The Kitano Hotel Tokyo

The Kitano Hotel Tokyo

The rooms at The Kitano Hotel Tokyo come with a kitchen, fridge and microwave alongside the usual minibar and bathtub, a detail that marks this out as a hotel built for staying rather than just sleeping. That instinct goes back to 1964, when the property opened as Kitano Arms, one of the first Western-style apartment hotels in Tokyo, later renovated into today's 100-room apart-hotel in Hirakawacho, Chiyoda-ward, next to the political district of Nagatacho and not far from Marunouchi and Ginza. The location also puts guests within walking distance of the Tokyo National Diet Library and the National Theatre, and close enough to the Imperial Palace and Tokyo Tower to reach on foot. What no comparable Tokyo property can claim is the sister hotel in Manhattan: The Kitano Hotel New York, open since 1973 and still the only Japanese-owned hotel on that island, gives this address a transpacific history rare among Tokyo apart-hotels of similar size. Day to day, the offer is straightforward: free Wi-Fi, a gym, a restaurant, a bar, concierge and laundry service, and a 24-hour front desk, with breakfast available for a separate fee rather than bundled in. Parking runs 3,000 JPY a day, an extra bed adds 10,890 JPY a night, and Tokyo's city tax of 100 to 200 JPY per person applies on top. Check-in runs from 3pm, check-out by 11am, both extendable for a fee if arranged ahead. None of this suits anyone chasing rooftop spectacle or a design-magazine lobby; the appeal here is quieter, aimed at repeat business travelers and long-stay guests who want a kitchen, a bathtub, and a history that predates most of Tokyo's current hotel skyline. A 100-room apart-hotel in Hirakawacho with kitchens in the rooms, a history dating to 1964, and a sister property in Manhattan that no other Tokyo hotel can match. Breakfast, parking and extra beds are all charged separately. Built for staying, not just passing through.