When in Tokyo: stay at the urban chic and vibrant Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo

With its slick architecture, its plethora of food options, edgy galleries and museums, traditional shrines and quiet gardens, Tokyo’s energy is without limits. But with so many options to explore, it is often daunting for globe trotters to choose the best place to stay and find human connections. Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo is the perfect response.

A home away from home, Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo features beautiful spaces, ultra chic design, fantastic creativity and dedicated staff. It is one of the latest hotels to open in the busy capital of Japan and the most elegant hotel of Tokyo. It is the place to stay!

The Shinjuku district is one of Tokyo’s busiest hubs. It features a train station known as the busiest railway platform in the world with a traffic close to 4 million people per day. It is also a bustling business-district with some of Tokyo’s most significant national and international companies’ headquarters. With a dynamic nightlife, the nearby Kabukicho area offers many options of bars, clubs and restaurants to relax after a long day in the office.

“When it comes to Tokyo’s hotel landscape, Shinjuku was missing a lifestyle, yet luxury, hotel brand. Nishi(west)-Shinjuku, where Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo is located, was the perfect neighbourhood to host such a classy brand and to bring natural elegance and creative touches. Kimpton was the missing link, fulfilling the identity and contrasts of Shinjuku.” General Manager Maxime J.B Hotelier, who previously worked with the world-renowned chef Pierre Gagnaire and at Pernod Ricard in prestigious roles, tells Art is Alive. The hotel’s location is indeed very convenient: a 12-minute walk from the south exit of JR Shinjuku Station and an 8-minute walk from Exit A4 of Tochomae Station on the Toei Oedo Line.

Inspired by New York’s art scene and its liveliness, Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo opened in October 2020. It celebrates creativity in all its forms. Probably one of the most impressive features of Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo is its amazing second-floor terrace bar where guests can enjoy the greatest drinks. “Our hotel concept is Shinjuku meets Manhattan, where we take inspiration from the art and fashion scenes of Manhattan and weave it into Japanese edge through our décor and artworks.” Maxime continues.

Today, Kimpton hotels and restaurants represent the avant-garde among the competitive hospitality lifestyle industry. The brand successfully designs bespoke, luxury destinations where creative nomads, art connoisseurs and trendsetters have a good time, recharge batteries, or set up offices. The group thrives at offering experiential stays where engagement, culture, music and gastronomy brilliantly mix.

Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo is the first Kimpton in Japan, the third in Asia after Taipei and Bangkok. It is also the first international brand to launch in the Shinjuku area in 26 years after Park Hyatt Tokyo. A brand of all records, Kimpton brings excellence to customers. Japan reopened after the pandemic and with the boost of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics and the reopening of the frontiers, international tourists finally return to Japan and it’s good news. “Today, Kimpton Shinjuku welcomes 80% international guests and 20% Japanese. This is partly because Kimpton has a strong presence in the US.” Maxime adds.

OKAERI means “welcome home” in Japanese. It epitomises Kimpton Shinjuku’s ethos. This idea permeates throughout the hotel with personal hospitality at its best. Talking about the ‘soul of the hotel’ Maxime explains: “A summary of what Shinjuku is all about: fast and intense; creative and artistic; edgy and diverse. But again, it all comes back to the people. The foundation of our hotel will always remain the heartfelt human connections to create memorable moments thanks to our ‘Kimpton Humans’.” All Kimpton spaces are bound together by genuine service and innovative style.

What’s the best asset of the latest Tokyo addition to the Kimpton portfolio? “It’s the people. It can sound weird to talk about people as an “asset”, but the truth is, nothing can happen without them, and here at Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo, we pride ourselves to make magic happen because of our passionate Kimpton Humans. Their genuine hospitality and dedication are second-to-none and now recognized as such in Tokyo’s hotel industry.” Maxime explains, highlighting the diversity of his staff with 14 nationalities, 40% foreigners, and a ratio of 45% women and 55% men.

Kimpton Shinjuku is cool, as reflected by the countless fashion shoots that took place in the hotel, most recently for Vogue.com. Local artist SHETA stayed as a guest, and his artwork is available in ground floor concept store which also offers ceramics, books and artefacts. The perfect presents. Artist Daisuke Inomoto who painted the OKAERI piece in the lobby is a frequent guest too and this community inspires more creativity to clients.

