Astutely awarded ‘Japan’s Leading business hotel’ in 2016. The ANA InterContinental Tokyo (click here) leads the way in offering guests an all encompassing stay when it comes to those who are traveling for business. The 37 story hotel has a whopping 844 guest rooms, 11 restaurant and bars (one of which is a two Michelin Starred restaurant) and 20 banquet and function rooms.

ANA InterContinental Tokyo is ideally situated in Ark Hills which is in the heart of the commercial district of Tokyo. Being only a short distance to the central business district, government offices, embassies, many tourist hotspots and also having the advantage of the subway literally at its doorstop, some would argue its location is second to none.

Check’n In

Our trip to the hotel really started the night before in Hong Kong. We had the horror 2am flight from Hong Kong to Tokyo meaning we weren’t able to sleep before the flight. Then came the flight time of about 3 hours + a delay. Eventually we arrived to the airport early in the morning at around 6-7am which was then followed by an hour drive to the hotel.

The easiest way to get to the hotel is by limousine bus. It’s just your normal greyhound but it’s comfortable, picks you up from Narita Airport and drops you off at the ANA InterContinental’s doorstep which was extremely convenient considering we were in a group of 4 and had 6 pieces of luggage.

As we pulled up to the hotel in the bus were greeted by the usual valet suspects. Drop off was in the basement so the valet took our bags while another ushered us up 2 quick escalators to the main lobby. Being a sizable hotel of 844 rooms, the wait to check-in was a little tedious, but nonetheless it gave us a chance to take in our surroundings.

The lobby was busting at the seams with people going in and out, having meetings while music was softly flowing from the restaurant, as it was breakfast. After the initial queue wait, the ANA graciously allowed us to check in 4 hours ahead of time. To say this was fantastic would be an understatement, as we were travelling with two 80 year olds who were in desperate need of some R&R.

The Room

Guest rooms are categorized into three types to cater for guests different needs. These are Premier, Executive Deluxe & Classic categories. There are also suites that are from approximately 52sqm and upwards.

We stayed in the Premier room. It had a gorgeous view towards the Paris Tower and onto many of the garden filled rooftops that Tokyo is accustomed to.

For me, the room was slightly outdated (the hotel opened in 1986). The decor was a mix of Japanese design and somewhat contemporary decor with its’ neutral tones and splashes of blue, red and orange. The layout was a little pokey (what you’d expect from 32sqm), yet it managed to fit in a workspace, king bed and built ins.

Food & Beverage

Spoilt for choice would be the only way to describe the ANA InterContinental Food & Beverage scene. The hotel houses 11 different restaurants and bars to choose from, including Pierre Gagnaire’s only Japanese restaurant which has continuously won two Micheline stars since 2010.

With those seeking diversity guests can indulge in the award winning buffet and a la carte restaurant, Cascade Cafe (where we ate at for breakfast). If that doesn’t tickle your fancy you can try the long list of other choices which include: A Teppanyaki restaurant, sushi restaurant, champagne bar, cigar bar, The stylish MIXX bar, The Bar & Lounge, The Steakhouse, The Atrium Lounge or Japanese restaurant.

With that being said, we had a bit of a hit and miss situation when it came to our dining during our two night stay. The first night we ate at the gorgeous Unkai. It was one of best Japanese meals I have ever eaten and the backdrop was a gorgeous perfectly manicured traditional garden.

On the second night we ate at the Steakhouse, which I found to under-deliver and to be overpriced.

Pool & Gym

The gym was quite large. It had most of the stock standard hotel gym essentials but leaning more towards the cardio side of things rather than weight training options. The pool area on the other hand, was extremely bare and needed a little TLC. We later learnt that the pool area is only open for 4 months out of the year (which would explain the lackluster gardens as we were coming out of winter which in hindsight makes sense).

Pros:

• Abundance of choice with food and beverage options
• Business Lounge
• Conveinient Location

Cons:

• As it is such a large hotel, get ready for queues
• When going to concierge, although extremely helpful, I felt as if they were just trying to hurry me away

Overall:

ANA InterContinental Tokyo is such a one-shop stop. Everything you need is at your fingertips without needing to leave the hotel.

ANA InterContinental Tokyo
Akaska Minato-Ku Tokyo
107-0052 Japan
+81 3-3505-1111

If you would like to see more places to stay in Japan click here.

Kx

Disclaimer: My stay at the ANA Intercontinental was heavily reduced in exchange for a review on the Krumbled website. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Have you stayed at ANA InterContinental before? What were your thoughts? If you have any comments or questions feel free to leave them below.