Ranked #3 Andaz Tokyo - The Legendary Sky Suite Upgrade We Never Expected
We booked a Deluxe Tokyo Tower view room. The Sky Suite waiting for us cost nearly $15,000 more per night - and it almost ruined future hotel stays.
Do you see the Tokyo Tower peeking out behind the pillar? The views were so staggering
Have you ever stayed in a hotel room so overwhelmingly gorgeous that you were scared to return? It doesn’t make much sense - until you see what happened to us.
Design Hype and High Expectations
As part of our luxury hotel hop-around trip in 2017, we stayed at Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills, which opened on June 11, 2014.
I was extremely excited because so many bloggers were gushing about the modern design, and I knew, based on the photos, I was very much into the aesthetics: a combination that emphasizes natural materials like washi paper and walnut, coupled with a modern minimalist design.
Some people were put off by the minimalist white walls, but to me, it was anything but boring.
The Most Underwhelming Upgrade Announcement
The craziness began when we checked in - seated on a nice couch, the receptionist quickly went through the hotel details.
To this day, I remember how fast her English was - almost as if speaking quickly would make it sound more native.
Well, we didn’t understand everything she said, but at the very end, she very flatly said, oh, you’ve been upgraded to the suite. No smile, no shift in facial expression.
A bombshell revelation delivered in the least dramatic tone.
We’re talking about a world-class, 5-star hotel that had been hogging the attention in Tokyo.
So when the receptionist wasn’t excited, we weren’t even sure we heard correctly - or if the “suite” was truly an upgrade.
A Very 2017 Points Move
I opened a Chase Sapphire Reserve and used 65,704 Ultimate Rewards points through the Chase travel portal to book the Andaz Tokyo Tower View Deluxe room, covering $985.56.
I admit - this was 2017 me and very uncharacteristic. Those points could have covered a 2 to 3-night stay at the Andaz in a standard room.
On this trip, we were on a rampage of luxury hotels - we had just stayed at the InterContinental Osaka, Ritz-Carlton Kyoto, Four Seasons Kyoto, and the Shangri-La Tokyo.
Yet, my expectations were still high, given how much chatter there was about this hotel.
As you can tell, we did not think much of the Andaz hospitality at this point. The receptionist looked extremely tired and emotionally checked out - no pun intended.
She wasn’t unpleasant by any means, but we just felt sorry for her - not exactly what you want to feel walking into a dreamy lobby with panoramic views.
Tempered Expectations
Without much pomp or excitement, we were escorted to our room.
In the elevator, we noticed the room wasn’t on the top floors, so we quickly lowered our expectations.
Although the room door was in the corner, there weren’t any indications that this was going to be the suite.
Pure Disbelief - Enter the Sky Suite
Our first impression of what we’d later learn was the Sky Suite, was pure disbelief.
We had been looking at photos of the Deluxe Tokyo Tower view room, which looked like a unique corner-room layout, but this Sky Suite was ridiculous.
We didn’t know where to sit at first - every seat came with a sweeping view of Tokyo. A literal 180-degree corner suite.
The Suite That Kept Unfolding
The suite took us through three or four rooms before we even found the bedroom, which had two king beds.
The expansive dining area plus living room had floor-to-ceiling views of the city. Beyond the connecting area was a workspace with a beautiful live-edge table with a mega-up-close view of the Tokyo Tower!
Cory and I drooled over the aesthetics, pretending to work on our laptops while snapping photos of each other.
The bedroom and bathroom were in the deepest parts of the room, coupled with a walk-in closet. We were speechless.
Complimentary Everything
As the host explained our room in detail, we were notified that all the food and drinks in the room, including alcohol, were complimentary.
I remember being excited to stay at an Andaz hotel because their brand policy includes complimentary mini-fridge items.
It wasn’t just Cokes and standard tea drinks; they had more bougie options like fresh orange juice in an oblong glass and other premium drinks you’d actually be excited to try.
But alcohol? Wow.
We were only staying for one night, so we quickly changed our plans and invited a friend living in Tokyo to come visit for dinner.
The min-fridge is back there - I’ll have to snap a photo of the contents next time we go. But there were plenty of drinks!
A Small Yes That Meant Everything
This is where the hotel's hospitality elevated the entire experience.
I called down specifically to ask if we could have a friend visit our room to enjoy dinner together in the special room.
The gentleman who answered paused for a moment, but, perhaps moved by our excitement, kindly told us that a visitor was fine as long as they left before 10 PM. We promised to keep our word, and he wished us a lovely time.
And oh, was it lovely. The three of us enjoyed room service - charcuterie boards, a few mains, and yes, at least a few bottles from the room.
We didn’t go overboard (which I kind of regret in hindsight), but kept it civil and enjoyed catching up over great food, wine, drinks, and a glorious view of Tokyo as the sun set.
The Bottle That Got Away
We could have taken home one last bottle of wine that was left unopened, but we didn’t want to take too much advantage of our incredible suite upgrade, and left it.
That bottle is still the one that got away, since I doubt we’ll ever be able to stay in that room again.
Of course, our guest was quite flabbergasted by the suite.
But the unforgettable part for Cory and me was the fact that the hotel let us share this special moment with a friend. They could have easily said no for security reasons and owed us no explanation.
We are still grateful today that the hotel trusted us and did not withhold hospitality, focusing more on the guest experience than on rigid rules.
The bottles that didn’t get away
Afraid to Go Back?
For obvious reasons, we fell in love with Andaz Tokyo, as many others have.
But our experience was most extraordinary.
As a result, we’ve been hesitant to return, afraid we’ll never match that moment.
Just some views from one of ~14 windows we had to choose from. Unforgettable.
Why It’s #3
This is also why, as hard as it is, we rank Andaz Tokyo in third place overall.
Would it have made third place if there had been no upgrade?
Would we have become repeat customers had we started in a standard room?
In some ways, this hotel spoiled us beyond remedy.
Knowing this, we keep it tucked away in a special place in our travel memories and hope that others, too, will get to experience the Andaz Tokyo.
Recent reviews indicate that the hotel has aged nicely, and guests are still raving.
Perhaps we’ll take a leap of faith and return on one of our next trips to indulge in the magic of Andaz Tokyo again.
For the most up-to-date photos of the Sky Suite, visit Andaz Tokyo’s official website: https://www.hyatt.com/andaz/en-US/tyoaz-andaz-tokyo-toranomon-hills/rooms/AZXS
Also in this series:
The Top 3 Luxury Hotels in Japan - Ranked by What Matters Most
Ranked #1 - Park Hyatt Kyoto: The 2-Michelin-Star Breakfast We Still Think About
Ranked #2 - The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto: The Hotel That Changed How We See Luxury in Japan
