In August, I made my third trip to the incredible country of Japan. The first two times around, I never made it out of either of Tokyo's airports (NRT/HND). So from the second I was able to snag a Thrifty Traveler Premium Japan Airlines business class flight deal, I knew my dream of taking my dad to Japan was finally going to happen.
For such a short trip, I knew I wanted to be at the center of the action in Tokyo with easy access to all the attractions on my wish list. Despite having to rebook the trip at the last minute, I stumbled upon a cheap rate for a stay at the Conrad Tokyo, a top-tier Hilton property in the city located just minutes away from the luxury Ginza shopping district.
If you’re not familiar with the Conrad Hotels & Resorts brand, they’re some of the best properties in Hilton’s massive portfolio. The Conrad Tokyo is no exception, and it’s now one of my favorite hotels in the world.
The Japanese simply hold themselves to a higher standard when it comes to hotels, whether it's a budget longer-stay property or a top-tier property like the Conrad Tokyo, and I knew I would have all of my needs met here. Although five-star hotels can often cost you an arm and a leg in Japan, the Conrad Tokyo, like many Hilton properties, can be an incredible value if you know how to book.
Read on for our full review of the Conrad Tokyo and why you should consider it for a trip to Tokyo, Japan.
Booking the Conrad Tokyo
The Conrad Tokyo is in the more expensive range of luxury properties in Hilton's portfolio, and while you can score a deal like I did (more on that later), you're most likely to see cash rates of between $500 and $600 a night for the cheapest rooms with those same rooms going for upwards of $800 a night during peak travel times.
When using Hilton Honors points, a standard room typically goes for 95,000 points a night. If you've got a card like the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, which comes with an annual free night reward, you can also use that here (All information about the Hilton Aspire Card has been collected independently by Thrifty Traveler).
Hilton uses dynamic pricing for its award nights, but with a twist: They also have these “standard room awards” at a set rate for every property. While award rates are all over the map at many Hilton properties – and sometimes as high as 1 million points a night – there’s still a lowest-and-best base rate when redeeming Hilton Honors point. Finding these “standard room awards” is the key to getting the best bang for your buck with Hilton points as well as redeeming free night certificates.
Read next: A Complete Guide to Hilton Honors: Free Nights, Credit Cards & More
For my stay, I opted to pay with cash rather than points, taking advantage of the $200 Delta Stays credit from my *delta reserve card* to book a cheap nightly rate of $380, which ended up being dirt cheap at $180 after the statement credit was applied.
I literally booked the cheapest room with an incredible credit card benefit at one of the best hotels in Tokyo. But it gets even better.
The original Japan Airlines flight cancellation was a blessing in disguise. The Conrad Tokyo wasn't even on my radar until I had to figure out new accommodations for this go-around.
Since I had top-tier diamond status from my Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, I was offered an incredible paid upgrade opportunity from a Twin Room City to the pricey Twin Suite Bay room for a small fee of $70!
Read more: How to Get Instant Hotel Status From a Single Credit Card
Suddenly, I found myself going from a $380 standard room to a $1,000+ a night suite for just a grand total of $250.
That said, I booked this stay incredibly last minute. A few days after booking, the dates I booked were no longer available for the same rate and exceeded $500 a night.
Thrifty Tip: Use the free Hilton flexible calendar to help you zero in on cheap cash (or points) rates.
At Thrifty Traveler, we don't accept freebies. We use our own points, miles, or cash to pay for every single flight or hotel you see reviewed here – including this one!
Conrad Tokyo Location
If you're looking for a hotel in a great location, you won't find a better option than the Conrad Tokyo. It's centrally located in the Higashi-Shinbashi business and entertainment district of the Minato City ward in central Tokyo.
Just outside the property's doors is the Shiodome subway station, which provides you with a quick train ride to nearly anywhere you'd want to go within Tokyo. I primarily used the station to catch a half an hour's ride to see the DMM.Planets Art by teamLab interactive art exhibition during my trip. Having access to the train right by the hotel was super convenient.
All signs point to the Conrad Tokyo, which is located on the 28th to 37th floors of the Shiodome skyscraper overlooking Tokyo Bay and the Hamarikyu Gardens.
The hotel is built pretty seamlessly into the area and unless you knew it was there, it's unlikely you would realize it's a hotel – much less one of the nicest in the city.
I ended up walking to many of the attractions I wanted to see in Tokyo or taking a quick one-stop train ride. Since I flew into Tokyo-Narita International Airport (NRT) I had the option of booking an Airport Limousine Bus for the same price as the Narita Express (the airport train) to take me directly to and from the hotel – an option not available at all hotel locations.
