MOXY Tokyo Kinshicho

There’s no surer sign that boutique hotels have conquered the hospitality world than the fact that big hotel chains like Marriott have established their own boutique brands. And a hotel like the Moxy Tokyo Kinshicho is particularly welcome in Tokyo, a city that, for all its strengths — its top-end luxury hotels are still the envy of the world — is still rather light on hip, youthful, high-design, youth-oriented, relatively budget-friendly lodgings.

The aesthetic is “Edo Pop,” a blend of contemporary pop culture and centuries-old Japanese tradition, and to its credit, it doesn’t go halfway. The public spaces are packed with graphic art and pops of color, and while the rooms opt for a slightly more sedate look, they’re not unstylish. They’re not enormous, either — this is still Tokyo, after all — but they’re uncluttered, and they’re cleverly planned to make the most of their space, with storage right out in the open. (You don’t actually use a wardrobe, anyway, do you?)

Meanwhile, on the ground floor, a combined bar, lounge, and restaurant serve as the Moxy’s unified social center, with everything from grab-and-go snacks to cocktails to the Noodle Station, all available round-the-clock.