have the same kind of luxurious rooms as the Park Hyatt, which come with walk-in wardrobes, 37-inch plasma TVs and literary works and dictionaries.
However, the Grand Hyatt does have the Nagomi Spa and Fitness and we are such suckers for a spa. The hotel also has seven restaurants, 1 pastry boutique and a bar with live entertainment (The Park Hyatt has similar but fewer options. Plus the famous New York bar in the movie only takes reservations waaaaaay in advance.)
Finally, the Grand Hyatt also wins out due to superior location. A recent guest, also faced with the same toss-up here, has gone strongly in favor of the Grand Hyatt, due to this fact.
We visited the beautiful Park Hyatt but were unimpressed by its location. The Park Hyatt is on the west side of Shinjuku where wide streets, new high-rise construction, and raised freeways abound. There is not much street life in the immediate vicinity....
By contrast, the Grand Hyatt is in the very heart of what's happening. It is part of a relatively new complex called Roppongi Hills....The small side streets are packed with residential buildings mixed in with shops, neighborhood eateries, pastry shops, sake bars, night clubs, live band venues, Parisian style cafes, Italian mini-bistros, sushi restaurants, etc. All this and the electric buzz of Tokyo is right outside your door....
Both hotels have superior service and excellent facilities (although the Grand Hyatt does charge you for a jump in the pool) so it is doubtful you will walk away disappointed with either choice. Just maybe a little lighter in your pockets.
If you want to experience Japan without actually going--it's a long flight and the temperature is 40 degrees today--hit up the New Otani Hotel in downtown Los Angeles' Little Tokyo. Spend some time in the hotel's Japanese Garden on the 3rd floor which is a miniature half-acre version of the historic 400 year-old ten-acre garden in the Hotel New Otani in Tokyo.
We'll see you there.
Related Stories:
·Tokyo Hotels [HotelChatter]
·Grand Hyatt Tokyo reviews [TripAdvisor]
·Park Hyatt Tokyo reviews [TripAdvisor]
by
juliana
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