I had the chance to spend some nights at the Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo, a luxury hotel in Tokyo and probably one of the best in the city. So you can easily imagine that my expectations were quite high and I was very excited to try it out. After my stay at the Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo, I have to say that I was really amazed and that I highly recommend it, not a second thought in mind..
Rooms and Facilities
The service was as close to perfect as you can expect from a 5-star hotel, and all the staff were helpful and welcoming. The rooms were also lovely and I really enjoyed working late at night in this relaxing atmosphere (see picture above). Very inspiring view of the Tokyo skyline.
Breakfast was just as perfect. You can get served a meal in your room and I definitely recommend you do it. Japanese food was available but I have to say I was more tempted to try a classic Western breakfast as you can see below.
In terms of facilities, you will also find all you need to relax and take care of yourself. You can enjoy the spa, the fitness gym and the swimming pool without leaving the hotel.
All these features are usually covered by most of the luxury hotels around the world but what makes Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo really special is its garden!
Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo Garden
As you can see, it’s not just a small garden but a whole park! It takes around an hour to visit the entire garden and it’s definitely worth the effort. The garden was built a long time ago during the Meiji Era. It’s Aritomo Yamagata (1838-1922), a former prime minister of Japan, who built the garden following the famous Kaiyuu-style design.
You will find many Japanese traditional features there like this red bridge, features that were very popular during the Edo period.
After crossing this bridge, you will find many historic artefacts like these Stone Statues of Rakan.
Follow the path and discover this beautiful view of the garden.
In the pound you see here, you’ll see swimming Japanese carps called Koï or Nishikigoi. It was so relaxing to watch them swim.
If you take a right turn after the ornamental pounds, this waterfall will be on your right, ready to be marveled at.
By the way, there is also a chapel called “Vent Vert” (literally “Green Wind” in French) where a lot of weddings take place.
Now it’s time to see the most famous spot in the garden, the gorgeous three-storie pagoda that was built a thousand years ago! It was actually built by the monks of the Chikurin-ji temple in Hiroshima to finally be transferred to the Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo. A piece of Japanese history in your hotel, how cool is that? 🙂
Just next to the pagoda, you will also find the Shiratama Inari Shrine with the usual red torii at the entrance.
To avoid getting lost in the garden, I recommend you to follow this map which gives you the location of every interesting area in Chinzanso Garden.
I hope you enjoyed this foretaste of the Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo. If you have a question, make sure to ask it in the comments below.
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All the best,
MF