The Peninsula Tokyo
Tokyo

With just ten hotels under its umbrella worldwide, the Peninsula brand holds its own against much larger luxury chains. Like the original Hong Kong Peninsula, the one in Tokyo offers white-glove chauffeured Rolls Royce transfers. It has our favourite rooms of any hotel in Tokyo and the views over the Imperial Palace grounds and seemingly endless skyscrapers are truly extraordinary. The location is perfect with excellent access to the shopping and dining delights of the Ginza district just a few steps away.

First impressions may not be astonishing as the lobby is rather chaotic with a restaurant in the middle of it, but overall one cannot fault the top-notch quality and finish throughout the hotel. Drinking and dining options include Tsuruya – sister to the 3* Michelin restaurant in Kyoto – and the sky bar called Peter where one can smoke cigars after 4pm and look out onto the Tokyo skyline in a contemporary, buzzy setting. Access to Wi-fi, an indoor pool and gym are all complimentary. The spa offer many holistic treatments in a tranquil setting and one can even opt to undergo a ‘wellness journey’ here.

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