Conrad Tokyo Lobby & Checking In
I arrived at the Conrad Tokyo around check-in time at 3:00 p.m. local time, and upon entering the property's driveway, we were immediately greeted by the friendly and welcoming staff who took our luggage and escorted us to the reception area to start the check-in process.
Although the hotel only occupies the 28th-37th floors of the building, the lobby is located on the ground floor. The Conrad Tokyo definitely had one of the most elegant hotel entrances I've ever seen. Pictures don't do it justice.
Aesthetically, it's like any other five-star hotel, but I appreciated how serene it felt to walk in listening to the peaceful background noise that was playing.
After the staff took my suitcase, I was directed to head into the elevator to head up to the check-in area, which was on the 28th floor.
When I arrived to the check-in, there was a long queue of people. Yet, I was quickly escorted to a seat and only had a wait a few minutes before a front desk attendant was able to help me.
Hilton Diamond status members have the option of a private check-in and checkout process in the hotel's Executive Lounge, where you also get access to free food and beverages throughout the day. Although I have Hilton Diamond status, I opted to go through the normal check-in process.
On the same floor as the check-in area are several dining options as well as meeting rooms, a luxury gift shop, and an ATM. With the exception of the restaurants, I didn't really go into any of the other areas. Regardless, although the hotel is massive, it was easy to navigate.
Overall, it was an A+ check-in experience with such professional and pleasant staff members who spoke excellent English. And it's worth having Hilton status here since you have a good chance of being offered an upgrade.
Conrad Tokyo Rooms
My dad and I were already excited to try out this five-star hotel, and we were quite satisfied with the Twin Room City that we initially booked. Getting an upgrade to a Twin Suite Bay View was just icing on the cake.
Our suite was located on the 32nd floor, and getting to any of the rooms at the Conrad Tokyo requires two elevator rides, which can be a bit of a pain. First, you must take the elevator from the lobby on the ground floor up to the 28th floor and the reception area. From there, a second set of elevators that go up to the rooms is located down the hall past the check-in desks.
After walking straight past the desks, and taking a right at the big painting, the elevators would be to your left past the hotel restaurants.
In my experience, the elevators at the Conrad Tokyo were crazy fast, unlike previous places I've stayed in the city. Here, there were three that arrive quickly.
You'll arrive at your floor, which is dimly lit and composed of dark wood walls with cherry blossom-patterned carpets. Nothing noteworthy but clean and on-brand with an upscale property.
Upon entering the room, I wasn't immediately blown away since the corridor is so dimly lit. You'll walk past a hallway restroom and walk-in closet and into the main living space.
Our jaws dropped from the sheer amount of space we had with the living room area, separated from the bedroom by a wall with a TV. The space was elegant, modern, and impeccably clean. Elegant, modern, and impeccably clean. It was furnished with a loveseat couch, armchair, and coffee table as well as a nice table set up for working and was a more-than comfortable place to relax after a long flight or day of sightseeing.
The rooms of the Conrad Tokyo occupy some of the upper floors of a skyscraper, which makes for some incredible views. The standard room I had originally booked had a city view, which would have been nice already, but nothing can beat being able to gaze out upon a stunning view of Tokyo Bay and the Hama-rikyu Gardens from the work desk.
Need to block out light? A control panel on the wall allows you to open and close sheer curtains or blackout blinds automatically.
The bedroom has two entrances, separated by a wall with a TV on each side, which was nice to create a sense of privacy from the living room area.
Beneath the TV is the impressive hidden mini-bar. Full of snacks and beverages available to charge to your room.
The only free items were two bottles of water, tea bags and instant coffee pods.
As for the spacious bedroom area itself, we had two incredibly comfortable twin beds for the night. There's also a lounge chair by the window should you have time to chill in your hotel room, although we sure didn't.
On the beds was a welcome gift of an adorable Conrad Tokyo-branded bear and a duck that we could take home.
Connected to the bedroom was the bathroom, which had sliding barn-style doors.
It's standard in Japan to find a bathtub placed in the same area as the shower. The shower area had a rainfall shower head as well as a built-in TV, and speakers. If you're keeping count, that's three TVs in one room! A tad excessive if you ask me, but a fun feature nonetheless. I loved the placements of towels for a quick and easy way to get dry, minimizing the risk of getting the rest of the bathroom wet.
The bathroom was stocked with products from the European luxury brand Byredo.
The bathroom had a nice double vanity, which I loved as I was sharing a room with my dad, and large round mirror as well as a smaller, magnifying makeup mirror.
The bathroom had all the essentials, too, like dental kits, shaving products, q-tips, and more. I never felt like I was missing anything during my stay here.
There are also bathrobes hanging on the wall for two. Disappointingly, I found the bathrobes to be incredibly, and I don't even have the biggest build.
