Aloft Ginza, perfect for young travelers

Aloft, along with Moxy, are the two Marriott family signs designed to attract the next generation of travelers. If the W Hotel brand is designed to modernize the concept of the luxury hotel, the same can be said of Aloft, which takes a step above the Moxy format but is very reminiscent of it.

Reservation

Having to spend  a few days in Tokyo I chose to try 3 different hotels in three different areas of the city. After this Aloft I set my sights on Hilton Tokyo and Marriott Tokyo.

Having booked before the official announcement of Japan's border reopening I had managed to book at rates that, once the doors reopened to tourists, literally shot up by 200%.

I didn't feel like booking using points given the cost of the room, but 40,000 Bonvoy points would be needed for one night, but I preferred to spend 25k yen, about 170 euros. For comparison, rooms today in this hotel cost about 60k yen, three times what I paid. In the end with this reservation I also put 4905 bonvoy points in my pocket e 137 Emirates Skywards miles

Location

If you have never been to Tokyo you must be prepared to visit a huge city, with very long travel times between one part of the city and another. Cabs cost a lot (compared to other means of travel, not in a general sense), so my advice is to always choose hotels close to a metro stop, or rather of one of Tokyo's many subways.

Here we are in Ginza, one of the most famous neighborhoods in the Japanese capital. It is the upscale shopping district, but in addition to the Versace and Dior stores there are the Don Quijote of stores that sell everything for up to 100yen. It is probably the most touristy area after Shinjuku

Check-in

I arrived from Haneda airport by cab, the expense was 30€ wanting this area is also served by the shuttle bus that leaves from Narita and Haneda airports and serves the main hotels, but the convenience of the cab is worth the extra.

The lobby is not very large, but designer with a part of the ceiling with LEDs, light games and wallmapping.

Paperwork and in less than 5 minutes I was in the room. This sign, like Moxy, has no suites or superior rooms. In fact. as a Titanium Elite I was awarded benefits and given a room on the 15th floor, the penultimate one in the hotel

The room

The room was far above expectations, of course it's not huge and for those who suffer like chef Bruno Barbieri, the absence of a closet or a "traditional" bathroom might not appeal, but I liked it.

Every inch is expertly exploited, in the center of the room is a queen-size bed with a topper, and it feels like sleeping in the middle of a cloud.

There is also a small sofa, which is convenient as a resting place or for working on the PC.

Mega screen, however, with remote control in Japanese :-/ , but meanwhile the TV on these trips I don't even turn it on.

Coffee maker, mini-bar, and the usual other standard amenities.

The bathroom is "decomposed" there is a separate toilet with a door and unfailing Japanese toilet seat.

A washbasin and on the opposite side the shower with double shower head and Grohe faucets with push-button panel to select the type of jet and thumbwheel to manage the water temperature.

The view wasn't the best, but you can't expect everything from an Aloft

Super rooftop design

This hotel has a rooftop, top-floor terrace bar.

In place of the counter is an iconic Wolksvagen bus and a dozen seats.

The only shortcoming is that the rooftop closes at 10 p.m. and the bar on the ground floor at 11:30 p.m., but you know the Japanese don't keep late hours.

Food & Beverage

There is a bar on the ground floor; like everything else in the hotels, it is very well designed.

Again the flaw is that it closes very early. Too bad.

On the second floor, on the other hand, is the hotel restaurant and the one where breakfast is served, in which case I did not try the culinary offerings.

Services

On the second floor is the gymnasium, some equipment for running and keeping fit and avoiding getting crushed in traffic in Japan's capital city.

In conclusion

Hotel suitable for Young people (inside) looking for a base in the heart of the city, of course there are places much more immersed in the atmosphere, whereas this Aloft could be in Rome as well as in Los Angeles or Bangkok, but that's the concept behind this sign, if you like it you look for it and you choose it. And I would absolutely go back there.

The verdict

Aloft is a guarantee, this is not the first time I have stayed in a hotel of this chain and I always leave satisfied.

7.5

Pro

• The rooftop
• Public spaces

Against

• Rooftop closes too early