Kimpton’s signature includes the ‘Morning Kickstart’ with a complimentary coffee and tea service (ask the coffee of your choice and staff will make it), the ‘Evening Social Hour’ with delicious cocktails and canapés available for one hour and to socialize with staff. It brings the community together around food and joy. All Kimptons are pet-friendly and the brand was the first luxury hotel to introduce a pet-friendly policy in the US.

When it comes to interiors, the lounge, communal areas, and restaurants boast contemporary design. It is tasteful and comfortable. The Rockwell Group, a NY, LA and Madrid-based award-winning design agency joined forces with Shimizu Kensetsu to create the most pleasant and functional exteriors while the Rockwell Group designed the stunning interiors. The palette of colours is harmonious, and the exteriors are impressive. “Our design is an exploration of layered textures; fabric, art, and furnishings that explore Tokyo’s relationship to both the past and future. The rich blue plaster walls of the brasserie have aged brass detailing. A picture rail highlights custom sconces and a curated collection of local artworks. Rich detailing includes leather wrapped handrails, wood-on-wood inlay tabletops and two-toned leather banquettes.” The Rockwell Group said about the conceptual framework for Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo.

The hotel has 151 stunning rooms, from 1 King, 2 Twin beds, to multiple choices of luxury Suites, where contemporary design meets with floral motifs and noble dark wooden panels. The palette is zen with dominating crème, light grey, gold and white colours. References to Japanese urban landscapes and artisanal culture meet with outstanding materials. The amenities are comfortable, the architecture perfectly logical, and the general atmosphere very relaxing. A curated selection of books on Japanese art and architecture sits alongside fun artworks and elegant vases. The rooms have spacious storage, all modern amenities, large mirrors, and sustainable toiletry products.

Kimpton Shinjuku tailors for all clientele, from couples, fashion aficionados to businessmen. There’s plenty of options for enjoying delicious food, wines and cocktails. The Jones Café | Bar, next to the central lobby has curved sofas and cushions. It plays great music and features a large welcoming Tokyo neon accent, a reference to the iconic Kimpton sign on the façade of the building; another nod to NY-landmarks. The menu is fantastic with a large selection of sandwiches, patisseries, and snacks.

District -Brasserie, Bar, Lounge, is a modern brasserie and bar for breakfast, brunch, afternoon tea, and dinner, taking inspiration from the diverse culinary culture in Manhattan. The wine list is impressive, and the chef’s signature includes Grilled Tiger Prawns Red Coconut Curry Sauce – Steamed Bao and Seafood Fried Rice. Finally, the rooftop penthouse bar, “86” serves the best cocktails inspired by the Prohibition Era and Asian inspired bar bites with stunning views.

With regards of sustainability, Maxime is quick to flag the opportunities to bring change and to lead by example: from water-saving toilets in all areas, electric car charging space, LED and human sensor switches, tablets in the rooms instead of paper, a no plastic policy (for cups, bottles, straws,) to celebrating Earth Day among many other initiatives, Kimpton Shinjuku takes actions to be green. The Plant Pals initiative is amazing. Plants make people happy. Through the Kimpton Plant Pals Programme, guests can now request to have a plant of their choice, curated specifically for Shinjuku, placed in their room and they are maintained by staff.

“My biggest challenge is also the reason why I love my job: building harmony in my hotel. Whether it is between my teams and our guests; between team members in the organisation, etc. My primary mission is to ensure everyone works together, for the best of our guests and ultimately for the success of our business unit. I do face a lot of challenges, as we work with humans, and everyone has different personalities, emotions, ways of working, and different interests, etc. but this is the beauty of my job, as those challenges require to be flexible, agile, and to be open to learn at all times. In a more pragmatic way, my daily challenge is also about finding the right balance between brand promises and business performance – Kimpton as a luxury & lifestyle hotel brand, and Kimpton as a business unit.”

Maxime who’s been in Japan for nineteen years, gives his favourite tips in Tokyo: “I always enjoy the cherry blossom season in Shinjuku Gyoen, just strolling down Omotesando shopping district, finding myself meeting friends in cozy French restaurants in Kagurazaka, and exploring new sushi places too. I love going to Jimbocho to find my weekly read, and when I lust for inspiration, I drop by the Nezu Museum in Minami-Aoyama.”

With its fantastic views over Shinjuku, its spectacular restaurants, its gallery and chapel, its programme of events, Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo has it all. The spirit of community instilled by Kimpton’s philosophy makes the difference and guests enjoy a 360° lifestyle experience. Celebrating creativity and human connections, engagement and communication, Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo embodies innovation and luxury. You’ll meet new friends at Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo and will never want to leave.

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