HotelChatter

In addition to the aforementioned tech panels, which control everything from humidity to internet radio to lighting and display the outdoor temperature and wind speed, the rooms are replete with all the gadgetry a traveler wishes came standard in a hotel room.

We're talking about a printer/copier/fax machine next to the desk (which worked with our Macbook no problem), a cell phone for use within the hotel, a plug panel at the TV for smartcards/memorysticks, USB cords and more, plus perhaps the most unexpected techy touch of all: a nail dryer next to the boudoir desk in the walk-in wardrobe.

Of course, The Peninsula is thankfully one of the few luxury brands to understand that WiFi needs to be free if you're paying in the high triple-digits each night, and they were one of the first hotels in Tokyo to come through with complimentary internet.

The view to the Imperial Palace and Gardens

Because of The Peninsula's enviable location, the hotel becomes a major tourist draw for Japanese on the weekends; in fact, nearly the entire make up of the clientele switches from international business and leisure travelers to wholly Japanese tourists within their own country. They use The Peninsula, as new as it is, like a mini, ultra-refined amusement park.

They'll have a full Japanese traditional breakfast with their room's view of the Palace, followed by spa treatments, followed by formal Peninsula tea in the lobby, followed by an ikebana or tea ceremony class, followed by dinner and drinks up at the restaurant, Peter, followed by dessert at the hotel's patisserie...it kind of takes a weekend to fully explore the place, anyhow.

As far as the small touches, we were most enamored with the simplest thoughtful extra: that when your alarm goes off in the morning, the softest mood lightning automatically comes on to prepare your eyes for the moment you draw up the blackout blinds and start the day. There's also a giant slab of a wood door to seal yourself off from the bathroom, dressing room and hallway, and sliding it aside is like a symbolic emerging from the cocoon of your room.

Traditional lightweight kimonos—called "yukata"—are provided in each room.

So the big question is now: is it worth the $600+ nightly price tag? Well, though this may surprise many, that price is something of a bargain for Tokyo as far as 5-star hotels go. Similar hotels (and we won't name names quite yet) price their rooms of a similar category from $695 and they are far less ideally located. And for those opting to save their Yen on a more affordable hotel, there's always the Peninsula's signature lobby tea service.

Disclosure: HotelChatter stayed as a guest of The Peninsula, but all opinions, photos and video are our own.

All photos and video: HotelChatter