In September 2024, my travels took me to Japan for a few weeks and included stays at Hilton Honors properties exclusively, including the Conrad Tokyo, Conrad Osaka, and Roku Kyoto LXR.
My partner and I had been accruing Hilton Honors points for years, and simply couldn’t redeem them as quickly as we were earning them, especially when coupled with the Hilton Honors free night certificates readily available through spending and credit card welcome offers.
The start of our vacation saw us staying five nights in Tokyo, before heading West to Osaka, and the Conrad Tokyo was the logical choice in starting the vacation off on the right foot. We also ended our Japan travels with one night at the Conrad Tokyo, before flying home on ANA Business Class.
Let’s take a look at the Conrad Tokyo and what you can expect during your next stay at this high-end property.
Booking & Check-in
We booked our stay at the Conrad Tokyo using Hilton Honors points at a rate of 95,000 points per night, with the fifth night free. The total cost for our stay was 380,000 Hilton Honors points whereas the cash cost for five nights would have been ¥359,600 or roughly $3,400 CAD, which is great value when it comes to a Hilton Honors points redemption.
We’ve accrued the large majority of our Hilton Honors points through the previously published Hilton Honors credit card strategy, plus some more unique angles including the use of no lifetime language offers.
The Conrad Tokyo would also be a fantastic property for redeeming a Hilton Honors free night certificate, particularly if you received it from holding the American Express Hilton Honors Aspire card (US) which also grants Hilton Diamond status, the highest status in the loyalty program.
The American Express Hilton Honors Aspire card (US) earns Hilton Honors points and offers cardholders an annual $400 Hilton Resort credit, a $200 airline fee credit, instant Hilton Diamond Elite status, an annual free night, and more.
Check out our American Express Hilton Honors Aspire card (US) review for more details.
175,000 Hilton Honors
$6,000
$500+
$550
No
Jan 8, 2025
If you are interested in diversifying hotel loyalty programs, consider looking into how you can add US credit cards to your wallet as a Canadian.
We flew into Haneda (HND) on Japan Airlines Business Class and opted to take a taxi from the airport for a rough cost of ¥8,000 as we were flying with two large pieces of checked luggage. Public transit is the way to go in Tokyo, and we utilized it heavily for the rest of our vacation, but taking a taxi was a stress-free way to start after arriving from a long flight.
If you do opt to take the train, you will eventually end up in the Shiodome area, particularly if you are walking from Shinbashi station. If you enter via the backside of the building, you can expect to see the entrance that is pictured below.
Note that if you are taking the train from the airport, there are many signs as you get closer to the Conrad Tokyo, so it shouldn’t be overly difficult to find your way. It could however be a bit of a journey after a long flight, depending on how you are feeling.
Upon entering the building, you will notice that the Conrad Tokyo lobby is not on the main floor, but instead, you will actually need to take an elevator up to the lobby area. If you see a red piece of artwork in the center on the ground floor, you are in the right place!
From here, look for the signage that directs you to the 28th floor which is where the lobby area for the Conrad Tokyo is located.
The lobby area was a bit chaotic both times we stayed at the Conrad Tokyo, but there was always an attendant to govern the chaos and “pre-check” you in. As a Hilton Honors Diamond member, I was welcomed to check in at the Executive Lounge on the 37th floor, which we took advantage of during one of our visits.
The front desk agent took our passports, and credit card, and provided us with our room keys in a seamless process. We were also provided with a sheet that detailed the Executive Lounge Diamond member benefits.
Location
The Conrad Tokyo is located in the Shiodome area in the Minato City ward of Tokyo. The Shiodome area, particularly the underground complex, can be a bit confusing to navigate on your first journey out but it starts to make a lot more sense after a few outings.
While the hotel is located in more of a business-centric area of Tokyo, we didn’t have any issue traveling around the city, including to Tokyo Disneyland, or finding dinner and drinks nearby, usually in the Shinbashi area.
Parking
While it’s unlikely that you will be renting a car or driving during your stay in Tokyo, the option to park your vehicle is available for guests at Conrad Tokyo. The daily cost is ¥3,000 for self-parking and ¥4,000 for valet parking.
Room – King Room Bay View
While I had booked the standard award availability of a King Room with City View, we were proactively upgraded to a King Room with Bay View.
While I normally am a big advocate of asking for the hotel upgrade you want, I didn’t care about the room type for this stay as we had plans for every day of the trip and simply wouldn’t be in the room that much.
Upon entering the room, the bathroom was immediately to the left; we will come back to that part of the room later. The design of the main room with the king bed is simple, but elegant, particularly as a result of the design on the carpet and headboard.
