Evaluation: The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo, Marriott Autograph Assortment

Throughout a keep in Tokyo in my early days as a Marriott loyalist, I used to be trying round for a spot to remain. Lodge availability was fairly sparse throughout peak summer time journey season, so properties just like the Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho and the Tokyo Marriott Lodge had already offered out for my dates.

I thought of splurging on The Ritz-Carlton, however the absence of elite advantages at Ritz-Carlton inns meant that I couldn’t fairly justify the splurge on the time.

In the long run, I made a decision on The Prince Sakura Tower, a part of Marriott’s Autograph Assortment model, for my keep.

T.J. additionally had a more moderen go to to this property on his Winter 2023 journey to Japan, and has added his expertise to this up to date evaluate.

The Prince Sakura Lodge Tokyo – Reserving

As a result of the Marriott Journey Packages have been such a great deal on the time, I redeemed a seven-night certificates for the keep regardless of solely needing to remain for 4 nights – I might use the additional elite qualifying nights anyway.

These days, the Prince Sakura Tower costs out from ¥35,000–68,000 ($350–680 CAD) per night time, with a mean of round ¥50,000 ($500 CAD).

As for reserving your stick with Marriott Bonvoy factors, anticipate to pay round 45,000–56,000 factors per night time, with a mean of round 50,000 factors.

If in case you have a Free Evening Award at your disposal, you may get an honest return by topping it up for a keep on the Worth Sakura Tower Tokyo. In any other case, you’ll possible get round our present valuation of 0.9 cents per level.

I booked my keep for 52,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors. The money costs on the time have been within the higher finish of the aforementioned vary resulting from excessive occupancy round Lunar New Yr, and whereas I didn’t get excellent worth for my factors, I used to be happy with it nonetheless.

Take into account that The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo participates in Marriott Luminous, a most popular accomplice program.

By reserving your keep by means of a certified journey advisor, you’ll get pleasure from numerous further advantages at no additional price. At this property, the advantages embody free breakfast for 2, precedence for one-category room upgrades (topic to availability), and early check-in/late check-out (topic to availability).

The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo – Location

The Prince Sakura Tower is situated a brief stroll away from Shinagawa Railway Station, which is comparatively near Haneda Airport by way of the Keiō prepare line.

The Shinagawa district isn’t actually near the foremost sights, and is as an alternative extra of an area transport hub on the south facet of Tokyo. Nevertheless, Tokyo’s efficient rail transport means that you would be able to get to nearly anyplace it’s essential to go by taking the JR Rail from Shinagawa station, so the placement shouldn’t pose a lot of a problem for those who’d love to do some sightseeing across the metropolis.

The Tokyo Tower and its environs are round quarter-hour from the resort by automotive, or half-hour by transit. It takes across the similar period of time to get to the Imperial Palace by automotive or by transit, too.

Tokyo Haneda Airport is comparatively shut by, and takes round 20 minutes by automotive or half an hour by transit.

Tokyo Narita Airport is a bit farther away, and also you’ll want round an hour to get there by automotive or simply shy of two hours for those who’re going by prepare.

The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo – Examine-in

To get to the resort from Shinagawa station, take just a few steps north, head throughout the footbridge, and also you’ll arrive at a highway sloping uphill that brings you to the doorstep of The Prince Sakura Tower. There are fairly just a few high-rise inns clustered on this space all often known as “The Prince”, so make certain you’ve discovered the proper one.

An unassuming gate welcomes you to the resort, and some extra steps up the hill brings you to the doorway.

The foyer consists of a giant sq. room designed in an exquisite trendy Japanese fashion, with woodgrain and stone setting the temper.

The check-in workers was sort and environment friendly, letting us know that my Marriott Platinum Elite standing entitled us to Government Lounge entry and day by day breakfast within the mornings from 6–10am.

I’d beforehand emailed the resort to investigate concerning the probabilities of a collection improve as nicely, however alas we have been informed we’d merely been upgraded to a “good room on the next flooring”.

