Finally we got our bucket list checked and had an amazing staycation and true omotenashi experience from Hoshinoya Tokyo.
Hoshinoya Tokyo is one of the most unique places we have ever stayed. The luxury ryokan is centrally located at the metropolitan city of Tokyo next to Otemachi Station and also within walking distance to Tokyo Station and Imperial Palace.
Previously on 2018, AnakJajan had a memorable stay at Hoshino Resorts KAI Nikko, that’s why we were so excited to stay at Hoshinoya Tokyo by Hoshino Resorts.
We always love the idea of staycation, enjoying quality time, pampering ourselves, getting body and soul relaxed. We spend 3 days and 2 nights at Hoshinoya Tokyo on September 2019 to get rejuvenated before before flying back to Jakarta.
ENTRANCE
Upon entering Hoshinoya Tokyo, you will be instantly surprised by the tranquil zen vibes from the entrance corridor with soft tatami, high ceiling and beautiful seasonal display.
The staff will assist you to take off your shoes and you can walk barefoot or with socks on the entire building, it felt like we were welcomed back to our own home.
ROOM
There are 3 types of room at Hoshinoya Tokyo: Yuri, Sakura, and Kiku. The room rate starts from JPY 83.000/room per night.
Me and Mr. Jajan stayed in Kiku room, the largest and also the most tranquil room with maximum capacity of 3 persons.
The Japanese style room is very spacious with peaceful ambiance. We really love the traditional accents like bamboo closet, sliding doors, paper window, and tatami.
The bathroom itself features deep bathtub for private bath experience. For amenities, they provide complete range of skincare set from Lirio brand. Love the fact that they use hairdryer from my favorite brand Hairbeauron.
LOUNGE
Ochanoma Lounge is located on each floor. Hoshinoya Tokyo does an excellent job in creating homey vibes, the lounge feels like living room and kitchen area, we can sit in the couch doing some reading, playing games, etc.
The lounge is filled with unlimited selection of seasonal teas and confectionery as complimentary for guests. The snacks provided in the morning, afternoon, and evening are different so you can enjoy breakfast, afternoon snack or even late night supper.
Me and Mr. Jajan honestly spent lot of time there since the snacks provided were so soooo good, we enjoyed the traditional delicacies paired with tea. For supper, we loved the Nyumen/ yuzu soup noodle so much, savory warm and comforting with hint of yuzu aroma, if you’re planning to stay there, make sure to try it.
IN ROOM DINING, BREAKFAST
Every morning, rice balls and coffee are provided at Ochanoma lounge but you can also order in-room breakfast.
On the first morning, me and Mr. Jajan ordered Western breakfast JPY 3.300/ pax, it came with omelette, seasonal salad, bread, soup, coffee/ tea, yoghurt and fruit jelly. It was a hearty and filling breakfast.
Then on the second morning, we opted for Japanese breakfast JPY 4.000/ pax with grilled fish, 4 small dishes, salad, rice, miso soup, and dessert. It was such a mood booster, perfectly seasoned with all the ingredients complimenting each other nicely.
ONSEN
For complete ryokan experience, onsen or hot spring bath is a must! Hoshinoya Tokyo uses natural hot spring water sourced directly from 1.500 meter below the ground, it makes the skin moist & helps the body to retain warm.
We felt relaxed soaking in the hot spring with view of sky. Make sure to end the onsen experience a bottle of cold milk (milk and coffee milk are provided as complimentary).
The picture above were taken with under permission when the onsen was closed for public since no camera allowed inside the onsen.
TEA CEREMONY
For our staycation, Me and Mr. Jajan have planned to rest and stay in the ryokan for the whole day since the room is amazing and there are many activities to do too for example Tea Ceremony Workshop.
Tea Ceremony Workshop is an optional activities and it costs JPY 8.000 per person. You will be served matcha tea and also get the chance to make your own tea guided by the host.
It was a very nice experience, tasting the tea as well as learning more stories about the ceremony itself. The host speaks English fluently so don’t worry about language.
SAKE LOUNGE
In the afternoon, make sure not to miss Sake Lounge on the second floor, it is complimentary for guests (free of charge).
Sake Lounge opens everyday from 5 to 7PM. It was quite a fun experience, tasting different types of sake while watching traditional Japanese juggling show (5.15 & 5.45PM). The juggling show was really funny and entertaining, as you can see from pictures below, the performer tried to balance glasses and rotating umbrella.
DINING
One of the highlights from our stay is the dinner session. The “Nippon Cuisine” menu is an interesting concept by award winning Executive chef, Noriyuki Hamada where Japanese local ingredients meet French cooking technique.
Nippon Cuisine dinner course costs JPY 18.000 per person and it is only available for guests staying at Hoshinoya Tokyo.
We were so excited for the dinner since we heard so many good reviews about it. The restaurant is located on the basement floor with huge rock centerpiece, the decor is very clean and simple with dimmed light so we can focus on enjoying the food without any distraction.
The chef focuses on fish as the main ingredient, he travels around the country to find the finest local ingredients depends on the season. There are 9-course of meal plus 1 appetizer and 1 assorted sweets, so in total we had 11-course.
The food presentation was spot on, visually very eye pleasing, the staff did an amazing job in describing the dishes in English.
The taste was MIND BLOWING GOOD! Easily one of our top dinner experience in Japan, everything was cook perfectly, beautifully seasoned, harmonious without overpowering, great texture combination, nicely chosen ingredients that complement each other perfectly.
One of our top favorites would be the “Five Flavors of Delight” with 5 items representing 5 flavors (sour, sweet, bitter, salty and umami). It is placed on mini stones individually heated to ideal serving temperatures from room temperature to warm and hot. We really enjoyed the subtle flavor explosion in each item.
The Japanese Chestnut dessert was also mind blowing good, soooo good we almost cried. It was plated beautifully with autumn theme, it tastes like mont blanc but the better version with melt-in-the-mouth meringue on the bottom, smooth and crunchy in every bite, oishi!
Appetizer
Kegani Crab
Five Flavors of Delight
Mackerel
Oyster
Codfish
Flounder
Abalone
Grape
Japanese Chestnut
Assorted Sweets
Overall, Hoshinoya Tokyo offers one of a kind Japanese ryokan and makes a perfect escape to enjoy the zen vibes of Japan and Japanese hospitality without leaving the urban center of Tokyo. Our ryokan experience Hoshinoya Tokyo was definitely one of the most memorable ones, the zen homey vibes made us felt welcomed.
Address:
Hoshinoya Tokyo
1-9-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo, Japan 100-0004
Website & Reservations: hoshinoya.com/tokyo/en/
Phone: +815037861144
Instagram: @hoshinoresorts.official
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