Each nightstand had its own light and charging ports that worked with North American devices.
There were also controls on each side of the bed for the lighting. The right side also had controls for the curtains and blinds.
There was a small briefcase-type box beside the nightstand that contained various information about the room and the hotel. There were also luggage transfer service slips available.
While we did use luggage transfer services to ship our bags to Osaka and back later in the vacation, we simply called the “Conrad Service” number on the phone and the hotel sent a staff member down to help us fill the forms out and charge the service to our room bill.
A sectional lined the floor-to-ceiling windows, making it a great place to sit and enjoy the city and bay views below.
Interestingly enough, on our second stay, a small welcome gift of dark chocolate with fruit was placed on the table near the couch. This welcome amenity was absent during our first stay but was appreciated nonetheless.
The views from the room were stunning, including the Hamarikyu Gardens below.
Directly beside the sectional was one of the more functional hotel room desks I have encountered during my travels. The chair was comfortable, a plug was nearby, and there was more than enough space to work briefly throughout the stay.
Next to the desk was the television. While we didn’t watch much TV during our stay, this is not a smart TV so don’t expect to be able to easily use streaming services.
A Nespresso coffee machine is available, plus two complimentary bottles of still water which were replenished daily.
Below the TV is the minibar and additional glassware. A number of non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages are available for purchase.
A luggage storage rack is placed beside the TV stand in a perfectly sized nook.
There is a massive glass window separating the bathroom from the bedroom. It does have an electronic wooden shade that can be drawn by using the controls in the bathroom. There are a number of settings, depending on how open you want the bathroom to the bedroom.
Moving into the bathroom, a double vanity presents itself with a massive circular mirror.
Directly beside the vanity is a collection of Conrad-branded amenities, including dental kits, mouthwash, shaving kits, bath salts, and a body towel. A high-end Repronizer hair dryer is available for guests.
The bathtub is located directly next to the window into the bedroom.
A Conrad Tokyo branded rubber duck was waiting for us, and we were just as eager to take it home to add it to the collection.
On the left side of the bathroom, frosted glass blocks off both the toilet and walk-in shower.
The toilet was outfitted with all of the bells and whistles that you would expect of a toilet at a luxury hotel in Japan, including a heated seat.
The walk-in shower was big enough and had a normal shower head plus a rainfall shower head.
Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash were provided by Byredo and seemed quite high quality.
Outside of the bathroom was the only closet in the room, which contained the iron and ironing board.
The in-room safe was also located in the closet.
Finally, all rooms have controls by the entrance to signal whether you would like privacy or need the room made up. No need for the terrible paper or cardboard “Do Not Disturb” signs here!
Turndown service was provided nightly and included complimentary pajamas left on the bed and a filled ice bucket.
Overall, the room was excellent. The technology is showing its age a bit, especially with a lack of a smart TV, but everything else was up to standard and made our stay exceedingly comfortable.
Restaurants & Bars
All restaurants at the Conrad Tokyo are located on the 28th floor. While I’ve captured them all below for reference with links to menus, we didn’t dine at any restaurant except for Cerise for breakfast during our stay.
There are simply too many great restaurant options in Tokyo to settle for a hotel restaurant when there is a whole city to explore.
Cerise – Hilton Honors Gold Complimentary Breakfast
Conrad Tokyo guests who are Hilton Honors Gold Members or above will receive complimentary breakfast for themselves and a guest as part of the Hilton Honors breakfast benefit.
The complimentary breakfast benefit is served at Cerise restaurant, however, Hilton Diamond members can also choose to have their breakfast in the Executive Lounge on the 37th floor which offers a more intimate environment, however, it is a smaller breakfast spread.
Cerise is located right beside the guest elevators, making it hard to miss. In the morning, a staff member will be stationed at the podium to verify your room number and last name, to check your complimentary breakfast eligibility.
Since breakfast is only available until 10:30 am, with the last a la carte order being taken at 10:00 am, there usually was a small lineup when we visited close to 9:00 am. However, it moved quickly, and we were usually seated within 5 minutes.
The main area of Cerise has floor-to-ceiling windows, with city views all around.
If Cerise is full, you may be seated in the overflow area in China Blue, as we were one morning. The area is still gorgeous with nice city and bay views, and the buffet and a la carte options were identical.
The a la carte menu at Cerise is identical day after day, however, there is enough variety to keep it interesting and fresh during a five-night stay. After being taken to our table, a server took our drink order and gave us a few minutes to review the menu before taking our food order.