My check-in expertise was similar to Ricky’s. I arrived on the resort within the early night, after triple-checking that I’d certainly made my method to the proper “The Prince” resort. 

I used to be proactively upgraded to a Nook King Room, which occurred to come back with an incredible view of the Tokyo Tower.

The elevators are situated down an extended hallway, and we made our means as much as the twelfth flooring, the place we’d been assigned Room 5210.

Whereas the foyer and public areas of the resort are fairly beautiful, the visitor room flooring are a bit extra dated. Whereas they’re nonetheless in good situation and aren’t run-down in any means, the décor simply appears to harken again to a bygone period, and will actually use a little bit of a refresh.

It’s price noting that the numbering conference of the rooms can be just a little complicated, because it wasn’t instantly clear why Room 5210 was on the twelfth flooring.

My guess is that it is because The Prince Sakura Tower is nearly totally built-in with its neighbouring Prince-branded inns. There are coated walkways connecting the inns and so they additionally share inexperienced areas and numerous facilities, so maybe the rooms are all numbered in order to not overlap with their neighbours as nicely.

The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo – Deluxe King Room

Upon getting into the room, we discovered that it provided a really cheap quantity of area, and the understated finishes have been appreciated after spending 4 nights on the extravagant W Suzhou. In step with the title of the resort, the carpet was adorned with an aesthetically pleasing sakura (cherry-blossom) sample.

The king mattress occupied one facet of the room, furnished with a easy wooden panel backboard.

The far facet of the room performed host to a set of comfy chairs and a small desk. Jessy and I spent a lot of our time within the resort room at this desk, snacking on the scrumptious meals that we had purchased from the 7/11 proper reverse the resort.

The countertop-and-desk combo ran alongside the other facet. You’d discover in-room facilities such because the minibar, bottled water, a espresso maker, and a tea package situated right here.

I assumed the desk was respectable for getting work accomplished, though it might’ve been just a little extra spacious.

As is commonplace in Japan, the Japanese-style bathroom is in a separate room from the principle rest room itself. The bathroom room is in your left as you enter the room, and features a small washbasin as nicely.

In the meantime, the principle rest room is on the proper, and consists of a double sink along with a bathe and bathtub. Reasonably oddly, the tub is definitely at a decrease degree than the bottom itself.

There was additionally a small marble countertop within the nook, which was helpful for storing toiletries and unfastened gadgets. I appreciated the marble accents within the rest room, though I did discover just a few first indicators of damage and tear that have been starting to creep in.

Additionally located within the lobby was a small closet, in addition to a drawer by which pajamas have been supplied for friends to make use of. I didn’t get round to utilizing them, but it surely was good to know they have been there.

One factor that’s price mentioning concerning the room is that it might actually profit from higher lighting. Even with all of the lights turned on, the atmosphere felt a bit dim, which isn’t one thing that leaves a constructive impression.

The room missed the large central inexperienced area that’s shared by all Prince inns on this space. We have been in Tokyo in the midst of the summer time heatwave, so the sunshine was naturally distinctive, and we regularly went down into the gardens for a morning stroll after breakfast earlier than heading out for the day.

We additionally acquired turndown service every night time, which consisted of a placard with the following day’s climate together with just a few candies. That is one thing that’s all the time good to savour when returning to your resort room after an extended day.

The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo – Nook King Room

I’d been assigned a Nook King Room on the eleventh flooring of the resort. The room was situated all the best way on the far finish of the hallway, which was a little bit of a trek.

My room was just like the one Ricky stayed in. Instantly upon getting into the room, there’s a small hallway with the bathroom room instantly to the proper.

From there, you go by the principle rest room and the room’s closet as you make your method to the bed room.

The king mattress takes centre stage right here, and is about in opposition to the wall on the left-hand facet of the room.

In entrance of the room’s prolonged curved mirror are two plush armchairs and a espresso desk. I had just a few pals come by to go to earlier than we headed out for dinner, and there was loads of area for our small group within the room.

