Turning a stopover in Tokyo into sojourn starts with Conrad Tokyo

 

Tokyo is an important gateway into Asia, as well as a hub for international business. Too many travelers merely transit Tokyo - perhaps a bit intimidated by the idea of navigating a vastly different culture, with different language and alphabet and the vastness of a city of 10 million people that makes even New York City seem provincial. But Tokyo is also one of the world's great cities, the repository of thousands of years of human history and culture. I found you can turn a stopover into a sojourn - that most special kind of travel adventure that produces a transformative experience - with just a little pre-planning. I was en route to Hangzhou, China, an itinerary that compelled an overnight in Tokyo in both directions. Rather than just stay over in a hotel at Narita International Airport, I added a night in each direction, so that I would have one full day to explore Tokyo both coming and going. I did some pre-planning in order to cut down the learning curve and get the most out of each day (see below). My efforts were richly rewarded. My flight from J. F. Kennedy International on ANA (Air Nippon Airlines) brings back fond memories of the good ol' days of flying – so gracious, hospitable and immediately put me into the atmosphere of Asia. Just moments after taking off, I feel I am already at my destination, or at least, already starting my trip. I am in economy class mind you, the service, the food, the personal entertainment systems (I see five movies each way), make the 14-hours, even cramped in a seat, fly by as pleasantly as a 14-hour flight could possibly be. Even in economy class, we are served two full meals (wine and beer provided at no charge), plus a snack, and frequent service of drinks – juice, water, green tea and coffee. Before the meal, the flight attendant comes by with a hot towel. They make dining an event – with actual silverware. There is even a menu so you can choose a meat or seafood entrée, with a meal that combined Western and Asian treats. For dessert, small containers of Häagen-Dazs ice cream. You should see Club ANA (Business Class)! Chairs open up to full-length loungers, a down quilt, and First Class is like having your own little studio apartment in the sky – a separated seat opens to a bed and there is a big-screen monitor on its own little desk. We land at 3:35 in afternoon, local time (11 hours different from New York and across the dateline). First the Immigration desk – not at all intimidating. You don't need a visa to enter Japan for such a short stay; they take your picture and finger print you. Next stop – picking up baggage and going through Customs. This too is as efficient and as stress-free as can be – they even provide baggage carts for free, making it easy to get around. Once I clear Customs and Immigration, I go directly to the Friendly Airport-Limousine Bus desk, centrally located as you exit Customs. I am amazed by how efficient this service is. They give me a ticket for a bus that leaves within10 minutes, and I wheel my luggage cart outside to the curb, find the station, and queue up with the other passengers. The ticket costs 3000 yen ($30), with stops at many major hotels (I had checked online at the hotels that I would stay at, the Conrad Hilton and the Tokyo Hilton, and found that both were direct stops). Otherwise, you can take the bus to the downtown Tokyo Airport Central Station where you can get a taxi or take the subway. (You can also get downtown from Narita Airport by train – in any case, mass transit is definitely the way to go.) Luggage handlers check your luggage; another collects the cart, and as the bus pulls away, the handlers both bow. This, along with the prohibition in the bus against using cell phones because it is inconsiderate of other people, is your first lesson about Japanese culture: politeness is still highly valued. The next thing you realize is that people drive and walk on the left instead of right, like the British; everything is in kilometers and centigrade; and (significantly) road signs offer English language and numerals. Downtown Tokyo is about 35 to 40 miles from Narita Airport and the trip can take anywhere from one to two hours, depending upon the time of day. For a new arrival, the comfortable bus (there are lavatories on board) is like a sightseeing trip, providing a pleasant orientation. Just outside the city, we pass Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, with seven hotels (including the family-focused Hilton Tokyo Bay, an official Disneyland hotel) and a Giant Ferris Wheel. I am surprised at how close it is to the city (Disneyland is easily reached from downtown by the train). And then we are in downtown Tokyo - modern, vibrant, bustling, tall skyscrapers of glass and steel, eight lane boulevards, colorful neon. I am still getting my bearings after some 20 hours of traveling when I arrive at the Conrad Tokyo hotel. The lobby is actually located at the 28th floor of a commercial skyscraper and the view of Tokyo Bay and the Rainbow Bridge, which you can enjoy from the lounge, takes your breath away. Mizuki Spa Within minutes of my arrival, my stopover turns into a true Tokyo "vacation" as I experience one of the unparalleled luxuries of a stay at the Conrad Tokyo – a massage at its Mizuki Spa. The Mizuki Spa is the largest of its kind in Tokyo and the only one featuring a genuine Hinoki bath – a tub made out of Hinoki cypress which has a rich grain, smooth texture and a subtle scent of cypress. (The Mizuki Spa signature treatment includes a deep soak in the Hinoki bath, a massage using bamboo sticks, and