Candeo Hotels Tokyo Roppongi - Skyspa & Breakfast

Candeo Hotels Tokyo Roppongi - Skyspa & Breakfast

If you have been following my blog, you probably know that I stayed at the fabulous Candeo Hotels Tokyo Roppongi during my last trip across Japan. However, if this is the first time you're reading my blog, I will give you a quick rundown. This September, I went on a trip across Japan to showcases as many cool things and places as I can to my followers. Because of this, I also stayed at many different hotels all across Japan. One of these is called Candeo Hotels Tokyo Roppongi and it is located at the heart of Tokyo's entertainment district called Roppongi. I was especially looking forward to staying at this hotel since I haven't experienced any of the famous Japanese nightlife so far during this trip, and this was a perfect opportunity to do so since the hotel is located only a short walk away from many famous clubs and bars. I was satisfied with this hotel and the room in which I stayed, and I have to say that I will definitely consider it as an option when I go here again. However, the room and the location of the hotel are great but are not its best features. These things, in my opinion, are the fabulous Skyspa located at the very top of the hotel, and the Candeo Hotels Tokyo Roppongi's famous breakfast buffet, which offers a huge amount of different dishes and beverage for you to enjoy each morning.

Skyspa

The Skyspa, as I already said, is located on the top floor of the hotel and contains two separate baths, one for men and one for women. Each bath consists of a dressing room, an area where you clean yourself, a sauna, and an outdoor and an indoor bath. Keep in mind that the male bath has a dry sauna and the female bath has a misty sauna. Also, the male bath has a cold bath as well. One more thing to note is the fact that the spa is free to use for all guests of the hotel. However, guests with tattoos are not permitted to use the Skyspa.  

Since the Skyspa is located so high, you can catch glimpses of buildings all around you making you feel like you are bathing among the clouds. This Skyspa is a huge perk in my opinion as it enables you to relax after a fun but usually exhausting night out. I felt so good each time that I used it, especially when afterward I would have a big and delicious breakfast they offer here.

Breakfast

The breakfast is served at the restaurant located on the lobby floor of the hotel and is available for the guests of the hotel from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. There's a huge amount of different dishes to try, both Japanese and western. The things I enjoyed the most were cereals, different types of cheese and ham, croissants, eggs, and salmon salad. But there are so many more dishes to try and it would be hard to name them all here. Check the photos so you can get the impression of the wide variety of selection you have there.

My stay here was a pleasurable experience and I will be looking forward to staying at Candeo Hotels again. I strongly recommend that you check out their website and learn more about this hotel. You won't regret it.

Hotel New Otani Tokyo Dining

Hotel New Otani Tokyo Dining

If you have been following my blog posts lately, you probably know that I was in Tokyo recently and stayed at the prestigious Hotel New Otani Tokyo in central Tokyo. As I already said in my previous post, this is a large and luxurious hotel, which has many great things to offer apart from its amazing guest rooms. The hotel itself encompasses three buildings and these are the New Otani Garden Court, New Otani Garden Tower, and the Main in which I had the pleasure of staying. These three buildings house a large selection of fine restaurants, nice bars, and classy lounge. In fact, there are 38 restaurants, 18 of which are hotel restaurants, and 20 which are tenant restaurants.

Since I was there only for a few days, I did not have the time to try many of them, but those that I did have the chance to visit, I really loved. The first one was a buffet restaurant called "Satsuki" located on the lobby floor of the main building. Since I was guest of the hotel I had received coupons for complimentary breakfast for each day of my stay there, so I visited this fine establishment a few times. I am a really big fan of buffet-style restaurants, so as you might have guessed, this was a big treat for me. I sat aside an hour and a half each morning just to enjoy this amazing breakfast at a relaxing pace. Both Japanese and western food is offered here and both are equally good. I especially enjoyed the freshly prepared omelets with ham, cheese, and mushrooms. The food was so good there that it was really hard to stop eating, especially since there were so many options there and I wanted to try as many different dishes as I could.