Reverse from the seating space is the place you’ll discover the flat-screen tv, a mini-fridge, the espresso maker, and a desk tucked within the nook of the room.

The view from my room seemed out within the route of the Tokyo Tower. It’s price noting that in cherry blossom season, the rooms dealing with the assorted gardens could also be extra fascinating, so maintain that in thoughts for those who’re planning to remain throughout the bloom.

The toilet is pretty spacious, and had a separate bathtub and walk-in bathe. There’s additionally a make-up desk and a double self-importance on the other wall.

One characteristic of the resort that I appreciated was the supply of newspapers within the morning. After waking up, I used to be happy to discover a small bag that contained my requested newspaper hanging from the door to my room.

General, I used to be fairly happy with my room at The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo, because it was fairly spacious and had a pleasant view of the Tokyo Tower. The mattress was very comfy, and it was in a really quiet a part of the resort.

As Ricky famous, the rooms are in fine condition however seem like a bit dated in comparison with different components of the resort. In the event you like a extra traditional fashion for inns, you then’ll recognize the décor; nonetheless, for those who like cutting-edge or trendy designs, you would possibly really feel a bit misplaced right here.

The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo – Sakura Suite

I additionally had an opportunity to check out another rooms within the resort. Except for Deluxe Rooms, just like the one Ricky stayed in, and Nook Rooms, just like the one I stayed in, there are Junior Suites and a Sakura Suite. 

The Sakura Suite is a spacious 86-square-metre room with a separate lounge and bed room. 

The lounge includes a spacious sofa with a separate giant ottoman, in addition to an unlimited wood espresso desk and an armchair. There’s additionally a bar within the nook of the room and one of many room’s two flat-screen TVs, making it an incredible choice for internet hosting a small gathering.

Within the bed room, you’ll discover two double beds, a pair of plush armchairs in opposition to the window, and an extended desk. The flat-screen TV is immediately reverse from the beds, and the espresso maker stands close by.

The primary rest room sits adjoining to the bed room. For all intents and functions, it’s just like the opposite loos within the resort, with a separate walk-in bathe, bathtub, and double self-importance.

General, the rooms at The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo are cohesive of their design, options, and facilities. The resort is a mixture of outdated and new, and the rooms supply extra of a traditional design and setup than different, extra trendy components of the resort.

Relying on the scale of your group, you’ll have choices to select from a single mattress, two double beds, or two double beds and a single mattress. It’s price noting that the Junior Suites seem like similar to the Nook Rooms, albeit with some extra sq. footage.

The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo – Government Lounge

The resort’s Government Lounge is situated on the bottom flooring, and eligible resort friends are given a particular keycard to swipe for entry.

It’s a moderately intimate area with seating for about 50 folks. The kitchen and bar space was situated on the entrance of the lounge, and the breakfast and night meals spreads have been positioned alongside these surfaces.

The seating on this space largely consisted of high-top tables and chairs.

In the meantime the seating in direction of the again of the lounge was extra relaxed, and among the seats specifically loved nice views of the gardens exterior.

Visitors with lounge entry can get pleasure from a small breakfast buffet right here within the mornings. There’s additionally a bigger buffet within the restaurant reverse from the lounge, though you’d need to pay for that one.

The breakfast buffet consists of a fusion of Western and Japanese gadgets, with just a few oddball gadgets thrown within the combine. There was the same old scrambled eggs, sausages, and bacon, but additionally assorted steamed greens and minestrone…

Then there have been pastries, cereal, and a collection of charcuterie on the opposite facet of the lounge on the bar.

My favorite a part of the breakfast buffet was the make-your-own-rice-bowl station, the place you may mix freshly cooked Japanese rice with quite a lot of accoutrements, corresponding to nori, cod roe, pickled plum, and dried fish.

The Government Lounge additionally provides a night unfold of cheese bites, desserts, and complimentary beer, wine, and spirits.

