View from the Room: Hotel 1899, Tokyo
AKA the tea hotel.
For our final accommodation of this year’s Japanese adventure, we stayed at the opposite end of Ginza from where we began.
Once again, a lift took us up to the airy lobby, which features an inviting tea room. More on that later.
This hotel had the smallest bedroom of the three we stayed in, although we planned to be mostly out anyway. However, this doesn’t mean a cut in amenities. Oh no. We still had customary PJs, which were more akin to nightshirts, waiting for us on the bed. This small bed is up against the far wall with TV and slim shelf on the opposite wall. They managed to fit in a tiny sofa and coffee table next to a luggage shelf. There is storage space under the bed too.
Storage
Open wardrobe with four quality regular wooden hangers and a shelf above
Slim shelves under the TV and around the bed.
A narrow cupboard next to the fridge, which we used for clothes storage during our final two days after removing the glasses and other items
A narrow shelf housing the tea service
One deep drawer
Bathroom
Bathtub
Plenty of mini toiletries
Hand soap
Hand shower over the bath
Towel rack with additional towel rail underneath
Amenity kit including cotton buds, and of course, toothbrushes
Food and refreshments
This hotel elevated the Japanese tea experience. We had a special kettle that not only allowed us to select the temperature but also featured a super thin pouring spout. Immediately added it to my ‘most wanted list’. In addition, we had a teapot, two Japanese tea cups and a little empty pot for tea bags.
On the last day, I was exhausted and had aching muscles (my own fault for enjoying the tea experience in the room so much that I forgot to turn off the air conditioning). We decided to request a tea ceremony in the lobby. By this, I mean we selected a complimentary tea from the menu, and a beautiful ceremony unfolded in front of us. There was no waiting, no reservations, and no need to leave the hotel.
There is a fabulous café on the ground floor where we enjoyed lunch on our first day before heading out for the penultimate day of this Japanese adventure. I ordered a signature latte drink just as we were finishing lunch. I can’t recall what it was, but I watched them make it. It took two people, a good five minutes to craft this with the customary love and care that only the Japanese dispense in bucket loads.
Amenities
Two different pairs of slippers so we know which ones belonged to us
Kimono/nightshirts
Fabric refresher
Dehumidifier
Fridge
The variety of lights was fun from the book reading light to the floor lighting and all controlled from the bedside.
Lots of USB and other charge points
Safe (in a drawer as has been the case in all three hotels)
TV on wall opposite bed (ditto)
So we ended our trip with another fine hotel and a Japanese tea ceremony to boot.
January 2025
