In the heart of Ginza, we discovered a hotel gem in the heart of the Ginza district. When we were offered an opportunity to review a relatively new Tokyo hotel which is part of THE GATE HOTEL Kaminarimon by HULIC, we were thrilled.
Tokyo Gate Hotel is a 20 second walk from Ginza station (although there are many exits, so you want the one that exits directly in front of the hotel entrance — ask any station representative for the best exit when you show the address), and is in the heart of the bustling Ginza district, which is oozing with night life, plenty of bars, restaurants and shops.
Breakfast at the Tokyo Gate Hotel
We are starting our recap with breakfast because simply put, breakfast at the Tokyo Gate Hotel is such a stand-out that it deserves lots of photos (hope you’re not hungry when you read this). Let’s start with the fresh berry juice every morning at the ‘fresh’ juice station, which we loved. Served from 6:30 am to 10:30 am every morning, you can select side dishes such as eggs benedict, French Toast, Pancakes and other hot dishes. You also have access to the full buffet which is set up Western style every day.
Homemade Berry Juice at the Tokyo Gate Hotel for breakfast. They offer orange juice as well, freshly squeezed. It was something I looked forward to for both mornings we stayed there.
The French Toast was heavenly. They served it with ham. (you can also get sausage)
There’s nothing like a hot cuppa tea first thing in the morning.
Breakfast looks divine, right? It tastes as good as it looks!
Below, their Honey Station, which is from the Saitama Prefecture. In addition to their delicious honey and jams, we tried their Carrot Relish and Onion Relish (likely seasonal — we were there in September), as well as bread with raisins and other freshly made breads and croissants.
They also offered a variety of cereals, which you can have with milk or fresh yogurt.
The bar area of the restaurant is set up for fresh juices and the morning paper in the AM.
The breakfast salad and veggie buffet. Do you notice the Acorn squash with raisins (this was to die for btw)? They also had green salad, pasta, cucumbers, eggplant and tomatoes — oh so yum!
Breakfast is a joyous experience at the Tokyo Gate Hotel
Cooked items from the menu – you have a choice of 3 each morning and they’re all delicious.
It’s an open kitchen so you can watch the chefs prepare your food.
Dining at Tokyo Gate Hotel
Then, there’s dinner at Anchor Tokyo, which is a must do if you stay here and even if you don’t. First came a l’il champagne which accompanied an assorted meat plate (compliments of the chef) and a fresh green salad with cheese. Ironically, the design and ambiance in the restaurant is inspired by the fizz of champagne.
So many delicious bites, where do we begin?
After champagne, we went for the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington State’s Jack’s Vineyards. Yeah, I know — all the way to Tokyo and we opted for American wine, however note that when we were in Yamanashi and the Nikko district, we drank a lot of Yoshu wine and other local varietals. This particular Cab was a great choice to pair with the red meat options we ordered to celebrate our last night in Tokyo.
Below, the very stylish and elegant dining room, once again the beautiful work of Gensler and Associates’ Yudai Watanabe.
Sauteed scallops then came out, which they serve Poire Bourguignon Style. They were heavenly — need I say more?
Above and below: to-die-for scallops at the start of our meal at Tokyo Gate Hotel’s main restaurant.
Other great appetizer options include Sauteed Foie Gras, assorted sausage, Smoked Norweigan Salmon, Grilled Yoshino ham, eggplant ratatouille with ‘Jamon Serrano‘, Caprese and champagne pate. For hot appetizers, they also offered a unique Shrimp and Mushroom Ajillo which we didn’t try but saw and it looked divine!
Then came the prize as our main entrees: Grilled Dry Age Japanese Beef which they served with a Pinot Balsamic Cabernet sauce and Grilled Beef Fillet Rosshini Style, which came with mashed potatoes and Foie Gras. Both went perfectly with the Jacks Vineyard Cab, which we will now look for at home (yup, it was that good!)
Grilled Dry Aged Japanese Beef with Rosemary
Below, grilled beef fillet Rosshini style with Foie Gras
Other great beef dishes included a Beer Stewed Beef Rib (hope to get that next time), and they also offer a Roast Ham, as well as Grilled Pork Chops, Roasted Spareribs, and Grilled Chicken if you want to opt for something a little lighter.
Moving onto Dessert……there were so many options, including ice cream and sherbet (if you want to keep things simple), Chocolate Cake, Nougat Glace, Mont Blanc, and Assorted Chocolate. Lesser common desserts in the west on the menu included things like smoked seafood, assorted olives, beef jerky, mixed notes and smoked yellow pickled radish. Interesting, right?
