Hoshinoya Tokyo

Accenting the high-rise Otemachi financial district like a towering black monolith, this 17-story reimagination of the traditional ryokan (Japanese inn) is one of Tokyo’s most luxurious retreats.

While there are 84 rooms here – alot for a high-end ryokan – they are divided between private floors. That makes it feel like staying in an exclusive, intimate inn – one that combines kimono-clad staff, tatami-floored common areas, and minimalist spaces that mix traditional sensibilities with contemporary luxury.

The whole package is capped by two gender-separated open-air onsen baths on the rooftop that draw natural hot-spring water from 1,500 metres below the city.

It’s a great location too, with Otemachi being a comfortable walk to the Imperial Palace, Ginza, and Tokyo Station, which gives easy access to all of central Tokyo.