Andaz Tokyo Provides a Light in the Dark

Now this is a room with a view

BY

Published: 14 August 2025

Before midnight, in the dark.

You can hear the hum of the air-conditioning; the soft rustle of the duvet rubbing against human skin. Through a stretched window, you can see the moonlit cubic outlines of buildings. And standing like a colossus at akimbo, the red-hot Tokyo Tower, aglow.

TORANOMON IS LOCATED AT the business district of Minato, Tokyo. This is the beating heart of many headquartered corporations. This area is also a whirlpool of the old and modern; a business community that co-exists with its architectural past. No stranger to redevelopment, with any sort of modernity, the older landmarks are incorporated into it.

Perched on the top floors of the Toranomon Hills Mori Tower is Andaz Tokyo. After you ascend and as the elevator doors open, you’re greeted with a wide-open space textured with geometric-patterned light oak and washi panels. It’s warm and inviting—already a good sign for the weary traveller. The lobby sits on the 51st floor (which throws out the definition of what a lobby is supposed to be but what do I know), and instead of the usual fanfare of concierge counters and keycard queues, guests are greeted by hosts who quietly handle check-in with a tablet and a smile.

It’s rather “un-hotel”. As though you’re in a library or somewhere sacrosanct.

Designed by Tony Chi, the interiors are a nod to Japanese sensibility without stumbling into cliché. Stone and copper are part of an earthy palette that feels cordial and considered. Inspired by the spirit of Japan, you’re supposed to feel the intimacy of the country’s history, arts and culture.

The guestrooms follow suit with a minimalist aesthetic that evokes the feel of the woods. You have mossy-green carpeting and timbered accents; floor-to-ceiling windows that remind you that you’re floating somewhere above the world’s biggest city.

Then, there’s the generous bathroom, where one can step under a rain shower, feet pressed against the granite-like flooring. Or soak in the circular tub next to the shower. Aesop bath products heighten the bathing experience. As usual, the bathroom is outfitted with a high-tech toilet with its heated seat that automatically lifts or lowers, hands-free.

Japanese designer Shinichiro Ogata handles the look of the rooftop bar, wedding chapel(!) and the 37th floor, where AO Spa and Club are. The waters of the pool were still when we were there, with nary a soul lounging about. At night, when the moonlight trickles in, it feels almost meditative.

Breakfast is held at The Tavern – Grill & Lounge. Located at the same level as the lobby, the area is a refined atmosphere—again, providing such sights from your table. The spread is a mix of that lean European taste with the occasional Japanese detour.

AT MORI TOWER, the lower levels are replete with restaurants and cafés. Beneath the building is access to the Toranomon Hills subway station. Venture out from Mori Tower and you visit the Atago Jinja Shrine (at Atago Hill) or the Toranomon Kotohiragu Shrine, which is a 400-year-old shrine that’s further dwarfed by the surrounding skyscrapers.

Because it’s the business district, many places are shuttered in the evening at Toranomon Hills. One could head to Rooftop Bar at Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills, where you can survey the city at night, while you nurse a cocktail.

Or one could return to the comfort of the bed, where your waking self is lost to thread counts.

You feel… safe? You’ve regressed into a child, nestled in-between your parents and the assuring ray comes not from the moon or her twinkling subordinates but from the neon red blaze like a night light in the dark.