We knew from the beginning that Shangri-La would be by far the best hotel on our trip to Japan. But what we experience on the 37th floor of their high-rise exceeds our expectations many times over!
The Shangri-La Hotel is centrally located, right next to Tokyo Station (Tokyo Central Station).
In Japan you travel a lot by train, so the hotel offers its guests a meet & greet service. We’re a little surprised about that, because the hotel is located right next to the train station.
But it turns out that it is not so easy to find a certain exit at the Tokyo station. In retrospect, we recommend especially the impatient and disoriented to use the meet & greet service.
When we finally find the right exit, we first have to pause for a moment, breathe deeply and observe: We have already visited some big cities, but Tokyo is a category of its own.
From the hotel entrance, you take the elevator to the 28th floor without stopping.
After we have overcome the slight dizziness of the fast lift ride and have balanced the ear pressure, we first have a look around – in the reception, the noble lobby bar as well as in the hotel’s Italian restaurant “Piacere”.
The top of the skyscraper
Unfortunately, at check-in our room is not ready yet (in Japan you are very punctual, check-in times are meant absolutely seriously, earlier is not possible).
But this is no problem at all: Because our room is connected to the Horizon Club Lounge of the Shangri-La Hotel. So we can refresh ourselves there with a drink.
From the lobby on the 28th floor we take the elevator directly to the 37th floor. We are astonished at first! The view from the top floor of the building is breathtaking.
Just when we think “more is not possible”, we get our key and realize that our room is also on this floor!
Our room is overwhelming. It does not lack luxury. We will never forget the view from the rain shower to the city centre of Tokyo.
Looking at this Deluxe Room, it’s no wonder that the Presidential Suite of Shangri-La was named one of the “101 Suites in the World” by Elite Traveler Magazine.
Breakfast at the top
The next day we also start in the Horizon Club Lounge.
A travel blogger’s day starts early, so we have the whole lounge to ourselves. All the more we enjoy the peace and quiet and the view over the otherwise busy city of Tokyo.
The Horizon Club Lounge offers a somewhat smaller breakfast buffet, but also à la carte orders.
For a change, we decide to have a western breakfast: Instead of noodle soup and fish we prefer pancakes with mango and strawberries.
What to do at the foot of the skyscraper?
Tokyo is an incredibly diverse and exciting city. But if you are as centrally located as in Shangri-La, there are a few highlights within walking distance.
The noble shopping district Ginza is only about 5 minutes away. In 2018, this district was in sixth place among the world’s most expensive shopping streets.
In the Ginza district you can find all brands of rank and name. In addition to Gucci, Tiffany and Rolex, you will also find the first Apple Store that opened outside the United States.
The Shangri-La hotel offers excellent food, but for street food lovers a visit to the Tsukiji Fish Market is a must!
After about 20 minutes walking you reach the market. Be aware: It is only open in the morning until 11.00 a.m.. Unfortunately, our bellies are still full from breakfast in Shangri-La. You should definitely come here with an empty stomach.
On the other side of Tokyo Station, in the middle of a spacious park, you’ll find the seat of the Japanese Emperor.
The garden is open to the public and at lunchtime you can see many businessmen and students enjoying the peace and quiet.
After a short walk in the park and a visit to the picturesque historical part of Tokyo Station, we look forward to returning to our refuge on the 37th floor.