Even though I had a healthy breakfast and some snacks during the day, by the time I had returned to the hotel, I was already very hungry. I headed to the "View & Dining The Sky" buffet restaurant on the top of the hotel to have a nice dinner and enjoy the 360-degree view of the city that this restaurant is famous for.

Another place where I would have breakfast while I was there was the Garden Lounge which is also located on the lobby floor of the hotel. There I was able to enjoy another tasty buffet breakfast, but this time with a spectacular view of the Japanese garden that this hotel is famous for. À la carte items that are available there include sandwiches, pasta, soup and salads, with drinks and light meals offered during cocktail hours.

On my last day there, I went to "Trader Vic's", a nice restaurant decorated in the South Pacific style. There you can enjoy specialties such as smoked meat, fish and fowl.

There are so many things that you can do in this hotel, and you will need to stay here for many days to be able to experience all of them. That is why I will be returning to this hotel for sure on my next trip across Japan. I strongly suggest to all of you that you check out their website and learn more about the prestigious Hotel New Otani Tokyo.

THE GATE HOTEL Kaminarimon - Restaurant & Bar

THE GATE HOTEL Kaminarimon - Restaurant & Bar

If you have been following my blog, you probably know that I stayed in THE GATE HOTEL Kaminarimon during my trip to Japan this September. I already talked about all the things this hotel has to offer, but here's a quick rundown in case you missed my previous posts. THE GATE HOTEL Kaminarimon is a modern, stylish and affordable hotel located in Tokyo historic Asakusa District. You probably heard of Asakusa since it is a famous tourist destination thanks to attractions such as the Sensoji temple and the nearby Tokyo Skytree. It is also a popular nightlife area thanks to places such as the Hoppy Street where you can get drinks and delicious meals during the whole day in one of its many izakayas and bars. Now back to the hotel. My room was, as it is already explained in a previous post, an Essential Twin type room located on the 9th floor. It had everything I would expect from a hotel of this type and I was very satisfied with it. But this hotel has several more things to offer besides the room you stay in.

First is the "R Restaurant & Bar" located on the 13th floor of the hotel. It opens for business in 6 in the morning and is open until midnight. However, the guests of the hotel can use it 24-hours a day. In the morning the restaurant offers a breakfast buffet, which I absolutely loved. I could eat a wide variety of meals all the while enjoying the nice view of Asakusa and especially the beautiful Tokyo Skytree. When I arrived there for breakfast, I was escorted to my table by the kind staff members. They offered me some coffee and tea and asked me what shall I order as my main meal. I had the option of several meals such as an egg benedict or curry benedict, but I choose a French toast since that is one of my favorite meals. 

Before the main meal arrived, I went to the buffet table and grabbed some cereals as well as scooped some tasty honey beautifully arranged inside a honeycomb. That was a really delicious meal after which I grab some salad and potatoes to eat with my main meal. Also, I have to complement the amazing orange juice which was freshly squeezed right in front of me.

Besides the breakfast, this restaurant also offers lunch and dinner courses with a wide variety of meal options. It also has a terrace so you can enjoy your meal on a fresh air.

On the roof of the hotel there is a bar called "B Bar", which is an exclusive private area for the guests of the hotel and is open in the evening. There you can enjoy a wide variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. It was very relaxing to enjoy a nice drink while observing the night-time view of the Tokyo Skytree and the surrounding buildings. There's a terrace there as well, but unfortunately, it was raining while I was there so I did not have the chance to experience it fully.

In the end, I have to say that THE GATE HOTEL Kaminarimon is a great and affordable hotel which I wholeheartedly recommend you to check out if you're planning on visiting this part of Tokyo. You will not be disappointed.

Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers Dining

Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers Dining

If you have been following my blog recently, you are surely aware that I have recently visited Yokohama as a part of my trip across Japan, and that I stayed at the great Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers. Sheraton brand is known worldwide for the high quality of service they offer, so as you might have guessed it, I loved every minute of my stay there. However, I didn't only enjoy the luxurious room in which I stayed, but I also had the luck to eat at some amazing restaurants they have there and to grab a few good dring in the lounges and bars there.