The buffet was sizable and consisted of Japanese and Western or international options. There is no chance that you will go hungry when dining at Cerise, even if you are a pickier eater.
Several fresh juices and smoothies were also available. The absolute standout was the apple juice, which was incredibly fresh and easily one of the best-tasting juices I’ve ever had.
As for the a la carte menu, we enjoyed the avocado toast, french toast muffin, eggs benedict, and an omelette. All were excellent, and not overly big portions making them a great complement to the buffet.
We found that the lattes were consistently very good, whether we ordered them hot or iced.
Daily breakfast at Cerise was nothing short of excellent and was absolutely one of the highlights during our time at Conrad Tokyo.
TwentyEight Bar & Lounge
TwentyEight Bar & Lounge is located right beside the lobby area and offers light bites, afternoon tea, and cocktails. There were a few times during our stay that they had live music upon our later evening return to the hotel.
You can make reservations and view the menu for TwentyEight Bar & Lounge here.
China Blue
China Blue is open for lunch and dinner and focuses on Cantonese flavors and Chinese traditions with gorgeous views of Tokyo Bay.
You can make reservations and view the menu for China Blue here.
Collage
Collage is open for dinner and offers a selection of European cuisine with excellent presentation and stunning nighttime city views. Collage is closed on Monday and Tuesday.
You can make reservations and view the menu for Collage here.
Kazahana
Kazahana is open for lunch and dinner and focuses on Japanese cuisine with gorgeous city views from their floor-to-ceiling windows.
You can make reservations and view the menu for Kazahana here.
Facilities
Executive Lounge
The Executive Lounge is located on the 37th floor for eligible guests, including Hilton Honors Diamond members and those who are staying in an eligible room type.
Eligible guests can enjoy breakfast at the Executive Lounge instead of Cerise from 7:00 am to 10:30 am daily. While we didn’t take advantage of this, the breakfast offering is smaller and the menu is slightly different, so keep that in mind. Afternoon tea is also available with drinks and small bites from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm daily.
We did however participate in the Executive Lounge cocktail hour one evening, which is available from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. On the busier evenings, guests will need to reserve a one-hour timeslot. This can easily be done by messaging the hotel on the Hilton Honors mobile app, as they were very responsive.
Upon arriving, we were checked in and shown to our seats. The Executive Lounge at the Conrad Tokyo is split into two areas, with the main hallway dividing them.
Cocktail hour included self-served cocktails and small bites. A full bar, complete with various spirits and mixers, was available for guests who wanted to craft their perfect cocktail. Red, white, and sparkling wines were also available.
Non-alcoholic beverages were also available, including soda and juices.
There were a few stations with small bites, but they were average at best and easily forgettable.
While having access to the Executive Lounge was a nice touch, I wouldn’t go out of my way to attend the cocktail hour in the Executive Lounge but instead use it as a way to kick off your evening in Tokyo with a free cocktail or two as we did.
Fitness Center
The fitness center is located on the 29th floor and is available 24 hours a day. There was a large number of cardio machines available, in addition to weight machines and free weights.
The fitness center overlooks the pool, meaning you can enjoy city views during your workout.
Pool
The pool is located on the 29th floor and you will need to check in at the Spa desk for the staff member to confirm your access as a guest at the hotel. The pool is available daily from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm. Guests between the ages of 4-15 can use the pool from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm if accompanied by an adult.
Once we were checked in, a staff member escorted us to the storage lockers where we stored our shoes and provided us with slippers for the pool deck. Towels and swim caps are also provided; swim caps are required to be used in the pool.
The pool area was consistently busy during both of our visits, making it hard to get a good picture. The maximum depth is 1.2 meters and part of the pool was roped off for those who wanted to do lane swimming.
There was a variety of seating available around the pool, including typical loungers and chairs directly beside the pool.
To the left of the pool area was a bigger seating area, complete with comfortable chairs and tables.
While staff did some around with complimentary bottled water, there were additional amenities also available in the bigger seating area.
Spa
The Mizuki Spa is also located on the 29th floor and is available for those who are interested in any treatments during their stay. During our time at the Conrad Tokyo, we didn’t use the service nor did we inquire about pricing.
Conclusion
We loved our stay at the Conrad Tokyo and thought that it was great value as a Hilton Honors redemption, even more so as Diamond members. Service was consistently excellent throughout our stay and every staff member was a pleasure to interact with.
While the location is a bit out of the way compared to other options in Tokyo, a few more minutes of travel time or an additional train did not feel like a burden to us and we would absolutely return to this hotel the next time we are in the area.
Josh Bandura
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