Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi

Tokyo is the kind of place where they can just simply decide to build, from scratch, a brand-new commercial and financial district. Turn your back for a year or two and the next time you turn around there’s Marunouchi, tucked in alongside the Imperial Palace, right next to the Ginza. High-flying business and high-end retail are Marunouchi’s stock in trade, and it’ll need some first-class luxury hotels — places like the Four Seasons Marunouchi.

It’s literally right next to Tokyo Station, which means the Narita Express drops you within a minute’s walk from your hotel. And once you’re inside you’re treated to a surprisingly small and intimate take on the classic Four Seasons experience — complete, almost excessive physical comfort, with a near absence of opulence, a neutral-toned contemporary minimal look which is just about as grown-up as they come.

There’s a full complement of high-end services, including a spa with a traditional onsen bath, and the bar and grill are just about as much as you could ask from a 57-room luxury hotel. Half the appeal, of course, lies outside the building — this is one of those corners of Tokyo where just about anything you can imagine, from dining to shopping to culture, is within easy reach.