Another nice feature of the bathroom was in-floor heating, which you could turn on with a switch. It would certainly be useful for cold days getting out of the shower, but I definitely didn't use this as I was in Japan in the midst of a humid summer.
Besides the bathroom by the entrance, there's also another enclosed toilet right by the shower area.
Each toilet came with the Japanese standard bidet with a heated seat, which I am a huge fan of.
In line with the theme of connecting rooms, the bathroom is directly connected to the walk-in closet area that leads out to the entrance area. A second, small bathroom is located in the corridor in the entrance to the suite.
The walk-in closet had dressers to store your luggage as well as a rack and hangers to hang your clothes.
Opening the drawers, you'll find the room also comes with a set of pajamas for each guest!
You know I made sure to put these on! It's unclear if every room at the Conrad Tokyo provides pajamas, but this was true for the suite we stayed in.
Besides that, you'll find that the hotel provides slippers, laundry bags, shopping bags, a shoe horn, shoe polishing cloth, ironing set, and much more.
The overall aesthetic of the room was incredibly relaxing, modern, and luxurious – everything you'd want from a five-star hotel – but design-wise, I didn't find the room to be overtly Japanese. Regardless, it was a comfortable stay that felt like home.
Conrad Tokyo Spa, Gym & Spa
On the 29th floor of the Conrad Tokyo, you'll find the spa, gym and pool areas, which have locker rooms available.
When you step off the elevators and take a left, you'll first encounter the spa area.
Staff do request that you take off your shoes, put them in one of the lobby lockers, and wear slippers before going into the pool area or locker room.
I personally did not make use of any of the paid spa facilities, but I hear they have some amazing, refreshing facials, relaxing massages, and glorious baths, including a spa shop filled with luxury products.
You can find the spa menu here, which consists of quite a few different treatment options. From traditional Hinoki baths to anti-wrinkle facials and jet lag recovery massages, you can expect experiences ranging anywhere from 45 minutes up to two hours long.
The pool and gym, however, are free for guests to use. First, you'll enter the locker room, an impressive space.
This wasn't just a place to store your belongings, it was a place for self-care. In the men's locker room, you'll find loads of bathroom amenities like shaving kits, dental kits, lotion, and more.
The locker room is also the gateway to the sauna and hot tub room.
The room was mostly empty except for maybe one or two other guests. The sauna was also a nice perk you won't find at many hotels.
It was nice to have this swimsuit wringing machine to dry your wet gear, which is especially useful after going for a dunk in the hot tub or a swim in the pool.
Speaking of the pool, it really doesn't get any better than this. Across the hall, the gigantic pool overlooks the city from 29 stories up.
The pool is heated, and plenty big, with spaces to lounge around, dry up, and enjoy the view. Just be sure to shower near the entrance to the pool before you hop in. The Japanese really care about hygiene when it comes to sharing space in water.
Nearby is the gym, which I used and absolutely loved.
It was outfitted with all the free weights you could ask for as well as plenty of treadmills for cardio workouts. But there was a lack of weight machines besides the chest press and back workout stations.
Overall, this place would satisfy any gym rat's desire to workout while on vacation. It certainly made me happy!
The refreshment station has chilled water, cold towels, and other useful amenities. At one point, there were some bananas up for grabs as well, which were nice to have nearby.
During my short stay at the Conrad Tokyo, I had a very good self-care day where I was able to lift weights, take a quick swim, heat up in the hot tub, and sweat out the toxins in the sauna. No appointment is needed. Just walk in after your initial tour of the spa floor upon your first visit and roam around as you please.
Conrad Tokyo Restaurants & Bars
In total, there are five restaurants and one bar at the Conrad Tokyo. For guests with Hilton status, the Executive Lounge offers yet another dining option.
With the exception of the Executive Lounge, all of the restaurants and bars are located on the same level on the 28th floor. While walk-ins are accepted, you can also make a reservation at any of these restaurants.
For breakfast, you have the choice between the Executive Lounge or the Cerise all-day restaurant.
Here's a breakdown of the restaurants and bars at the Conrad Tokyo.
The TwentyEight Bar and Lounge
The TwentyEight Bar and Lounge is the first place you'll encounter at the Conrad Tokyo as it directly faces the reception area on the 28th floor. The lounge overlooks Tokyo Bay and was packed to the brim with guests having afternoon tea to the sound of live music.
There's a long list of cocktails to order and small bites available à la carte. You could also book an afternoon tea experience on weekdays, perfect for when you're meeting up with friends here. You can preview the entire menu here. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to make a reservation to eat here during my short stay at the Conrad Tokyo.
Cerise
Cerise is the only all-day dining option at the Conrad Tokyo for all guests, and it's the place you want to be for breakfast.