Ko-No-Hana -Traditional Japanese Restaurant

Since I am a big fan of Japanese culture and history, I always jump at the opportunity to experience the traditional side of Japan. That is why I decided to go for a dinner to Ko-No-Hana, a traditional Japanese restaurant located on the 8th floor of the hotel, and if you like similar things, I suggest you check it out. There you can feast on carefully prepared and beautifully presented the traditional Japanese full-course meals while enjoying the view of the amazing Japanese garden that they have there. As the seasons change, so does the garden and the meals offered there since they are made from fresh seasonal ingredients. 

As I said, the dinner was a full course traditional Japanese dinner and included meals such as shrimp, sashimi, mushroom soup, tofu, rice, eel, soybean paste, and many more fantastic dishes, some of which I had never tried before in my life. The meal I had in that restaurant was probably one of the best meals during my whole trip across Japan. I especially love the way it was presented, and the professional attitude of the staff there. I recommend that if you visit this hotel, you definitely grab a dinner here. You will surely enjoy the authentic taste of Japan that is offered here.

Sheraton Club Lounge

Sheraton Club Lounge is another place in this hotel where I enjoyed spending my time and enjoying the great view of the city. It is exclusive for the guests of the club Sheraton floors who can enjoy everything there for free, and it is open for almost the whole day from 6 in the morning to 10 in the evening. In the morning I enjoyed my breakfast there with the entire Yokohama at my fingertips. During the rest of the day, you can come there to relax and get a cup of coffee or some nice tea and snacks. In the evening there is a cocktail hour where you can drink a wide variety of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks such as cocktails, wine, beer, whiskey, and many others. I have to say that it feels so good to drink quality whiskey while enjoying the night-time view of the city.

These are only some of the many great things Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers offers to its visitors. Check out my other blog posts and the website of the hotel as well. It was truly an amazing place to stay at and I will come there again one day for sure.

Shibu Onsen Kokuya - A Hidden Gem

Shibu Onsen Kokuya - A Hidden Gem

During my trip across Japan, I visited many fascinating places; from the busy streets of Shibuya and Shinjuku, to interesting museums such as Miraikan and teamLab Planets. But one of the places that I enjoyed the most was Shibu Onsen and the traditional ryokan at which I stayed called Kokuya. Shibu Onsen is a small mountain town located in Nagano Prefecture, only a one hour train ride from Nagano itself. It is famous for its many hot springs and monkey park called Jigokudani where you can see Japanese snow monkeys bathe in hot spring water. 

If you have been following my blog, you know quite a lot about Kokuya by now, but if you're reading this post first I will introduce you to it quickly before moving on. Kokuya is a traditional Japanese ryokan that was established in 1625 and is currently overseen by the 16th generation of owners. Other than great traditional rooms, Kokuya has six public and two private baths that use free-flowing hot spring water from six different spring sources. Guests of the ryokan can also enjoy full-course kaiseki meals made from local ingredients. The town of Shibu Onsen is a place that truly fascinated me. You could feel the history all around you walk its stones streets and tiny alleys. To me, it looked like I had traveled back in time or perhaps to a Ghibli film. And when the sun sets down and the lanterns lit up all across town, the whole place looks even more magical.

As I already said the town is famous for its many hot springs, because of that it is filled with many different ryokans and onsens. There are also 9 Public Baths all across town which you can access if you are a guest of one of ryokans such as Kokuya. Each of these parts, it is said, has some healing properties that help parts of your body. It is a popular activity for tourists to walk around town dressed in traditional Japanese clothing and try to experience each of the baths in a day. You can even collect stamps from each of the public baths. I suggest that if you visit this place, definitely take a nice stroll across town during the night. The atmosphere is incredibly peaceful and serene, with all the lanterns lit up around you and the sound of rumbling water beneath you. I believe that such an experience cannot be found easily so you should definitely do it. In the town itself, there is a brewery that you can visit to see how sake is produced and even taste some.