The night service ends at 9pm, so we had restricted use for this provided that we have been fairly busy exploring Tokyo on most nights. However, after we did return to the resort earlier than 9pm, it was good to dip into the lounge for a snack and a nightcap.

The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo – Eating

The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo options two eating places: Cilegio Ristorante Café and Nadaman Takanawa Prime Japanese Restaurant.

Cilegio is situated on the bottom flooring of the resort, and serves Italian delicacies all through the day.

Nadaman is situated on the third flooring of the resort, and serves Japanese delicacies overlooking the gorgeous gardens exterior. On the best way in, you’ll additionally encounter a beautiful vibrant construction, which could be very pleasing to the attention.

The inside of the restaurant could be very smooth, with quite a lot of choices relying on the kind of expertise you’re on the lookout for. 

The restaurant was fairly busy and had many tables reserved after I stopped by, and it gave the impression to be a extremely popular spot.

The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo – Different Amenities

The resort has a central staircase, which results in its numerous facilities in addition to the opposite Prince inns. There’s a useful map of the grounds positioned close to the staircase to information you across the huge resort advanced; as you may see, The Prince Sakura Tower is however considered one of 4 Prince inns on this block.

Take the staircase up a degree from the bottom flooring, and also you arrive on the doorway to the inexperienced area. The classical Japanese gardens are gorgeously maintained, with the spotlight being the gorgeous koi pond in the midst of all of it.

The inexperienced area additionally boasts loads of attention-grabbing shrines and pavilions, so there’s lots to take a look at as you wander round. I didn’t get an opportunity to take a look at the opposite Prince-branded inns (that are all accessible by way of the courtyard), however my sense is that they’re about on par with the Sakura Tower – very comfy high-end inns however not fairly on the highest echelons of luxurious.

Be aware, nonetheless, that solely The Prince Sakura Tower is part of Marriott’s Autograph Assortment and might due to this fact be booked on factors.

When it comes to the resort’s different options, there’s a small enterprise centre situated on the bottom flooring adjoining to the Government Lounge and Cilegio restaurant.

Then for those who take the spiral staircase down a degree, you’ll arrive on the spa and health centre.

Whereas there’s a whirlpool and sauna right here at The Prince Sakura Tower, there’s no full-sized swimming pool; as an alternative, we had been informed upon check-in that we might use the swimming pool over on the Grand Prince Lodge Takanawa, though we’d need to pay a charge to entry it. (Naturally, we by no means did.)

It’s price noting that you just’re anticipated to wash within the nude, and that friends with tattoos might be refused entry. There are two sauna and whirlpool bathtub areas, that are separated by gender, and each are open between 7am and 11pm day by day.

Spa the Sakura can be situated on this flooring, and provides quite a lot of therapies to friends. 

There’s additionally a “Calm down Lounge” on the bottom flooring of the resort, which is supplied with a handful of comfy chairs for friends to calm down in.

Since we had devoted our time in Tokyo to being good vacationers and exploring as a lot of the town as potential, I additionally couldn’t actually match within the time to go for a exercise on the resort health centre, so I simply popped downstairs to take some footage.

It was a really good health centre with a wealth of health tools, and I’m just a little unhappy I didn’t handle to utilize it.

After 4 nights on the resort, we had a morning departure from Tokyo Haneda again to Beijing, so we grabbed a fast early breakfast within the Government Lounge earlier than packing our luggage and heading out to Shinagawa station for our prepare to the airport.

Conclusion

The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo is a stable mid-range resort selection for guests to Tokyo.

Whereas the placement isn’t supreme, it additionally doesn’t matter an excessive amount of given the effectivity of rail transport all through the town.

In the meantime, whereas the décor and atmosphere of the general public areas are befitting of a trendy luxurious resort, the visitor rooms and hallways are extra dated, and I’d think about {that a} spherical of renovations should be occurring within the close to future.

All issues thought of, I loved my keep at The Prince Sakura Tower, however I’d in all probability wish to check out among the metropolis’s different properties the following time I’m in Tokyo.