Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo

From the moment we stepped out of the taxi when we arrived until the time we departed, the entire experience was exceptional. Despite the hotel not being the most accessible we decided to treat ourselves at the end of our few weeks in Japan, and we are so glad we did. The immaculately presented and attentive staff set the scene for a very special stay. The rather uninspiring outside of the hotel hides the spacious and charming interior. Our room overlooked the city skyline which was a visual delight at night. Touches such as the turn-down service, the prompt response to the need to change our pillows, and the exceptional room cleaners who made up the room so beautifully (and yet I don't ever recall seeing or hearing them unlike every other hotel we were in). The hotel's gardens are a 'must see' experience. We wandered the many pathways of the vast gardens and the sheer scale of Tokyo felt so far away. The autumn leaves were coming into colour, and we were fortunate to have calm days with deep blue skies. The garden paths took us past delightful statues, traditional and quaint wooden private dining areas or activity venues, bridges, streams, waterfalls, a small lake and beautiful manicured gardens. We were also fortunate that our first night had the final session of the full moon display at night over the lake, a truly unique experience. Hopefully we will stay again, if not our three night stay was a memory we shall cherish.

We have spent 8 nights here at this wonderful hotel - first 5 nights on the 14th floor (city view) & last 3 nights on the 12th floor (garden view an upgrade) - Perfection throughout our stay! The hotel rooms are big & spacious- the beds will give you a wonderful night’s sleep. The bathroom are huge with instant hot water & perfect pressure from both shower & bath. The quiet serenity of this hotel made it difficult for us to leave - this is our 3rd visit in a year! The service here is top notch - everyone going above & beyond to help & answer questions. We had breakfast, lunch & dinner here a few times - everything we had was fresh & very good. It was easy to get around once we found the train stations & buses plus we enjoyed the walks in the area. We have recommended this hotel to our friends & hope to be back in the near future! Thanks Hotel Chinzanso for everything- truly 5 Star Service!

Absolutely spoiled for a spa trip, recovering from jet lag. Tour the gardens at night, and again in am. Spectacular! The room upgrade was appreciated, enormous room with every amenity including pajamas, exercise clothes and shoes available. American breakfast 3rd floor was amazing, i had the healthy start green smoothie, quinoa and vegetables with a poached egg and highly recommend. I’m not clear that we eat this type of breakfast regularly in America but we should. There is also a Japanese breakfast 2nd floor. Lots of dining on site, the only one open on a Monday was the casual dining (which was quite formal), and had a nice vegetable soup with a thoughtful, yet reasonable wine by glass. I didn’t see a bar but would have enjoyed even more “casual” dining. Exercise room needs a Peloton please! Bike was very old. Free weights and mats were nice. Outdoor hot tub a secret find, it wasn’t very hot however but really beautiful at night. Incredible property, very thoughtful staff at check in, and I walked to the other gardens along the Edo River. Hotel gardens far superior to those.

My wife and I stayed here for four nights in August prior to a 12 night cruise around Japan. We chose Hotel Chinzanso after searching many alternatives and reading customer reviews. We were not dissapointed. The staff were exceptional, and easily among the most welcoming teams from any hotel chain we have stayed with, and we have stayed with some of the best around the world. Every member of staff did their very best to ensure our every wish was catered for. The hotel is in a quiet location away from all the hustle and bustle of the city centre, and the gardens must be among the best in the world. We would most certainly stay here again whenever we return to Tokyo. To some guests the hotel may seem a little dated, but that in itself adds to the overall charm of the hotel. There are ice machines on each floor, but no vending machines anywhere on site. Anyone wanting a cold drink late at night, was out of luck, and there were quite a few guests going to the local shops to bring back drinks and snacks. There are several restaurants on site, all serving good food, but there is very little choice for those wanting a quick snack, rather than a meal. The hotel would do well to look at this, as there was nowhere where we could get a choice of sandwiches, pizza, omelettes, toasties etc. Sure, there is a Bistro and a bar, with a limited menu, but only offering a club sandwich as a snack. We did have a little unpleasantness in the bar on our last evening. We were asked to leave because I was not in long pants. I pointed out that I had happily spent the previous three evenings in the same bar dressed in the same smart shorts, and nobody had said anything to me. It seems there is a dress code which i had not been informed about. I was told I could still enjoy my food and cocktail in the hall/corridor outside or return to my room to change. It was only when I suggested we ask the duty manager why I should be treated so differently on my very last evening that I was allowed to remain. (To be fair, if there was a dress code, then this server was the only staff member attempting to enforce the rule, and he should be praised not blamed) We did have one amusing episode when we reserved an afternoon tea in the Jardin restaurant. It happens that I am unable to eat seafood or mushrooms, and when I explained this to the wonderful restaurant manager, he whisked away our food. I explained several times that he only needed to replace my sandwiches with a ham or cheese sandwich and I would be very happy. After a long wait, our setting was returned to us with alternative cakes and deep apologies. However, despite my pleas, I left the restaurant convinced the chef did not know how to make a cheese sandwich. On our last day we were treated with the utmost courtesy by the guest relations manager who made our departure a real event, even seeing us safely into our awaiting reserved transportation. We will certainly return to this lovely hotel, and hope they invest in a vending machine, (even if they feel the need to keep it out of sight.)

My family and I stayed six days at the hotel Chinzanso. I faced the challenge of finding a hotel for five people near the University of Tokyo. The options were limited. For example, we would have needed three rooms at the Tokyo Dome hotel that were expensive and ordinary. The Hotel Chinzanso had suites, so we could do one normal room for two and one suite for three. Combined with their get one night free for each two nights stay, the hotel was LESS expensive (an astounding outcome given the quality of the Chinzanso). For that price, we were able to enjoy their beautiful Japanese garden, which we visited every day (the regular misty cloud generation is something to look forward to). The dining options were excellent and reasonably price. Even by Tokyo standards, the service was amazing. Housekeeping was impeccable. We were on upper story rooms and enjoyed great views. While the hotel is not located in an interesting neighborhood, there is a bus stop in front and a subway station less than ten minutes away. Taxis are always waiting. We had no difficulty visiting anywhere we wished within 30 minutes. The hotel does have a dated, 1980's look to it, but after you have been there for more than a day, that becomes part of the charm. I suspect that the dated look is why it is not twice as expensive. Tokyo is a tiring city, the Hotel Chinzanso is a great place to come home to. We were so grateful we found it.