Tokyo’s Ginza is a magnet for tourists, and rightfully so — you don’t just pass Gucci and Prada stores here, but a collection of only-in-Tokyo department stores that feature everything from “art aquariums” to “sneaker museums.” It's a luxury shopping scene that's just as over-the-top as it sounds, with high-end thrift shops completing the picture — holes-in-the-wall that sell antique Chanel bags and Hermès jewelry.
It's here, in this glamorously buoyant distillation of the city itself, that you’ll find the 34-floor Shiodome Media Tower. Within it, on floor 25 and above, is the Park Hotel Tokyo.
An institution since 2003, the Park Hotel is a typical example of Tokyo’s renowned tower hotels, with a few surprises to keep you on your toes. Most spaces feel simple and contemporary, with unique, local art scattered throughout. Several restaurants feel elevated but accessible. Everywhere, wonderful Tokyo views come standard.
But it's the Artist Rooms that excite the hotel obsessive. On floor 31, each room is bold, colorful, and riotous, its walls hand-painted directly by a different local artist.
Today, we’re looking at one in particular.
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Room #3419: Yume Aoyama’s Artist Room
Take the elevator to the 34th floor and open the door to your room. Stepping inside is like stepping inside a child’s daydream. Mobiles hang from the ceiling and paintings of cherry blossoms line the tiles of the bathroom walls. The tiny figure of a little girl flying atop a carp animates the space above the bed; a fluorescent pink tree rises from besides the flatscreen T.V.
Yume Aoyama, from Ibaraki, Japan and specializing in oil painting, is known for tackling themes that explore the interaction between people and nature. Here, with a blank slate and four walls, you’ll see that inspiration on every surface, her swirling paints a surreal representation of forest, wave, and sky. In this endeavor, Aoyama had an even more specific inspiration: the Japanese folk toys that thrived between the Edo and Meiji periods, and which often represent local Japanese legends.
Perhaps that explains the girl with the carp, or the painting of a tree growing from a bathtub. In any case, it’s the contrast with the more traditional facets of the hotel room — the large picture windows, the tightly made white bed, the wood-framed mini bar — that makes for the most satisfying part of the experience staying here. In Aoyama’s room, lines blur between art and life. It feels less like sleeping in a museum than it does waking up in a painting.
The Hotel
Where:
The Park Hotel Tokyo is conveniently located inside of the Shiodome Media Tower in Ginza. It’s on a quieter street set close to the heart of the neighborhood — very much connected to the high-energy buzz of the neighborhood. The location is just beside the Shiodome Subway Station (in fact, the station is accessible from the hotel’s own elevator), which makes it particularly easy to take the train straight from the airport and travel to other neighborhoods beyond.Who Stays Here:
Tourists from around the world in search of a reasonable price and a boutique experience. You could comfortably stay here on business, but the hotel is suited more for young couples and friends eager to soak up Japanese culture and spend their days exploring the city.Here's a Hint:
Stay on a Wednesday. On that day each week, at 11am and 4pm, the hotel hosts two 45-minute tea ceremonies. Each includes a matcha experience and Japanese sweets.Another bonus: Family Mart — one of the most beloved and well-known Japanese convenience stores — is right downstairs. Take the elevator to the basement level and follow the signs. Perfect for a snack on a rainy day, you won’t have to step outside to access it.
Room Service?
Park Hotel Tokyo has room service available for breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks, with a full menu that includes Japanese and American favorites. The hotel also has three restaurants from which to choose. There’s Hanasanshou, a Japanese Kaiseki restaurant that offers more than 50 types of sake, Art Colours, which also serves breakfast every morning, and The Society, the first bar in Japan to gain official recognition by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society..jpg)
How To Book Room #3419:
Head over to the hotel page and select an Artist Room (add a special note at checkout to request the Yume Aoyama room).If You Can't:
Choose one of the other Artist Rooms in advance, or show up at the hotel and choose from their binder of available options. The hotel also has a more standard range of Single, Queen and King rooms — with or without an artist’s touch.
