The Imperial Suite at The Okura Tokyo

Why it is on the list

The Okura opened in 1962 to Yoshiro Taniguchi's design, and it is counted with the Imperial Hotel and the New Otani among the three great hotels of Tokyo; every American president since Nixon has stayed there.¹ The hotel was rebuilt in 2019 as two towers, and the old lobby was carried into the new building by Taniguchi's son, Yoshio.¹ The Imperial Suite takes the top two floors of the 41-storey Prestige Tower: 730 m², three bedrooms, an atrium living room, a dining area, a home theatre, a workout room and its own dry and steam saunas.²¹ It is one of the largest hotel suites in Japan.²

It is more room than two people need. For a couple who want a Japanese room rather than a floor of a tower, ask instead for the Presidential Suite in the Heritage wing: 256 m², teak walls, origami by Tomoko Fuse, and a balcony garden seen from the soaking tub.³ For a suite over the Imperial Palace gardens, take the Aman Suite at Aman Tokyo.

How to get it

The suite does not appear in the online booking; call the rooms desk on +81 3 3224 6700 and ask for the Imperial Suite by name.² The line answers from 9:00 to 19:00, to 18:00 on Saturdays and to 17:00 on Sundays and national holidays, Tokyo time.⁴ Written requests go through the contact form on the hotel's site.⁴ The hotel runs a private car between Haneda or Narita and the door, booked on a request form; Haneda is about 40 minutes by car, Narita about 70.⁵

Discretion

Suite guests in the Prestige Tower have valet parking, so the car can be left at the door.²⁵ Meetings can stay out of the suite: the Okura Salon, over the Okura Museum of Art, has six private and semi-private meeting rooms.² In the old building the hotel's penthouse Imperial Suite served as secure lodging for visiting heads of state.¹