Dessert at Tokyo Gate Hotel
Although we didn’t have a chance to try it, there’s a smaller restaurant known as Teppanyaki Yasuma. It’s often booked up as it is a very small space. It is situated on the 13th floor (top floor) and you can get Wagyu Beef and Seafood here prepared by the head chef. There’s also a Premium Lounge, which guests of Luxe and Canopy rooms can visit for a complimentary drink.
Lobby Area & Beyond
Below, the Decor & Design of the Main Lobby. Wow, right? The work of Yudai Watanabe. Take a look at the view of the Ginza area out all of the windows. It’s extraordinary even during the day!
The lobby area — overlooks the busy & bustling Ginza area of Tokyo. They have a piano player during certain times of the day/evening.
The entrance of the Tokyo Gate Hotel in the city’s bustling Ginza district
Below are more examples of the unique and beautiful design work as you enter the hotel from the street. It is inspired by the waterfront and willows, and the architecture is designed to blend the life of the outdoor terrace with the energy of Harumi Street. The communal space art is themed after Ginza Hanatsubaki Dori and is a nostalgic portrayal of the area’s history as well as an expression of the city’s glitter. The first floor entrance highlights the glory of Ginza with silver (gin) foil.
Spectacular views of Tokyo’s Ginza area can be seen from the roof deck, where you can have drinks, tea, coffee and snacks.
Having a drink at the outdoor bar at the Tokyo Gate Hotel: stunning views of Ginza lie below.
The Rooms
The hotel room design for the 164 guest rooms was done by Rie Kurokawa. Their beds all use Simmons mattresses, which respond to any movement during sleep while staying aligned with the body’s natural lines. Their rainfall showers are awesome too due to Hansgrohe’s “Air Injection System” and coffee lovers will appreciate that they have Nespresso makers in all the rooms. We also loved the wave speaker with a built-in amplifier and a rich and natural sound that resonates with your heart. We used it to connect to our iPhones as well to listen to music while we packed our bags on the last day.
While we didn’t stay in a Luxe room, so if you want to splurge, consider going with their high level offering especially given the incredible views of the Ginza district, which is particularly stunning at night. There are various different room types: Luxe, Canopy (looks so fun, right?), Classy (this was our room type), Essential and Modest at the low end. The corner Luxe rooms overlook Harumi Street, with floor-to-ceiling windows providing a view of the Yurakucho and Marunouchi side and the Sukiyabashi intersection.
Included is free WiFi, flat-screen TVs, desks, tea and coffee-making facilities. Upgraded rooms feature panoramic views, while suites (some with balconies) add separate living areas.
Tokyo Gate Hotel’s Luxe Room
Tokyo Gate Hotel – luxe room option
Above and below: The Canopy Room
Tokyo Gate Hotel’s Canopy Room Bathroom
Tokyo Gate Hotel’s Classy Style Room, which is what we had for the second night we stayed here.
Tokyo Gate Hotel’s Classy Room Bathroom Style
Tokyo Gate Hotel’s Essential Room — all above inside room credits: The Tokyo Gate Hotel
The hotel is also eco-friendly. They use a solar panel for their hot water supply which helps to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.! They also apparently have a highly efficient air conditioning system which regulates both indoor and outdoor temperature, and the humidity and carbon dioxide concentration is actually measured. For example, it helps to reduce air conditioning energy by suppressing the introduction of outside air when there are few people in mid-summer, and actively increases outside air in the Spring and Autumn to help keep things cool. Bravo — we applaud all businesses who do their best to incorporate eco-friendly systems.
Additionally, they have a Gate Hotel location in the northern part of the city, only a three minute walk from the popular Asakusa train station, and a 7-minute walk from the revered Sensō-ji Temple which we visited on our first day in Tokyo. The Asakusa location is only 6 kilometers from the really cool Tsukiji fish market as well. In the Ginza location, there is also a fitness lounge with a full view of Hibiya — machines include treadmills, stationary bicycles and cross training machines. (it’s open till 11 pm)
For more information including how to book for either their Ginza or Asakusa location, visit their website.
DETAILS:
Tokyo Gate Hotel
Tele: +81.3.5826.3877
https://www.gate-hotel.jp/tokyo/
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Note: we were hosted by the hotel but all opinions expressed are entirely our own.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