a traditional Japanese Tea ceremony.) A massage is pleasurable almost by definition, but this takes the experience to another realm: this is in true Japanese style, with special niceties infused with Japanese tradition in the treatments, as well as the atmosphere. I am taken into a waiting room, where water and moon, two of nature's powerful yet calming symbols, are integrated into the design. A fountain mimics the sound of rain. I sip tea as I choose the scent of the massage oil I prefer. I am taken into a darkened room where a bubble bath has already been drawn to a perfect temperature, and soak in pulsating water for 30 minutes, while looking out of a picture window at the lights of the city. Then the masseuse comes in and works her magic for a full hour, though you lose all sense of time and even forget where you are, you are off somewhere… It strikes me that Japan must be where massage began because it is so much in tune with the custom, the aesthetics and way of life – being in touch with nature, the elements, the self. (I'm close: like so much of Japan's culture, massage was imported from China 2,000 years ago). I am next ushered into a relaxation room with an interior garden, where I am served an orange tea. By now, I feel like my body is mush, and after lingering awhile, I summon the strength to totter back to my room. Oasis of Calm The Conrad Tokyo, the luxury brand of Hilton International, is an oasis of calm in a bustling metropolis. It isn't just being so far above the street – it is the interior design that takes the very best of traditional Japanese art and style and blends it with modern sensibilities and amenities. Nowhere is ancient and modern blended better than in Japanese design, and nowhere is this better presented than at the Conrad Tokyo. The hotel, which opened in 2005 and won Conde Nast's design award in 2006, masterfully incorporates modern and traditional Japanese design aspects – nature is woven into the décor with the use of neutral tones, natural materials like stone and wood and plantings, in the sumi-e brush paintings, and in the collection of distinctive contemporary Japanese art commissioned from 21 of Japan's leading and artists. And if there is any validity to feng shui - the placement of furnishings to calm the spirit - this would provide the proof. You can't help but feel calmed just by walking out from the elevator into the lobby. The effect is to give you a wonderful sense of "place" - a rarity among international luxury hotels especially ones that cater to business travelers, which seem to strive instead, for a more universal, cosmopolitan ambiance. The 290 guest rooms and suites are spacious – 48 sq. meters at least – and offer 37-inch plasma screen television, satellite channels, DVD players, video on demand, wired and wireless high-speed Internet, wireless phones, mini-bar, tea and coffee maker, iron and ironing board, electronic safe. There is every amenity of a luxury hotel including express pressing, same day and overnight laundry and valet, 24-hour room service, shoeshine, nightly turndown, pre-registration and express check out; and late check in and check out on request. My room is in the delicate Japanese style, decorated with sumi-e cherry blossom painting, Japanese foliage patterned fabric, softly dimmed light radiating from traditional lantern style lamps, a picture window spanning almost the entire wall with a spectacular view overlooking Tokyo Bay. Also, there is every ergonomic creature comfort imaginable: a relaxation CD, slippers and plush robe, bedside buttons control lights, with an orange dot that stays on so you can find it in dark, a nightlight in the bathroom. The design of the bathroom turns it into more than a utilitarian space. The bathroom is separated from the main room by a glass wall, covered (as you like) by a full-length wooden blind. This means you can soak in the tub and have a dazzling view of the cityscape. A circular mirror, rimmed by fluorescent light, is reminiscent of a Moon gate. The toilet, in a separate compartment, is a story in itself – a high-tech affair that combines the bidet, a seat that is warmed and a spray that you control. (It is important to note that there are Western-style public toilets throughout the city, many as high-tech and luxurious as this one.) The Conrad Tokyo is like a resort which happens to be downtown: in addition to the world-class spa, it offers a 25-meter indoor lap pool with Sumi-e motif, a fitness area, gymnasium, sauna and steam rooms; three meeting rooms and two ballrooms; mother-of-pearl wedding chapel (the hotel is immensely popular for weddings). The Conrad Tokyo is one of the Conrad Hotels & Resorts, the contemporary luxury brand of the Hilton Family of Hotels, with 17 award-winning properties in the US Ireland, Belgium, Egypt, Turkey, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia and Uruguay as well as Japan. Another seven projects are underway in South America, the Bahamas, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, the Maldives and China (www.ConradHotels.com). The Conrad Tokyo is located at 1-9-1, Higashi-Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-7337, www.ConradHotels.com. The Japan National Tourist Office is located at 1 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 1250 New York, NY 10020, tel. 212-757-5640, email visitjapan@jntonyc.org. Its website, www.japantravelinfo.com, offers tools to plan your Tokyo tour, or visit to Kyoto or any other Japanese city. Information on visiting Tokyo is available at www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp.

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