If you want to sleep near Shinjuku the Hilton Tokyo is the place to be

If you have never been to Tokyo. the first thing you need to know is that this city is huge. Moving from point A to point B also takes hours. Choosing the hotel where to sleep is therefore crucial because not being close to transportation, being decentralized from "hot" spots, risks wasting hours (and money) on unnecessary travel.

That is why Hilton Tokyo may be a good choice.

Location

Hilton Tokyo is close to Shinjuku Station, 2 million passengers a day and virtually all trains in Japan, including the Shinkansen, pass through here.

The hotel is directly connected with two subway stations-Tochome and Nishi-Shinjuku.

 

Just go down to floor -1, Pass through Hiltopia, a small shopping arcade, And you enter the subway. Two lines that allow you to move to various parts of the city without going out in the sun or cold. One can get to Nishi-Shinjuku and take the Marunouchi line. to Ginza station. If you are a gamer or electronics enthusiast, check out Akihabara by taking the Oedo line at Tochomae station and getting off at Ueno-Okachimachi station.

In short. it is really suitable for every kind of traveler and being Hilton is a guarantee. Mind you, there are four Hilton hotels in Tokyo: this one in Shinjuku, one in Odaiba one inside Disneyland And one near Narita Airport.

Reservation

I am not ashamed to say that I booked cash, through the official app of course, the X2 fare.

When I booked this stay, Japan's borders were still closed And the rates were shamefully low. Therefore, it is useless to waste points, better to accumulate as many as possible and also take advantage of promotions such as those active right now that give away double points, double qualifying nights and 2000 extra points at check-out, all for about 200€ per night.

Check-in

I arrived in the early afternoon. There was not much traffic at the reception desks. The paperwork was very fast also because I had already checked in via the app and chosen my room. Thanks to my American Express Platinum I have, free and forever, Gold status in the Hilton Honors program and that means free breakfast, room upgrades and bonus points every time.

N.B. As soon as you activate the ability to check in online, the app offers only "other rooms" for a fee. On the morning of arrival day, however, not only had I been upgraded, thanks to my status, but I could choose any room for free, excluding suites.

Needless to say, I had assigned myself the room on the top floor of the hotel, the 38th. The receptionist explained the features of the hotel and arranged for my bags to be brought to my room.

The room

I don't suffer from vertigo and I don't mind having to wait 3 minutes for the elevator, so I always choose when I can the room on the upper floors. The reason is obviously the view, and if you can have an open view of the Tokyo skyline, it is an option I want to take advantage of.

The room is the classic Hilton room, let's say that if you are looking for luxury or design this is not the sign to choose. Here you find solid certainties, without any particular color or originality cues. This is why these chains have dozens of different signs, each of which has its own characteristics and peculiarities.

King bed, mattress and topper custom-created for Hiltons around the world, simply a guarantee.

The best thing about the room is definitely the view: space at any time of day or night. Not to mention the sunrise light: God bless jet lag.

In the room is the classic Hilton package, TV screen, desk and a small armchair.

I pulled up my chair and got to work with the mac on my lap in front of the window. I am writing this review watching the darkness envelop the city and the thousands of lights that draw the skyline come to life.

The bathroom has only a shower, other rooms have both shower and tub, and most importantly there is the classic Japanese toilet seat, which I love.

Frigobar (empty) and no coffee maker, but a teapot and tea kettle.

As mentioned, the classic Hilton room. One flaw, the room is "communicating" and because the two doors are not very well soundproofed, you can quite hear the neighbor chattering, and vice versa.

Services

On the fifth floor of the hotel is the fitness area. The gym is open H24.

The small two-lane pool is open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and you must reserve your dip.

Above the roof of the pool then there are two tennis courts, perfect for keeping in practice if the weather conditions permit. I have no idea until what time they can be played, but tonight at 11:45 p.m. they were playing doubles! There is also a small spa with a sauna and massage area, but I did not investigate further.

The wi-fi, thanks to status, is premium, and the speed throughout the facility is killer.

Executive Lounge

This is one of my favorite services when I travel, and it is one of the status benefits that I take advantage of at 100% . Not only because it is possible to eat and drink at all hours, but also because the aperitif can often become a dinner as well, so you save in extra expenses.

Mainly because it is a perfect environment for working on computers, making calls or meeting clients. In this hotel it is on the 37th floor, one floor below the one in my room. It's nice because it takes up the whole floor and then you can choose the skyline you prefer.

Food & Beverage

On the ground floor is the Marble lounge, which is the main restaurant, the one where you have breakfast in the morning.

In addition to this always in the lobby area there is a chocolate shop and a second restaurant. On the second floor there are more restaurants and a lounge bar. Unfortunately, as is often the case around here, everything closes very early.

Breakfast was classic Hilton breakfast: there were Asian and Japanese flavors, but nothing wow.

I expected at least a noodle station and a mix of dishes from different cuisines, from Indian to Chinese. Instead there was only the bare minimum.

No fresh juices and in general a self-service feeling of not great quality. In this respect the hotel disappointed me a little bit.

In conclusion

Promoted for the location, definitely convenient to travel and in one of the liveliest areas of the city, definitely better than the Marriott, which on the other hand is very decentralized and not at all served by public transportation.

• Hilton Honors