Hotel Gajoen is a massive historic hotel located in central Tokyo. Established in 1928 as a restaurant, the hotel grew to become one of Japan’s premier sites for weddings and special occasions. Inside the hotel, the wide hallway is lined with stunning paintings and lacquerwork and there are several upscale dining option featuring different cuisines. At the center of the lobby is the more casual cafe where we enjoyed afternoon tea with a view of the courtyard garden and waterfall.
Despite the size of the hotel, rooms are limited due to the size of each room. The nice staff upgraded us to the Executive Suite after hearing we were on our honeymoon. We were stunned by the size of the suite: There was a large living room, separate bedroom, and a luxurious marble bathroom comprising of a jacuzzi tub, steam room, and separate standing shower. There was even a card and a bouquet of flowers on the living room table wishing us a “happy wedding.” That is what I call top-notch service.
We tried to make a dinner reservation at one of the hotel restaurants, but found the online system confusing so we decided to talk to the hosts in-person. Many of the restaurants were booked up for dinner but we managed to get a table at Canoviano, a fine dining Italian restaurant created by Takamasa Uetake. They offered two set meal options – the more expensive option included a fugu (pufferfish) dish. Service was professional and the dishes were presented beautifully, however for the price, I expected the dishes to be more creative and flavorful.
The hotel does not have an onsite spa and so they partner with external massage providers. We booked an in-room couple’s massage and two elderly women showed up at our door. To my surprise, they did not bring massage tables as I expected and instead asked us to lay on our beds. When we started to take off our clothes, they seemed a little shocked and told my husband (in Japanese) that we could wear the hotel provided PJs. We decided to stay topless and the women put a tiny towel on our backs and began the massage. I am a frequent spa visitor and this was the strangest massage I have ever received. There seemed to be no method to the madness. For an hour she pressed into my skin with her thumbs left right left right until my entire body was shaking.
We took the subway and then the bus to Roppongi Hills and checked out the Mori Art Museum before heading up to the Roppongi Hills Observatory deck. There was an inside and outside portion. On the inside, there was a mini Bvlgari Serpentiform exhibition that displayed beautiful (and very expensive) art jewelry in the shape of snakes. The outside deck looked like a helicopter landing pad and the views of the city were lovely and romantic!
The next morning we settled on the breakfast buffet at Kanade Terrace, the American grill. We needed a break from Japanese food and there was no wait time. After checking out, we hauled our luggage to the station and headed to Urayasu.
The Swinging Hammock 