An insider's look at the Tokyo Park Hyatt

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Dupont Odeon
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An insider's look at the Tokyo Park Hyatt

#1 Post by Dupont Odeon » Mon Jul 14, 2008 1:41 am

As I've stayed in the Tokyo Park Hyatt several times, I thought I'd post an in-depth description of the experience. I know there are a few other members on the forum who have been there, so feel free to interject whenever I misremember things or if you have your own stories about the hotel. Would this be something people would be interested in?

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LostCalls
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#2 Post by LostCalls » Thu Jul 17, 2008 2:07 pm

Sounds great! I'm sure we'd all love to hear about your experiences. (I was there just for drinks at the NY Bar once...)

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Pitman
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#3 Post by Pitman » Mon Jul 21, 2008 12:01 pm

Absolutely!

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#4 Post by Bob_san » Fri Jul 25, 2008 12:16 pm

Fire away we're all anxiously awaiting a detailed narrative of someone's experiences there! (I moved this to World Travel forum).

Dupont Odeon
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#5 Post by Dupont Odeon » Tue Jul 29, 2008 3:12 am

Sorry about the delay!

Arriving:

So, as most of you know, the Tokyo Park Hyatt is hotel located on the top floors of an office building. As such, it has a separate entrance from that used by the building's other tenants. In the beginning of the film, we see Bob's limo pull up and park in a semi-circular driveway, which is indeed the Hyatt's entrance.

Walking through the front doors brings you to the ground-floor foyer, which is actually quite small. We see this area as Bob is first greeted by his Suntory handlers. Really, the area is nothing more than that space in the scene. It has a piece of sculpture in the center, which can also be viewed in the scene.

There are two elevators in the foyer. These elevators are expresses which bypass all the office floors, taking the rider to the first floor of the Hyatt (which is the 37th floor of the building). Stepping out at the top reveals the real Hyatt foyer. It is very large with glass walls and capped by a glass pyramid roof. This can be seen as Bob and Charlotte are saying their goodbyes at the end of the film (the scene where the tall blonde woman recognizes Bob).

Take a right and you enter the hotel proper. As seen in the film, the hotel is quite dark. Its walls are paneled in a deep cherry wood, and the lightening is kept rather dim, adding to a very moody, noir feel. As you walk down the main hallway towards the reception area, there is a large dinning area on the left. This is seen in the movie as Bob has breakfast by himself. The film suggests the New York bar resides in this space (remember Bob and Charlotte stepping off the main elevator and seeing Kelly singing Karaoke), but that is not the case.

Continue down the hallway and you pass through a small library. Lining the walls are bookcases with fiction and nonfiction, primarily in English and German (indications of the hotel's main clientele).

Walking through the library brings you to the reception area. There is no traditional "reception desk", but rather the staff works from several business desks. Off of this area are a series of elevators, which take visitors to the rooms. As the building is tiered, the elevators are tower-specific, so you must make sure to take the proper elevator or you may not be able to reach your floor.

The Rooms:

From what I could tell, Bob had a suite and Charlotte had a standard room. I stayed in a standard room, but from the movie, it appears that the decor is nearly identical to its larger cousins. Again, black, dark toupes, and white are the primary colors, and sparse in the Japanese tradition. The rooms have flat-panel TVs, automated curtains (as seen in the movie), a book case/TV cabinet, a bed, small table and chairs, and bedside tables. My bed was identical to that of Bob's, which is to say, very low to the ground with a firm but comfortable mattress, and a white comforter.

My bath was identical to Bob's - pinkish marble with a full tub, separate shower (complete with the infamous adjustable spray head) and a high-tech toilet that Japan is famous for.

And of course the room came with a bathrobe identical to the one worn by Bob in the film's poster. Many think its a kimono, but it is indeed a robe, and, yes, I staged a reproduction of that scene for my camera with me in the starring role.

The Gym:

The gym occupies the top of the second tier of the building, and is similarly capped by a glass pyramid. As my room was actually in the third and taller tier, I had to take the elevator back down to the lobby, then back up to the top of the neighboring tier.

Exiting from the elevator you walk into the main area which houses the lap pool. Flanking each side of the pool and behind glass walls are exercise rooms, with the cardio equipment being on one side and an aerobics studio on the other. Its a blast to run on a treadmill with Tokyo 500 feet below, and as I was seriously jet-lagged, I caught quite a number of sunrises that way.

If you want to swim but didn't bring a suit, you can get one from the attendant. They are short, black jobs, and it is one of these that Bob was wearing when he went for his swim. While I did go for dip, I missed the aqua-aerobics class.

The New York Bar:

There is a special elevator that will take you to the New York bar and restaurant from the lobby. I assume this is because the bar and restaurant are quite popular, and many people who aren't staying at the Hyatt go there.

The bar and restaurant are located at the top of the highest of the three tiers. Stepping out from the elevator you see Tokyo spread out in-front of you through the floor-to-celling windows. Take a left and you enter the restaurant; take a right and you enter the bar.

The restaurant mirrors the bar in its layout, except that dinning booths line the wall facing the windows. There are also tables on the floor, just as there are in the bar.

The bar is exactly as it is presented in the film. The floor has several tables, and there is a long bar against the wall. However, unlike a traditional bar, this bar doesn't surround a wall of liquor or house a bartender. Rather, it is more like a long table. If you would like a drink, you order it and it is brought to you from the kitchen.

As one might expect, the view from the bar is amazing, especially at night. As I mentioned, it is a very popular place to have a drink, and it required a reservation.

That's it! As I stated, the movie presented the layout of the hotel faithfully (except for its location of the bar), and that's one of the reasons I love the film; whenever I want to revisit, I just pop in the DVD. Coppola could not have picked a better location; the Hyatt is indeed the third most important character of the film.

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preciouswhile
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#6 Post by preciouswhile » Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:38 pm

Thanks very much for sharing that. Sounds like a great experience.

Any pics you can show us?

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Pitman
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#7 Post by Pitman » Wed Aug 06, 2008 4:07 pm

That was great. It felt like I was right back in the Hyatt with Bob and Charlotte. If you can post some pics too, that would be awesome.

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ForRelaxingTimes
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#8 Post by ForRelaxingTimes » Wed Sep 03, 2008 12:54 am

That's great, might I ask why you are in Tokyo so often? Job requirement (or should I say perk :D ) or just the casual visit?
"For Relaxing Times...Make it Suntory Times."

"I'm organizing a prison break..."

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