DESIGN : PALACE HOTEL TOKYO
PALACE HOTEL TOKYO
OPENING DATE :
May 17 , 2012
SIZE :
290 guestrooms , 10 restaurants and bars , an Evian spa and extensive meetings and events facilities covering 570,487 sq ft ( 53,000 sq m )
LOCATION :
Tokyo ’ s Marunouchi commercial district next door to the Imperial Palace — on the same site that once housed the Hotel Teito , which opened in 1947 , and the previous Palace Hotel , dating back to 1961
COST :
The hotel is part of a US $ 1.2 billion development that also includes the 731,946-sq-ft ( 68,000-sq-m ) Palace Building , which houses the headquarters of some of Japan ’ s most prestigious corporations .
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / GENERAL MANAGER :
Masaru Watanabe
OWNER :
Palace Hotel Co . Ltd ., Tokyo
ARCHITECT :
Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei Inc ., Tokyo
LEAD INTERIOR DESIGNER :
GA Design International , London
DESIGN AESTHETIC :
Using a garden theme inspired by the nearby Imperial Palace site , the hotel is meant to be not just attractive , but also meaningful , with a long-lasting character to become personal to guests .
THE vision for Palace Hotel Tokyo was to create a property that could live up to its name — not to mention a spectacular location , rich history and deep cultural traditions . The 290-room new-build hotel opened this past May in Tokyo ’ s Marunouchi commercial district and next door to the Imperial Palace — on the same site that once housed the Hotel Teito , which opened in 1947 , and the previous Palace Hotel , dating back to 1961 . It is part of a US $ 1.2 billion development that is also home to some of Japan ’ s most prestigious corporations .
“ The overarching concept throughout was to build a hotel with a real ‘ presence ’ — one which would represent the best of Japan and do so with grace and elegance ,” says Masaru Watanabe , executive director and general manager of Palace Hotel Tokyo .
“ The intention was to make the interiors not simply attractive , but to give them meaning — a long-lasting character that would evolve and become personal to those that use it ,” adds Terry McGinnity , managing director of London-based GA Design International , the property ’ s lead interior design firm .
The design of Palace Hotel Tokyo is strongly influenced by the nearby Imperial Palace , a 1.3-sq-mi ( 3.5-sq-km ) green space in the city ’ s center . Cool grays , soft greens and pale blues with hints of muted gold dominate the interiors . Public spaces such as the lobby seating area and wedding chapel aim to bring the outdoors in via expansive windows , and guestrooms share a similar philosophy with understated earth tones and generous balconies .
Other amenities include a 12,916-sq-ft ( 1,200-sq-m ) Evian spa in addition to 10 restaurants and bars . Wadakura is the hotel ’ s signature Japanese restaurant , for example , while Crown serves French fare . The Royal Bar , meanwhile , draws upon the site ’ s history with the bar top from the outlet of the same name at the previous Palace Hotel . “ The Royal Bar was famous , and the original design was overseen by the legendary bartender Mr . Kyoshi Imai ,” McGinnity notes . “ We retained the bar top in his memory and , alongside this , faithfully recreated the original designs to function as they once did .”
Watanabe reports occupancy has increased steadily since the hotel opened , with average rate at approximately US $ 473 . He highlights a higher-than-expected return rate from local clientele at the spa as well as robust weddings business — Watanabe says the property , which can host up to 12 weddings daily , is sold out through June 2013 .
But the goal is to keep evolving . Watanabe notes a target to increase the percentage of international guests from 50 % to 60 % as well as boost the percentage of leisure guests , currently at 45 %. “ Sentiments such as , ‘ I ’ ll be back !’ and others along those lines delight us most ,” he says . “ It may seem very simple , but such sentiments speak volumes about our guests ’ stay experiences , and at the end of the day , that ’ s what matters most .”
Nacasa & Partners Tokyo www . hotelsmag . com December 2012 HOTELS 39