Century Southern Tower
Tokyo

Conveniently located five minutes from Shinjuku station, the Century Southern Tower stands proud at the top half of a skyscraper, overlooking the city’s largest park and the immense skyline beyond. All rooms have great panoramic views of the architectural landscape, including the Docomo building (modelled on New York’s Chrysler) and the iconic SkyTree. Under the cover of darkness, these views of the metropolis take on a magical quality – especially as Mount Fuji frames the horizon.

Our favourite rooms are the executive rooms as their corner windows are fantastic and they offer the most comforts. The minimal interior design of the rooms creates a calm atmosphere, thanks to the strong focus on neutral colours and clean lines.

The comfort and quality of rooms and breakfast offered at this hotel is possibly the best value in the downtown area, if one does not mind the lack of room service here and the ‘gym’, which is limited to a couple of window-side treadmills. Amenities include complimentary Wi-Fi, air conditioning, television and laundry service. On top of this, their restaurants serve some great cuisine, especially the authentic Japanese restaurant, ‘Horikawa’, on the 19th floor. If one wants to dine outside the hotel, there are plenty of options in Shinjuku as well as on the doorstop in Takashimaya Department Store, which is home to an outstanding food court.

This hotel’s location is incredibly useful – sat right on Shinjuku station’s south exit – guests have access to the city’s largest transport hub with connections to practically anywhere in Tokyo and beyond. As well as the 'shinkansen' bullet trains that Japan is famous for, one can also take multiple local trains and buses from here. Dining and shopping options are also in vast supply underneath the tracks here as it is said to be Tokyo’s busiest station – with no less than a million passengers going through it every single day! Several of Tokyo’s major sights are a mere walk away from this hotel, from Shinjuku park, Meiji shrine and Harajuku. Families are bound to feel welcome at this hotel as it is more child-friendly than most of the luxury hotels in the capital, plus it provides quick access to suitable entertainment, such as the iconic robot restaurant.

To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.
Bill Bryson