Welcome to Hotel Gajoen; the luxurious way to spend a restful night in Tokyo, writes Anna King Shahab
As in any big city around the world, it’s easy to check yourself into a big-brand hotel in Tokyo and feel no sense of place at all woven into the white-on-beige minimalist design. Some travellers appreciate the uniformity.
But if that’s not you, if you’re in Tokyo and want to feel immersed in Japan, Hotel Gajoen – a veritable ‘museum hotel’ is the place for you. This member of the Small Luxury Hotels group offers all the modern luxuries you could hope for, with visually stunning, unique, and fascinating lessons in history to boot.
Gajoen occupies a generous site in Meguro, an area named for the river that runs through it. Cherry trees outline the path of the river; Meguro is known as one of the best places for hanami – blossom viewing – in spring.
The tree-lined river and the wider area are pretty throughout the rest of the year, too; Meguro is only a few stations but a whole other world from the frantic pace of Shibuya. This upmarket, mostly residential area has a peacefulness about it, and the moment you enter the grounds of Hotel Gajoen that deepens to tranquility.
Hotel Gajoen Tokyo's entrance. Photo / Anna King Shahab
Completed in 1928, the hotel’s predecessor Meguro Gajoen was built as Japan’s first integrated wedding venue and wears an Art Deco charm – Japan was still reeling from a devastating earthquake and famine earlier in the decade and this elegant spot was viewed as a beacon of hope.
It remains a popular upmarket spot for nuptials, which take place in rooms of such beauty they make our Western white-cloaked chairs and flouncy ribbons look positively boring.
Staying guests can get a peek of the wedding shrines and banquet rooms via the hotel’s free Gajoen Art Tour which I highly recommend booking. You’ll get up close to some of the more than 2500 artworks that grace the hotel, including the breathtakingly beautiful paintings and hinoki carvings from the Showa era that adorn the walls and ceilings of the traditional tatami wedding rooms.
Studio Ghibli fans will easily appreciate how these paintings, portraying nature’s bounty throughout its seasons, inspired the film Spirited Away.
The hotel was Japan’s first integrated wedding venue, built in 1928. Photo / Anna King Shahab
Among the 60 luxurious rooms – all suites – you can opt for either a Western or Japanese fit out.
At 80sq m and upwards, the eyewatering real estate value of each room is something I pondered as I drew back the curtains to take in the view over Meguro and its river, all leafy green in the height of summer.
Rooms on the other side of the corridor boast a view of the formal Japanese garden, complete with an impressive waterfall. All rooms have a steam room and whirlpool bath, and the collection of amenities on offer was the most impressive I’ve ever encountered.
The hair dryer, featuring technology that dries hair by vibration rather than the usual damaging heat, was the icing on the natural pink marble cake for me.
Hotel Gajoen Tokyo Japanese room bathroom. Photo / Anna King Shahab
It was understandably hard to leave the room (in which the beds are dangerously comfortable), but there’s plenty of pull to explore the area. We wandered the river towpath to the Nakameguro, bustling with students and creatives, to peruse its bookshops, bakeries and eateries.
A five-minute walk to Meguro station and one stop on the train had us emerging in Ebisu, where we spent a fun evening winding through its central yokocho (food alley), progressively dining on yakitori skewers and petite plates of sashimi, and stopping at several of its bars to sip on wines from around the world, sake, and of course a Yebisu beer, brewed a stone’s throw away from there.
Outside the Hotel Gajoen Tokyo. Photo / Anna King Shahab
Dining in the hotel is also memorable: eight choices await those with an appetite, including Chinese, American grill, Italian, and Tofutei, which nestles on its own in the formal garden, and offers nine private dining spaces in which to enjoy an elegant kaiseki banquet.
Breakfast is suitably sumptuous; the usual Continental and Western cooked-to-order pickings are there, along with fancy French dishes and fresh juices. I loved selecting from the Japanese counter – steamed rice topped with miso-grilled fish, with sides of pickles, natto, and miso.
In my opinion, the best luxury stays are those that offer opportunities to amuse the bouche with complimentary sessions in the club lounge.
A hearty breakfast. Photo / Anna King Shahab
During our two-night stay, we were too busy out and about to check out the daily afternoon tea, but once we’d discovered how wonderful evening cocktail hour was we made sure to be there the following twilight for round two.
Guests are invited to pour premium sake and wines (including excellent Japanese wines) and nibble on a selection of canapes (including sushi and sashimi alongside interesting fusion creations).
I had to be careful not to ruin my appetite for dinner … but had no regrets savouring second and third helpings of bite-sized katsu sando and dainty skewers of miso-marinated havarti as the sun set and Tokyo’s night sky came alive with electricity.
Meguro, the hotel’s location, is famed for cherry blossom viewing in spring. Photo / Anna King Shahab
