Category Archives: Hotel Reviews Asia

Conrad Tokyo – Japanese Luxury at Its Best

I recently had the pleasure of staying at the beautiful Conrad Tokyo and can’t say enough about the accommodations, the service and the amenities of the Tokyo luxury hotel. Prior to arrival, I was able to use the Hilton Honors app to communicate with the concierge team and to secure various activities during my stay, including reservations at Michelin starred restaurants I couldn’t have booked on my own.

Conrad Tokyo Exterior

Immediately upon arriving in the lobby, we were warmly and professionally-greeted by the staff. Service at this property is likely the best we’ve encountered of any hotels we’ve ever stayed at. Throughout our vacation, we enjoyed the help of the concierge team who was incredible and took great pride in the service provided.

About the Hotel

Conrad Tokyo occupies floors 28 through 37 in the Shiodome skyscraper in the Shimbashi business district overlooking Tokyo Bay and the picturesque Hamarikyu Gardens.

The hotel offers direct Shiodome station access making it very convenient to move around the city. We could also easily walk to the fashionable Ginza neighborhood and to the outer market of the famed Tsukiji Fish Market (the commercial fish auction relocated, but the outer market is vibrant and we could have spent a day there).

The luxury Tokyo hotel encompasses 290 luxury rooms and suites featuring a contemporary Japanese design and high tech capabilities.

About the Accommodations

There are four categories of king and twin rooms and 13 categories of suites. All accommodations boast a minimalist Japanese design, the latest technology and panoramic views of Tokyo. There are also four types of executive rooms. Executive rooms and suites offer private check-in and Executive Lounge access.

King Executive Suite Bay View Bedroom
King Executive Suite Bay View Living Room.
King Executive Suite Bay View

We stayed is a beautiful King Executive Suite Bay View with a king bedroom with a separate living room, walk-in wardrobe and spacious bathroom with rain shower and modern bathtub. The suite measured over 775 sq. ft. which is sizeable for a Japanese room.

King Executive Suite Bay View Bathroom (vie from bedroom)

The living room featured a sofa and armchair and a desk with a work chair smartly-placed by the floor to ceiling windows offering breathtaking views of Hamarikyu Gardens and Tokyo Bay.

Coffee-lovers will enjoy the Nespresso machine in the living room and the very well-stocked mini bar featuring premium liquor, including Japanese whisky.

Mural Over the Bed

The suite was so large that it took us until the end of our second day to realize there was a powder room right off the living room – what a nice perk!

The bathroom could be accessed from the living room or the bedroom and had pocket doors to close off the bedroom if guests in the living room need to use the primary bathroom. There was a marble double vanity, a wonderful rain shower and a modern freestanding tub. There was even floor heating, which is a nice touch after coming out of the shower.

Walk-In Wardrobe

Since we were in an executive suite, we had access to the Executive Lounge which serves complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea, snacks and evening cocktails. We enjoyed before-dinner-drinks in the lounge where the staff made us feel very pampered.

Guests staying in an executive suite also have access to the full buffet breakfast experience at Cerise, the all-day restaurant off the hotel lobby. The breakfast buffet is extensive with high-quality food made using pristine ingredients. The offering ranges from pastries to western options and Asian favorites. Each diner was also able to order a breakfast entrée from the à la carte menu, but we were completely satisfied with the buffet. Service at Cerise is very polished and incredibly helpful.

About the Food and Drinks

Cerise is the perfect choice for all-day casual dining from breakfast, lunch and dinner to a ‘quick bite’ or late night meal. There are a variety of options ranging from salad, soup and sandwiches to pasta, steak and masterly-prepared desserts.

China Blue is an award-winning modern Chinese restaurant situated in a dining room with skyline views of the city through floor-to-ceiling windows. China Blue is open for lunch and dinner nightly.

Collage is an innovative interpretation of modern fine French dining combining the very best of European culinary style and ingredients with exceptional presentation. Collage is open for dinner nightly and for lunch Saturday and Sunday.

Kazahana treats diners to traditional Japanese dishes with a contemporary twist. Specialties are innovative sushi, kaiseki and teppan dishes.Kazahana is open for lunch and dinner nightly.

TwentyEight Lounge

TwentyEight is the hotel’s lounge situated off the main lobby on the 28th floor. The popular Tokyo bar has an extensive selection of cocktails, beers, spirits and whiskies. In the evenings, there’s live music, a large fireplace and amazing city views. In the afternoons, tea service is offered with a tempting selection of scones, sandwiches and desserts.

