Tokyo Hotels

Hoshinoya is a unique urban offering for Tokyo, a hotel with a contemporary take on Japan's legendary omotenashi hospitality, set right at the heart of the city's Otemachi district. Leave your shoes at the door and unwind into spacious quarters, designed with a tasteful nod to the traditional Japanese aesthetic. The 19-floor hotel with stylish lattice exterior forms a bijou enclave in this bustling business district, just a 10-minute walk from Tokyo Station. You won't want to leave your ochanoma lounge area, allocated exclusively to guests staying on each floor and decked in traditional tatami mats. But if you do the rooftop onsen spa is a truly unique Tokyo experience. The hot spring waters are the perfect cure for urban fatigue and will help you revitalise your body and mind, all the while staring up at the open Tokyo skies above.

The grand dame of Tokyo's international accommodation brands, Imperial Hotel's reputation for impeccable service can be traced back to its 1890 origins. Every room is tastefully decorated. And with traditional tea ceremony demonstrations, in-house delicatessens and Steinway equipped music rooms, you certainly get what you pay for at this luxury accommodation.

The Park Hyatt Tokyo's role as muse and backdrop to Coppola's Lost in Translation pushed it onto the world stage in 2003. Towering over fashionable Shinjuku, guests enter on the 41st floor and gaze across the neon-lit Tokyo sky. Art blends with sleek architecture and spacious rooms, and even the spa combines tradition and modernisation with impressive success. Plus, there’s something to be said for working out in the gym that tormented Bill Murray.

Modern minimalist design and classic Japanese aesthetics brush shoulders in this hip hotel, just outside of the city centre. Guests can choose between a western–style room or traditional tatami space. Claska also offers free bike rentals, perfect for getting around Tokyo in a quick and eco-friendly way.

Set only a few minutes' walk from Shinjuku train station and in easy walking distance of a dizzying array of shops and restaurants, Gracery Shinjuku is something of a landmark - it's set in a modern high rise building that's 30 stories high, and there's a giant replica Godzilla head peering out the side. Though the rooms are compact, the bathrooms are larger than the norm and the higher rooms have scenic city views. There's also a convenient Italian restaurant on-site and a cinema on the ground floor.

Just minutes from Tokyo's famous Sensoji Temple, this small but beautiful ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) is the perfect base for exploring the bustling neighbourhood of Asakusa. Bowing kimono-clad receptionists welcome you into a bright lobby, filled with calligraphy and Japanese knick-knacks. Bedrooms are spacious with sliding doors and en-suite bathrooms, all in simple Japanese style.

Quite possibly offering the cheapest double rooms in central Tokyo, this hotel is ideal as a central base for a short visit. Within walking distance of the ex-pat haven of Roppongi, and the restaurants and bars of the Aoyama Itchome neighbourhood, guests are well placed for sightseeing.

Putting a funky twist into traditional Japanese-style accommodation, Hotel Niwa Tokyo provides Western-style beds but Japanese screens and gardens. Although moderate in size, it has an eye for design, which creates a spacious, fresh and tranquil atmosphere. This hotel is towards the top of the 'cheap' price category.

A few minutes' walk from Ikebukoro train station, this budget ryokan has the quaint touches of a traditional Japanese inn, but at a good price. The rooms have tatami mat floors and futons. Bathrooms are shared but toiletries are provided. Facilities include a communal lounge with a small food preparation area, a rooftop balcony, as well as a coin-operated laundry. Staff speak English, making the hotel popular with foreigners.