Tokyo noir
Experience the Lost in Translation side of Tokyo.
Photography by Hyatt Hotels
05 October 2023
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It’s not every day you can get a travel tip from Bill Murray, so do take heed and book a night or two at the elegant Park Hyatt Tokyo that is featured in Lost in Translation.
Set on the top floors of the 52-storey Shinjuku Park Tower, you can imagine the eye-popping views this special hotel offers.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2023, the 177-room hotel is also celebrating the twentieth anniversary of Sofia Coppola’s 2003 film Lost in Translation.
The hotel’s New York Bar is famous for its cameo where Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray’s characters meet.
Located on the 52nd floor, non-guests can also visit the bar but there’s a cover charge of around $30.
It’s worth the money for the views alone, but there are also jazz performances and great cocktails, including the cocktail named after the film, which is a concoction of Kikuizumi Daiginjo, a sake made in Aomori prefecture, Peachtree, Sakura liqueur and cranberry juice.
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To celebrate its success, the property is undergoing a year-long facelift led by Paris-based Jouin Manku.
Fredrik Harfors, general manager of Park Hyatt Tokyo, announced that the design firm will draw inspiration from the legacy of the Park Hyatt Tokyo to create “an elevated atmosphere that will continue to shine as a beacon of understated luxury for decades to come.”
Yet, there is still time to appreciate the original hotel that featured in Lost in Translation.
This oasis of peace is set in the heart of thriving Tokyo with incredible views of the glittering Tokyo skyline and Yoyogi Park.
The rooms are entered from muted green corridors and feature rich, dark woods and soft fabrics. The furnishings offer paper lanterns and Egyptian sheets.
The views are spectacular, especially when you look out to Mount Fuji.
Like all Hyatts, the bathrooms are a treat and feature marble and granite with the delightful fragrances of Aesop amenities.
The other famed area that features in Lost in Translation is the pool surrounded by soaring glass walls on level 47 and is kept company by a gym and aerobics studio as well as those jaw-dropping views. Two floors below is the Club on the Park, which offers all range of wonderful treatments including a rejuvenating Tokyo Massage with divinely scented Japanese oils.
In terms of restaurants, the aforementioned New York Bar and Grill is perfect for a skyscraper meal with a choice from the cellar housing almost 2,000 wines.
If you’re more for a traditional meal, the Kozue restaurant serves Japanese fare. Then there’s the brasserie-style Girandole, where breakfast is also served and in the Peak Lounge, afternoon teas and cocktails in a bamboo garden with a glass roof is a must.
Shinjuku is a great location. It’s close to the Cherry Blossom Gardens, Shinjuku station, and the Golden Gai are brimming with ramen restaurants and izakaya bars. Or head to Kabukicho for some awesome nightlife.
The Michelin-starred Sanso Kyoyamato restaurant opened in 1977, and is situated within Park Hyatt Tokyo’s traditional Japanese garden – it’s where the samurai met to overthrow the shogunate in the 19th century, and you can enjoy either a tea ceremony or a several-course kaiseki dining experience here.
The tea ceremony is taken among historic hanging scrolls, tea bowls and utensils crafted by artisans. It’s important to book at least a week in advance.
Next time you’re in Tokyo, ensure it’s after the renovations or before, as you don’t want to miss a stay at this iconic hotel. The hotel will be suspending operations from 7 May 2024, and anticipates reopening in the second quarter of 2025.
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