About the Spa and Fitness Center

Mizuki Spa is a 15,000 sq. ft. haven on the 29th floor of the Conrad Tokyo. There are 10 private spa rooms where guests can indulge in massages, facials or body treatments.

There’s also a fully-equipped fitness center with the latest Technogym equipment.

Mizuki spa offers a range of classes including yoga, Pilates and ballet.

Conrad Tokyo provides one of the best luxury hotel experience we’ve had anywhere in the world.

Conrad Tokyo – 105-7337, Tokyo, 1-9-1 Higashi-Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Japan. https://conradhotels3.hilton.com/en/hotels/japan/conrad-tokyo-TYOCICI/index.html

Happy travels,

Veronique

I’m a travel industry veteran currently employed by Hilton. The views and contents of this post are my own and in no way in partnership with my employer. I wasn’t compensated for writing about this subject and these accommodations weren’t complimentary.

Paradise Found Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort

We recently stayed at the gorgeous Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort and can’t say enough about the hospitality, the amenities and the services provided. For those who’ve heard about the wild nightlife and overly touristy side of Phuket, this isn’t it. The resort is located 45 minutes south of Phuket airport in a quiet and secluded area that’s ideal for a relaxing stay.

Tamarind Outdoor Seating.
Photo by Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort.

About The Hotel

The resort boasts a beachfront location on Makham Bay. This luxury Phuket hotel blends contemporary design with understated Thai accents, making it a perfect leisure or business resort. There are 211 spacious contemporary rooms, including 28 suites and 29 villas with a private pool. Many of the rooms offer breathtaking views of the Andaman Sea, and all feature a balcony or terrace. Free high-speed wireless internet is one of the amenities that help keep business travelers connected and vacationers able to share Instagram-worthy photos.

Pullman Phuket Panwa has its own private beach featuring water sports and lounge chairs and three freeform pools with both quiet and livelier areas to please all travelers.

The Rooms

There are six room types at Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort ranging from ‘deluxe’ to ‘pool villa with Andaman sea view’. Our YOLO (you only live once) mentality had us book the pool villa with Andaman sea view and we’re so pleased we opted for the upgrade. This was the nicest room I’ve stayed in, and I spend over 100 nights a year in hotels – this was THE room. Mind you that the deluxe room is nicer than most suites at other hotels.

Villa Bedroom.
Photo by Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort.
Villa Bathroom.
Photo by Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort.
Villa Private Pool.
Photo by Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort.
View of Villa from Private Pool.
Photo by Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort.
Outdoor Terrace at Villa.
Photo by Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort.

The spacious villa with modern-yet-Thai-inflected-décor offered separate living and sleeping areas and measure 1,614 sq. ft. Large floor-to-ceiling windows provided sweeping views of the sea and of our private infinity pool. We spent a good amount of time on the covered patio and in the private pool enjoying the peace and quiet of the adjacent private garden and beach.

There was also a large work space and desk for guests needing to do some work. We used the space to map out our excursions. There’s also room service 24/7 and we would have opted for dinner on our private terrace if we’d had an extra day – the villa was that special.

The Food & Drinks

Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort features two full-service restaurants, Tamarind and Aqua, and two bars, one offering food – The Edge.

Tamarind serves authentic Thai cuisine, presented with contemporary flair with beautiful views of Makham Bay. There’s indoor and outdoor seating and we decided to take advantage of the air conditioning on the warm evening we dined at Tamarind.

We’d opted for the included breakfast for our stay and the international breakfast buffet at Aqua restaurant was outstanding. The variety of the food, the modern and creative presentation of the dishes and the friendly staff made Aqua a perfect place to start our day. There was an abundance of western and Asian dishes including breads, pastries, cereals, cheeses and fruit are accompanied by rice and noodle options and eggs made-to-order.

Aqua also serves lunch from 11AM – 4:30PM and dinner from 6PM – 10:30PM.

The Edge Pool Bar (See In-Pool Bar Stools).
Photo by Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort.

When we visited the resort’s common areas, our favorite spot was The Edge, the poolside bar with barstools in the pool. There were great happy hour specials on drinks and food and the staff was friendly and funny.

The Spa

Talay Spa is a quiet, relaxing space designed to rejuvenate and re-energize guests with a variety of western and Thai services. The spa is open from 10AM until 9PM every day. See full review of our experience here.

Talay Spa Entrance.

Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort is an amazing resort in a quiet area of Phuket that’s ideal for leisure and business travelers alike. I can only wish to visit again someday.

Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort – 44/5 Moo 8 Sakdidesh Road, Vichit, Muang, 83000 Phuket , Thailand. https://www.pullmanphuketpanwa.com.

Happy travels,

Veronique