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Tokyo is one of my favorite cities in the whole world and I am so lucky to have visited Tokyo a few times in the past. This past July, I took baby G and embarked on a short 2-day trip to Tokyo, mostly for food as little G has since acquired a palate for all kinds of Japanese foods, especially sushi.
Traveling with an active 6-year old isn’t easy so I made sure that we stayed in a nice hotel with amazing service. My choice was The Westin Tokyo. First of all, I have always been a fan of The Westin as I am a gold member of the Starwood Hotels, which owns and manages the hotel brand. Secondly, we would need the Westin Heavenly® Bed to get over the jetlag once we arrived from Los Angeles to Tokyo. Last but not least, I was eager to explore the quiet upscale area of Yebisu, where many traditional Japanese izakaya can be found.
On arrival, I immediately fell in love with the neighborhood. Centrally located in Yebisu, shops, restaurants, and subway stations are just minutes of walks away, without the hubbub of other locations in Tokyo. There are many shops in the neighborhood, small Japanese restaurants, cafes and mom-and-pop eateries in the area, which are very nice. There are also lots of trees.
As soon as we checked into our room, we immediately hopped onto the bed and took a brief rest. The biggest surprise lied behind the curtain as I was overcome by the view of Tokyo right in front of my very eyes. It was absolutely breathtaking to be able to see the metropolis from our room at the 19th floor.
The first night, I was hosted to a traditional Japanese meal at Mai, the Japanese restaurant in the hotel. Mai serves impeccable Japanese cuisine and I sampled the legendary Washoku set (US$100 per person), which has a great value for money considering the amount of foods served and the premium quality. I learned about Japanese table manner, the different kinds of fresh fish served in sashimi, the correct way of eating sushi and the proper way to place the chopsticks on the table. I would come back to stay at The Westin Tokyo just to eat at Mai again, I am serious. The food was absolutely refined and scrumptious. Next time, I will definitely try out the Kaiseki dinner course.
Another highlight of The Westin Tokyo is the Westin Garden, which little G had so much fun exploring during our two-day stay. The Westin Garden has a tiny creek and pond where small fish swim and fireflies dance in early summer. Be renewed in The Westin Garden, the exquisite green oasis of the heart of city, designed by Kazuyuki Ishihara, a renowned international landscape artist. The green façade and the central waterfall is the highlight of the garden. Over 300 different kinds of flowers and plants can be found any time of the year. When the Garden is lit after sunset, the picturesque scene transforms into a night time wonderland.
If you love desserts, you’re in a treat as The Westin Tokyo offers one of the most delectable Cheese Dessert Buffets in town at its restaurant The Terrace. The buffet features an extensive array of Japanese cheese desserts and confectionaries using cheeses from around the world, such as cheesecakes and glass-contained desserts. You don’t want to miss this as Japanese desserts are truly spectacular in presentation and utterly scrumptious in taste. This buffet is booked solid one month in advance, so make your reservation as soon as you book the hotel.
All in all, The Westin Tokyo is a great hotel for your stay in Tokyo. I have made plans to visit Tokyo again next summer and I will be certain to check into The Westin Tokyo again!
The Westin Tokyo
1 Chome-4-1 Mita,
Meguro, Tokyo 153-8580,
Japan
Phone: +81 3-5423-7000
Website: http://www.westin-tokyo.co.jp/en
Disclaimer: The Westin Tokyo hosted us during our July visit. The text and opinions are all mine.
Hi Bee,
Love your recipes, suggestions and stories. My wife and I visited Japan, Osaka, Hiroshima, Kyoto and Tokyo for the Sakura Cherry Blossom Festival this year. Tokyo was indeed amazing and crazy! Kyoto was food heaven and Hiroshima is sobering, especially in today’s world. Lived and worked in Kualu Lumpur for a few years and have managed to go back to KL on many occasions. Still working at mastering Malay and Indonesian cooking, but do ok for mat-salleh. Will definitely look into the Westin Tokyo for next year’s trip back through, China, Korea and Japan.
Hi Bee, I have never ventured into such exotic spaces as you as I am extremely afraid of flying and height. I would not be able to stay in a 19th floor hotel room. I can only go as high as the 8th floor because that is how high the ladders on the fire trucks reach! But I love reading about the adventures of others and I have a very active imagination and can actually “see”, “feel”‘ and “taste” what others write about. I enjoy so much the emails from you and the recipes…I’ve made some of them but don’t always have the correct ingredients but can improvise and they do become edible. They are fun. I thought I had saved some recipes about tacos and empanadas that you had sent but can’t find them. Maybe you will post them again…Thank you for what you do. Kay
Hi Kay, thanks for your comment. You may ask for lower floor at the Westin Tokyo, I am sure there is no problem. :) Thanks for your support.
Hi Melisa
I had the chance to stay in Westin Tokyo, and I agree with all what u mentioned.Its an amazing hotel, Excellant service, v spacious rooms, yummy food,cleanliness,location…I strongly recommend this hotel to anyone who would like to make the best of his trip to tokyo
Hi Raghida, that’s awesome. I miss it and wanted to go back next year so I can try the cheese dessert buffet. :)
Hi Melisa
Me too had the opp of staying at Westin Tokoyo.
I def agree with all what u mentioned, beside the spacious rooms , the cleanliness,and the excellent service
I strongly recommend this hotel to anyone who would like to make the best of his trip to tokyo
What is the correct way to place chopsticks on the table?
Thanks
Richard.
Hi Richard, the chopsticks rest should be placed horizontally right in front of you, before the plate/bowl.
Greetings !
I enjoyed reading about your visit to Japan.
We’ve only visited Japan once, in 1981, as part of an 8 country packaged tour.
Malaysia being one of the 8 countries :)
Japan’s a nice place to visit but super expen$ive.
That’s a long plane ride for a two-day trip.
Fortunately you were “hosted”.
Lucky you !!!
My favorite country (and cuisine) to visit is Thailand.
Hi Douglas, thanks for your comment. So great that you got to visit Malaysia. Yes Japan is expensive but I love the food and Tokyo so much. :)
Hi Bee
I read with interest on your stay at the Westin Hotel in Tokyo. I too love seeing lots of greeneries especially if the area is compact with concrete jungle.
The gardens at the hotel is beautiful. Looking forward to reading more of your tour coverage.
Hi Gretha, yes I will be writing about my Maldives experience soon. Please stay tuned. :)