For a full breakfast, you'll be paying about $45 per person. With my Hilton Diamond elite status, I got complimentary breakfast for myself as well as my dad. You can checkout the full menu here.
You get to choose your preferred breakfast beverage as well as your egg dish. The entire experience is a hybrid breakfast model, which also gives you access to an absolutely delightful breakfast buffet. You will leave Cerise incredibly full and ready to take on Tokyo.
From dishes like an eggs Benedict to a crème brûlée mango pancake, I opted for their most popular option, the lobster omelette, I also ordered an Americano as my beverage of choice.
The buffet had a wide range of pastries, smoothies on tap, Japanese appetizers and delicious seafood. It was easy to make impressive plates of food that were both tasty and filling.
I thought that the fruit spread was incredibly pretty, and I was not the only person to have snapped a picture. This was also, surprisingly, the area where you could make yourself a tasty taco! It's definitely one of my favorite breakfast buffets ever.
Kazahana
My dad and I were intent on trying out sushi while in Japan. Therefore, it made sense to make a reservation at the only Japanese restaurant at the Conrad Tokyo, Kazahana.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that there is a sushi bar within the restaurant.
Unsure what to pick, we chose the most expensive option, the Chef's Special sushi course and while it was a little over $200 a person, it was well worth it for the incredible experience.
Typically available for dinner, the sushi chef was happy to accommodate us for our lunchtime reservation and give us an omakase-style course where we simply trusted the chef to present to us his finest sushi creations. We appreciated him explaining the dishes in English to us and showing us a visual from his book of the type of seafood that he was serving us.
With a whopping 11 courses, we almost had to tap out. We were incredibly full by the end and appreciated the chef's understanding when we started to indicate this. A highlight was this uni bowl with fish eggs.
What I estimated would have been a 45-minute-long lunch ended up exceeding over two hours! The sushi chef took his sweet time as we enjoyed the masterful creations that he presented to us. What I thought was possibly an overpriced experience ended up being incredible value by the end. We even got a 25% discount for Hilton Diamond members. Not bad.
Although he would sometimes prepare à la carte dishes for the other diners in the restaurant, he gave us most of his attention and created such an approachable, peaceful experience for my dad and I's first sushi experience in Japan. I can't speak to the other dishes on the menu, but I highly recommend splurging a bit on this multi-course sushi experience if you're staying here at the Conrad Tokyo.
Expect to pay anywhere between $60 to $200+ per person for sushi courses. You can find the Kazahana menu online here.
China Blue
China Blue is a Chinese restaurant at the Conrad Tokyo serving Catonese dishes for lunch at dinner. I didn't get a chance to eat at China Blue during my brief stay, but you can find the full menu online here.
Collage
Collage is a French fine-dining restaurant offering contemporary French cuisine and other European dishes. It's open only for dinner. I didn't eat at this restaurant during my time at the Conrad Tokyo, but you can find the menu online here.
Executive Lounge
Hilton Diamond elites get access to the Executive Lounge at properties where it's available – a separate lounge with complimentary food and drinks. It's a great way to save on food costs while traveling!
Upon check-in, I was given information on my access to the Executive Lounge for the afternoon tea hour, evening cocktail hour, and as a breakfast option. The lounge is located on the highest floor of the hotel, the 37th floor.
The Executive Lounge at the Conrad Tokyo is spacious, with helpful staff that will seat you at a designated, available space.
After checking in, I headed up to the lounge for afternoon tea. There was a tasty canapé spread up for grabs.
There was also an assortment of beverages ranging from chilled juices, teas, and cold brew.
Of course, you could make your own drink at the coffee machine. You could also make yourself a matcha latte.
I also ended up going to the evening cocktail hour, which had much of the same kind of dishes up for grabs, with the addition of a self-service bar where you could drink to your heart's desire. I made myself a gin and tonic as well as had a beer.
Having Executive Lounge access helped my dad and I reserve the rest of the day to get some much-needed rest after walking countless steps around Tokyo, taking several metro rides, and still suffering from jet lag. Not having to worry about food gave us the break we needed before resuming our Tokyo adventure.
Bottom Line
You won't find a hotel in a better location, and if a luxurious, upscale vibe is what you're after, then the Conrad Tokyo delivers in every way. From the check-in experience to the property amenities and dining to everything in between, the staff was incredibly welcoming, and the service was top-notch. The rooms were the perfect place to relax after a day spent exploring Tokyo.
While the property can be pricey with points, if you can find a cheap rate and have Hilton elite status to increase your chances of a worthwhile upgrade (or have a Hilton Honors free night certificate to spare), I can't recommend the Conrad Tokyo enough for your trip to Japan.