These boutique hotels in Tokyo are redefining luxury hospitality in the city

To be crowned the coolest neighbourhood in one of the world’s coolest cities is impressive. In Tokyo, that’s Shimokitazawa. Often described as a 'bohemian village', it’s where you’ll find streets lined with record stores, vintage shops and a seemingly endless string of "I'm so happy we found this" restaurants, cafés and bars.

In the middle of it all is Yuen Bettei Daita, a modern, two-storey ryokan. To enter, guests wander down a stone- and wood-lined path lit by the soft glow of lanterns, arriving at the lobby where they are greeted by an extravagant seasonal ikebana (floral) display—it’s a nice transition from the hip surroundings of 'Shimokita', as it’s called by locals.

Throughout the hotel, perfectly manicured Japanese gardens are framed by glass walls, making for a living art display among actual artworks by Kyoto artist Wataru Hatano. The 35 guest rooms put a contemporary spin on traditional Japanese aesthetics like tatami mat floors, sliding screens and lattice woodwork, with low-level beds rather than futons.

We recommend the deluxe rooms with private outdoor baths. If they’re all booked, take a dip in Yuen Bettei Daita’s communal onsen instead, which uses mineral-rich hot spring water sourced from the Ashinoko hot springs in Hakone. There’s also a mist sauna that uses natural aromas by scent designer Izumi Kan.

Pieces of the neighbourhood’s history are also woven into the hotel. Its restaurant, Tsukikage, takes its name from the final collection of works by poet Nokichi Saito, who spent his final years in Shimokitazawa. Its tearoom pays tribute to the tea plantations that flourished throughout the area once upon a time.

Yuen Bettei Daita might be a tad further from Tokyo’s landmarks than other hotels, but that makes it all the more appealing to the seasoned Tokyo traveller looking to explore new parts of the city. 

Yoshitaka Nojiri grew up witnessing the heyday of Shibuya during his teens. Today, he’s made it his mission to “reignite the neighbourhood’s creative embers”, and he’s doing it through a series of very cool hotels. His first was Trunk Hotel in Cat Street, which straddles the neighbourhoods of Shibuya and Harajuku. Opened in 2017, the design-led property was the first hotel of its kind in Tokyo.

In 2019, Nojiri turned a 70-year- old former geisha house in Tokyo’s historic Kagurazaka neighbourhood into an eclectic holiday rental—Trunk House—complete with a sento-style bathroom featuring a hinoki wood bathtub, and tea sets by New York-based artist Tom Sachs.

His third property brings Nojiri back to Shibuya, connecting his growing hotel empire with one of his favourite places: Yoyogi Park. Opened in late 2023, Trunk Yoyogi Park is a 25-room boutique hotel in Tomigaya, a refreshingly laidback pocket of Shibuya. Its raw concrete façade features balconies draped in greenery, behind which Tokyo- based firm Keiji Ashizawa and Copenhagen-based Norm Architects have dreamt up a light-filled, minimalist series of spaces. Keeping to a theme of softness, washi paper pendant lights crafted by Kyoto-based Kojima Shoten fill common spaces with a gentle glow.

The rooftop infinity pool is heated year-round; on colder nights, when steam rises out of the water over the trees in a wispy cloud of smoke, it evokes the feeling of sitting in an onsen somewhere far away from the madness of Tokyo.

The Owner’s Suite is quite something. Taking over the top floor, it has an 8.5-metre floor- to-ceiling window that spans the length of the room, framing a view over the lush, green canopy of trees in Yoyogi Park. An oversized soaking tub sits adjacent to a terrace, shrouded in plants for total privacy.

Always encouraging a healthy dose of hedonism, it’s no wonder Edition hotels around the world draw cashed-up Hollywood misfits like moths to a flame. After all, its founder Ian Schrager was the co-owner of the legendary New York nightclub, Studio 54.

When The Tokyo Edition, Ginza opened in March this year, it quickly became the go-to place for the jet-setting creative crowd to stay and be seen in the city. Case in point, the likes of DJ Peggy Gou, burlesque star Dita von Teese, designer Tomo Koizumi and Verdy, the artistic director for K-pop sensation Blackpink, attended the hotel’s opening party.

Located just off Chuo Street at the heart of Ginza’s main shopping district, the hotel is steps away from luxury boutiques like Dover Street Market, and Michelin-starred restaurants. 

Created by prolific Japanese designer Kengo Kuma, the hotel’s overall aesthetic is defined by warm walnut wood, serene ivory tones and subtle Japanese influences—we particularly love the ornate obi fabric draped over the lobby chairs. From the lobby, an eye-catching staircase crafted from white metal leads to The Punch Room, a bar modelled after 19th-century private clubs in London—think sunken couches, seductive lighting, crushed velvet, the works. It’s also the first bar in Japan to offer authentic
punch bowls, a signature of Edition hotels around the world.

If cocktails served by the ladle aren’t your thing, the rooftop bar specialises in natural wines, with long communal tables
or intimate nooks tucked behind greenery. 

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