I stayed here as part of a business trip, which covered the expenses.
This hotel is located in Akasaka near the Akasaka Mitsuke station. It is one of the older style all encompassing luxury hotels, and so it is a huge complex of two hotel towers with many shops and restaurants and other services (even babysitting), so it is easy to just stay within the hotel the whole time. However, this can be quite expensive, as most of these shops are high-end. The hotel is situated on a beautiful, 400 year old Japanese Garden that is really worth a long visit. The rooms in the upper floors have very nice views of the city or the garden or both. The neighborhood is mostly office buildings, and from what I could tell, not very exciting for exploring.
The service is very good, as with most hotels in Japan, and they will try to help you in any way they can. I did run into some attitude from one staff member, and I think it had to do with being a foreigner. Most of the hotel staff can speak only rudimentary English, so be prepared.
My room was in the Garden Tower. Two things about the rooms really surprised me (in a positive way). First, the rooms are absolutely immaculate, and probably the cleanest I have ever experienced. They are cleaned thoroughly each day. True, the decor in the Garden Tower may seem a little outdated, but I didn't find it to be shabby, and the cleanliness of room made up for it. Second, the rooms are incredibly quiet. I think the hotel was quite busy with numerous guests coming and going during my stay, many as large groups for business events, but I never heard any noise from neighbors or people in the halls at all when I was in my room. It was by far the quietest hotel I've ever experienced.
The space in the room is small for western standards but it's laid out very efficiently, and if you are short it's not so much of an issue. The bed is hard and low--which is great if you like hard beds, but for those who prefer big high fluffy beds this may not be your thing.
The restaurants in the hotel tend to be very expensive and on the posh side. The sushi restaurant Kyubey has a renowned sushi chef, supposedly one of the best in Tokyo and Japan. There are also a few restaurants that are quicker and somewhat cheaper, but you have to find them. I found that the hotel website was the best place to determine where to eat, as they have the menus and also maps that show the location of each of the restaurants (which is helpful because it is easy to get lost in the hotel).
If being stuck in a hotel complex (even a large one) all day is not your thing, and you are up for exploring other neighborhoods of Tokyo by subway, then it is very close to the subway station (Akasaka-Mitsuke). There is a shortcut through the hotel (via the Garden Court entrance) so the walk is not far.
Also based on previous reviews, I signed up to be a New Otani Club member before I left. Since I did this only a week before my trip, my card did not get mailed to me at my home in time. However, I found that they had it at the desk when I checked in. There are some perks to being a NOC member, (like a free newspaper, some free services like laundry, and some discounts at the restaurants), and signing up is free, so it is helpful to become a member.
Some things to note:
-There is no wifi in the rooms. Based on some previous reviews, I brought an internet cable along, but I didn't need it in the end one was provided in the room). Internet use induces a charge to the room (not cheap).
-The toiletries do not include lotion unlike most western hotels.
-Also, there is no iron and ironing board in the room (in case you were planning on ironing your clothes!).
-There's an exercise room in each tower, but it is small (for the machines, only one treadmill, two ellipticals, and two bicycles. For some inexplicable reason, there are also chairs and stools).
- New Otani Tokyo Garden Hotel
- New Otani Hotel Tokyo
