The Ascott Marunouchi — Tokyo, Japan
In the crowded concrete canyons of Tokyo, developers are engaged in fierce turf wars to secure increasingly scarce prime locations. The solution has, invariably, been to push ever upwards, and pile on the value-adds by way of views, wonderfully spare décor, and impeccable service for which the Japanese are justly famed, especially at the upper category accommodation.
For their first foray into Japan, the Singapore-based The Ascott group of serviced apartments have picked the shiny Mitsubishi Estate Co-designed skyscraper in tony Marunouchi.
Taking up the 22nd to 29th levels, the property features not just views of the Imperial Palace, but also a team of eager butlers and concierge.
Meanwhile, the 130 suites comprise studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom configurations that are dressed by MDI and Kian Liew, The Ascott’s Head of Global ID Management, Product & Technical Services. The inspiration – a loose interpretation of the seasons by way of porcelain sakura blossoms, wooden sculptures, Bellagio marble, Pierre Frey furniture and solid oak – are just the thing to soothe nerves frayed by Tokyo’s freneticism.
The direct connection to the Otemachi station is handy, as is the in-house restaurant Triple One (a reference to the address) whose Singaporean-based menu is anchored by homey standards like laksa and chicken rice.
ADDRESS
1-1-1 Otemachi Chiyoda-Ku
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
Santa Monica hotspot The Georgian Room is a rare, well-done steakhouse speakeasy
Hidden inside The Georgian Hotel in Santa Monica, a restored speakeasy that lovingly nods to its storied past
By Kevin EG Perry Published
-
In St Barths, Cheval Blanc is an oceanside oasis soaking in turquoise views
Following its 10th anniversary, Cheval Blanc St-Barth continues to shine as a pearl of the Caribbean
By Tianna Williams Published
-
We celebrate the emerging London architects to be excited about
These emerging London architects are some of the capital's finest ground-breakers, movers and shakers; heralding a new generation of architecture
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Shake off the winter chill at these design-led onsen hotels in Japan
Whether you’re heading to the mountains of Hokkaido or the alleys of Kyoto’s Gion district, these immaculately designed onsen hotels will keep the shivers at bay
By Jen Paolini Published
-
The new hotels you’ll want to stay at in 2025
Where to stay in 2025? Let six of the most-read-about hotel openings of the past 12 months inspire your escape – from a tiny Tokyo bolthole to a Tanzanian safari retreat
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
2025 getaways: where Wallpaper* editors will be travelling to this year
From the Japanese art islands of Naoshima and Teshima to the Malaysian tropical paradise of Langkawi, here’s where Wallpaper* editors plan to travel to in 2025
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
The most whimsical hotel Christmas trees around the world
We round up the best hotel Christmas tree collaborations of the year, from an abstract take in Madrid to a heritage-rooted installation in Amsterdam
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Six brilliant bars for your 2025 celebrations, hot off the Wallpaper* travel desk
Wallpaper’s most-read bar reviews of the year can't be wrong: here’s inspiration for your festive and new year plans, from a swanky Las Vegas lounge to a minimalist London drinking den
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Yoruya, a Japanese inn where less is always more
Yoruya, which transforms a 110-year-old former kimono merchant shopfront and residence in Kurashiki, is an exercise in graceful restraint and craft
By Joanna Kawecki Published
-
First look: Noma Kyoto returns and aims to ‘double-wow’ diners
Noma Kyoto opens on 8 October for a ten-week pop-up inside Ace Kyoto. Thomas Lykke, co-founder of OEO Studio, tells us of the interiors’ autumn-forest inspiration
By Danielle Demetriou Published
-
Kengo Kuma’s new Kyoto hotel is ‘a sanctuary of ethereal beauty’
A former ryokan inn, Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto offers onsen rooms equipped with natural hot spring water, and a contemporary take on a Noh theatre
By Danielle Demetriou Published