The era of dressing up for a night out at a five-star hotel is alive and well at Park Hyatt Tokyo, a principal location in the 2003 Sofia Coppola film Lost in Translation. It has been more than 20 years since the Golden Globe winning film starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson was released, but guests from near and far still flock to the moody New York Bar where disenchanted and lonely characters Bob and Charlotte bonded.
Next door at New York Grill it’s all bold murals, white tablecloths, waiters in dinner suits, American matriarchs in pearls and couples enthusiastically celebrating birthdays with giant bouquets. It’s a prime people-watching spot with prime cuts of American and Japanese beef on the menu, but my eyes are drawn from my prawn cocktail to the sparkling Tokyo skyline and a very specific glow in the distance.
Team leader Shota Mori says it is one of the giant billboards at Shibuya Crossing. You can also see Roppongi Hills, Yokohama and the Japan National Stadium. I stop gazing just long enough to slice my buttery soft steak, or nibble my New York cheesecake. It’s easy to understand why the mesmerising views and honouring the hotel’s legacy were pivotal to the 19-month revitalisation led by Paris-based Studio Jouin Manku. Park Hyatt Tokyo occupies the top 14 floors of the 52-storey Shinjuku Park Tower, the work of architect Kenzo Tange, who also designed the neighbouring Tokyo Metropolitan Building.
Opening in 1994, it was Asia’s first Park Hyatt and the third in the world behind Chicago and Sydney. When the lift doors open on the 41st floor, I am greeted by the grandeur of the floor to ceiling windows of the Peak Lounge and Bar. A favourite for afternoon tea and evening cocktails, its lush bamboo garden was sent to Kagoshima prefecture to be cared for during the hotel renovation.
Likewise, the impressive 2000-book library curated by the hotel’s original interior designer John Morford was carefully stored during renovation. There’s a corner seat near the library with the perfect view of Mt Fuji when she decides to appear. Morford envisioned Park Hyatt Tokyo as a living gallery. Artworks and sculptures abound in corridors, public areas and guest rooms, with original and new Mieko Yuki ceramic masks watching over corridors and entries.
Opening the door to our deluxe king room, my senses are overwhelmed by two competing forces: the aroma of sweet, plump strawberries; and blinds slinking upwards to reveal that gorgeous view of Tokyo. I could gaze out of the window all day and night but even with a skyline map, I struggle to make out which building is which. The thoughtfully appointed room offers a bedside clock, Bang and Olufsen speaker and wireless charging pads that contrast with the gold lighting and USB control panel. Dragging myself away for a late-afternoon dip, I discover the city view is equally stunning from the peaked windows surrounding the 47th-floor 20m swimming pool and gym.
Breakfasts at brasserie Girandole by Alain Ducasse are elegant, and to be lingered over. A bold installation of 144 black-and-white European cafe photos by Vera Mercer lines the walls in contrast to the sumptuous red banquettes, carpets and leather menus. I can’t resist a tiny lobster salad and individual creme caramel from the buffet. Veteran chef de cuisine Kojiro Tsutsumi spent seven weeks at Ducasse restaurants in Paris last year, so I know my French omelette will be splendid. When executive pastry chef Julien Perrinet offers madeleines fresh from the oven it would be rude to say no to one, or two. Did he say take them all?
Park Hyatt Tokyo is set in a quiet enclave near Shinjuku Chuo Park and in walking distance of Meiji Shrine. It’s my husband’s first time in Tokyo, so we pay obligatory visits to the 3-D cat and Godzilla head, then escape the crowds for a $43 omakase meal in a side street at Sushi Ebisu. A free hotel shuttle operates regularly to and from the busy Shinjuku Station. Something that strikes me as I move through Park Hyatt Tokyo on this all too brief stay is the great sense of pride the staff such as food and beverage manager Yasukazu Yokota have in their workplace.
Many have worked here for decades and were redeployed during the refurbishment to other Hyatt hotels or head office. They’re happy to be home, and ready to welcome you. + Sue Yeap was a guest of Park Hyatt Tokyo. They have not influenced this story, or read it before publication. fact file + Rooms at Park Hyatt Tokyo start from $1133 a night, excluding taxes and service charges. hyatt.com/park-hyatt + gotokyo.org/en/