Tale of two Tokyos: the Four Seasons at Otemachi and Marunouchi

This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s guide to Tokyo

Almost everyone does it. Emerging from the lift, guests arriving at the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi tend to expel an audible gasp.

The hotel occupies the top six floors of a 39-storey glass high-rise in Tokyo’s financial district; the only way in is to venture right to the top, where the elevators from the entrance open on to a sweeping panoramic view of the cityscape and the vast grounds of the Imperial Palace. It’s a striking contrast to its less showy sibling property, the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi, a more boutique experience and an encapsulation of what’s now called stealth wealth. Together the hotels suggest an idea of Tokyo as a tale of two cities: the Japanese capital as both a symbol of slick futurism and time-honoured tradition.

Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi

The high-rise Otemachi is the hotel group’s sparkling new offering. It officially opened in late 2020 as part of a new business and entertainment tower, though with pandemic-era travel restrictions it only more recently began welcoming guests in earnest. When I visited, it still felt remarkably new and untouched, helped by its ultra-modern, high-tech conveniences that sit seamlessly alongside stylish decor. The principal designer, Jean-Michel Gathy, responsible for some of the world’s most notable luxury hotels and resorts, has beautifully woven contemporary interiors with Japanese cultural elements and aesthetics, and the result is a property that feels at once decidedly luxurious and distinctly of its place.

Perhaps the neatest bit of design, however, is in the Otemachi’s layout: to access the 190 rooms and suites, guests must travel from the ground floor up to the very top, then transfer to a different set of lifts. After any initial confusion, the reasoning becomes clear: every journey in or out of the hotel involves taking in the almost aerial view of the Emperor’s abode — and Otemachi is one of the rare places in Tokyo where you can.

Rooms

With full-width, floor-to-ceiling windows and electric blinds that automatically open upon entry, the guest bedrooms are also designed to maximise the panoramas of the palace grounds or the sea of high-rises beyond (on a clear day you might see a snowcapped Mount Fuji too).

Even the smallest bedrooms are 527 sq ft — larger than the average Tokyo apartment — so there is plenty of space to spread out. Aside from a king-size bed and thousands of pillows attempting to seduce my jet lag, my room had a table to work at, a walk-in closet with a full-length mirror and large dressing table, a tea and coffee counter for the essential caffeine injection (with snacks) and a surprising highlight: an enormous spa-like bathroom with enough counter space to satisfy even those who do their 10,000 steps as a skincare regime. The dark-tiled rainfall shower and bathtub also had — you guessed it — an extraordinary view, and the provided toiletries also covered more bases than one might expect: make-up remover, face wash, face lotion . . . I could go on.

Wellness

The real spa is even more enticing, with Japanese-influenced rituals, facial and body treatments, and heavenly massages (a must for tall people who did a long-haul flight smushed in economy). The women’s and men's changing rooms each have their own ofuro (Japanese baths; no swimsuits permitted) and access to the glistening 20m heated swimming pool, which you’ll need to don a swim cap to use (the poolside staff will provide one if you haven’t brought your own). All of these facilities harness those signature views — as does the fully equipped 24hr gym.

Food and drink

However, the real heart of the hotel is the double-height top floor, each corner a gateway to epicurean excitement. The lounge is popular for an Asahi beer or afternoon tea, while the casual Italian restaurant, Pigneto, highlights the city’s prowess in pizza-making and offers alfresco dining on its sky-high terrazzo. Virtù, the hotel’s award-winning cocktail bar that’s been named one of the best in Asia, serves seriously impressive, theatrical drinks (try the smoked-ume Old Fashioned), while Est, the Michelin-star restaurant led by the friendly French chef Guillaume Bracaval, is a showcase of delicate Japanese ingredients and terroir skilfully treated with classical technique. The wines too are particularly special, with many sourced from around Japan that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. 

Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi

A 25-minute walk away from Otemachi, the Four Seasons in Marunouchi offers a more traditional version of Japanese hospitality: understated luxury that is deceptively simple and expertly accomplished. 

While the Otemachi district could be twinned with Wall Street with its enormous, gleaming glass towers, Marunouchi, a sleek commercial zone with offices, restaurants and shops, was modelled by its developers after the City of London. In the late 19th century, this area that was once home to Edo Castle had become overgrown grasslands, and, at the government’s behest, the Mitsubishi Company bought the land in order to create a business district to rival the Square Mile in both function and appearance. The first Marunouchi office building, a Victorian-style structure that opened in 1894, was designed by the British architect Josiah Conder, and as more red-brick buildings sprung up, the area was nicknamed “Iccho London”.

Close to Tokyo Station, the Four Seasons Marunouchi’s location is hard to beat for visitors planning to explore both the capital and other parts of Japan by rail (though whatever your intentions, do make good use of the rail hub’s famous Ramen Street, especially for a traditional ramen breakfast. Soranoiro Nippon, Tonkotsu Ramen Oreshiki Jun and Rokurinsha are all open in the morning). It’s also within walking distance to the shops and restaurants of Ginza, and about 30 minutes on foot to the rambling food stalls, restaurants and shops at Tsukiji Outer Market. And there is plenty to enjoy within the walls of the hotel too.

Food and drink

The Four Seasons Marunouchi is rapidly becoming best known as a dining destination: on its top floor you’ll find one of the world’s most acclaimed restaurants, Sézanne, which has two Michelin stars and this year was named as the top restaurant in Asia by World’s 50 Best. Here British wunderkind chef Daniel Calvert, whose CV also includes Le Bristol in Paris, New York’s Per Se and Pied à Terre in London, has enthusiastically embraced seasonal Japanese ingredients (my tasting menu included a jellyfish dish, softshell turtle and hairy crab that’s only in season for a short time). Throw in his innovative streak and expert technique and the result is a delicate yet jaw-dropping menu that is unlike anything anywhere else.

Maison Marunouchi, the hotel’s all-day bistro and champagne lounge with views over Tokyo Station’s bullet trains, is also under Calvert’s purview, where his more casual fare attracts well-heeled customers from morning til late.

Rooms

With 57 rooms and suites, Marunouchi is about a third of the size of its newer, more conspicuous sibling and the experience feels more boutique as a result. The hotel’s design by international firm Yabu Pushelberg is neutral in palette and utilises textured fabrics and natural materials such as wood and stone, and most rooms, which are also enormous by Tokyo standards, offer city views through floor-to-ceiling windows. Bathrooms are stocked with delicious products that guests will tempted to take home (such as the Diptyque hand cream) and here the Four Seasons again goes above and beyond in anticipating anything one might need — that even includes a proper hairbrush. I returned from dinner one night to find that the turndown service had even laid out a pair of cotton pyjamas for me.

Niki Blasina was a guest of Four Seasons Hotels Tokyo