Jigokudani monkey park is located only a short drive away from the center of the town. There you can witness hundreds of snow monkeys walking around, playing end bathing in the hot spring water. It's quite fun to see them interact with each other, but be careful, don't approach them too close since sometimes they can react violently. You can even encounter them in the town itself sometimes. They descend from the hills to try to find some food in the town. One time as I was walking through the town I witnessed a group of monkeys trying to enter a store and the workers there had to chase them away. I also heard that they like to climb across the rooftops and sometimes even enter people's houses.

After I have visited the monkey park, the guide took me on a drive on the Olympic Road up to the top of 2,306m high Mount Yokoteyama. From there I had witnessed a spectacular view of the entire area around me which included many mountains, forests, and lakes. I also had the chance to eat lunch highest bakery in Japan. Also, a quick tip, if you're climbing on high mountains make sure to wear sunscreen because the sun there is much stronger and you can get sunburnt pretty easily.

After my lunch, I visited the border between the Nagano and Gunma prefectures which runs through a building and the highest point on Japanese roads. Drive across the Olympic Road, in general, was an amazing experience because you can witnessed views of the mountains, waterfalls, rivers, and Lakes. You can even spot a volcano called Mount Kusatsu-Shirane. However, you cannot approach it too closely because the volcano erupted in 2018 and since then the area around it is restricted.

These are just some of the things you can experience around Shibu Onsen. This is truly a hidden gem that not many people know about and I'm happy show it to you. I hope more people visit this great place, and if you are perhaps planning to go there sure to check out Kokuya. I absolutely loved every minute of my stay there I fully recommend you to book it if you plan on going here.

Chef's Live Kitchen at InterContinental Tokyo Bay

Chef's Live Kitchen at InterContinental Tokyo Bay

As you may know, recently I went on a trip across Japan, and during a part of it I stayed at the InterContinental Tokyo Bay hotel. I enjoyed my stay there and was impressed by many things the hotel has to offer. One of these is a buffet restaurant called Chef's Live Kitchen. After spending the whole day exploring the city around this amazing hotel, I returned back extremely tired and of course hungry. I was looking for a nice place to have dinner and the staff there suggested to me that I should check out this cool buffet restaurant.

Chef's Live Kitchen is located on the 3rd floor of the hotel, and as I already said, it is a buffet restaurant where you pay to enter and then you can eat as much as you can in a proscribed time period, 120-minute time limit for the dinner, 105-minute time limit for the dessert & light meal buffet and 90 minutes for lunch. The staff there was very friendly to me and quickly explained the dining procedure to me. There is a huge variety of meals at your disposal both from western and Japanese cuisine. 

They offer a seasonal menu with around 50 items for the lunch and dinner buffet, and around 60 items for the dessert & light meal buffet. The choices range from potatoes, vegetables to different kinds of sushi, tempura, and many other dishes. Also, there is a huge variety of desserts which I really enjoyed such as cakes, cookies, pudding and especially shaved ice which you must definitely try if you haven't done so already. 

You walk around the restaurant and select the meals that you enjoy the most. Also, you can try many different kinds of beverages both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, some of which you need to pay additionally. You can also prepare your own soft drinks by mixing for example, melon syrup and soda. I personally enjoyed the unlimited amount of sushi, since as we all know, sushi in Japan is so much better than sushi anywhere else. Also, having the option to eat as much as you want is an amazing thing and you can really fill up after an exhausting day. 

Also definitely try some of their amazing desserts such as already mentioned shaved ice, and my personal favorite, tiny strawberry pudding. If you come a bit early or you're lucky you can grab some amazing places right next to the windows, so when you're eating you can enjoy the amazing view of the Tokyo Bay and the Rainbow Bridge which lights up in many colors during the night. Keep in mind that Chef's Live Kitchen is not exclusive to guest of the hotel only, anyone can come and enjoy this fine restaurant.