I went to Japan in May and stayed at the Andaz Tokyo for almost “free.” Nope they didn’t invite me, I paid with points. This is how I did it:
I previously signed up for a free World of Hyatt membership and used my account to book Hyatt hotel stays via that account. I accumulated about 13,000 points from my past stays, but that wasn’t enough for a free night (25,000 points) at the Andaz Tokyo. But thanks to my Chase Reserve card, I was able to transfer the remaining points I needed to my Hyatt account.
Another way to get a couple free nights at a Hyatt brand hotel is to open a Hyatt card and earn 60,000 points when you meet the requirements. I did not open a Hyatt card because I’ve become a last minute planner (I used to be on top of my game when I was younger!) and I reserved the hotel only a few weeks before the trip. That wasn’t enough time to earn the 60,000 bonus points from the card, so instantly transferring points from my Chase Reserve was the way to go.
Hyatt points give you the most bang for your buck, so I’d recommend either opening a card or transferring points from your credit card to your Hyatt account in return for a “free” room. An equivalent room to the one I had at the Andaz Tokyo was only 25,000 points a night versus 60,000 points a night for a similar room at the Hilton Tokyo. A total steal!
We arrived at the hotel a few hours earlier than normal check in time, so our room was not ready. They did however have a Tokyo Tower facing room available. This room came at a higher price than what room the points would have gotten us. For the early check in + the Tower view, they offered the upgrade for an extra ¥5000 (about $45) a night, which I was slightly disappointed about since it’s usually comped with elite status. However, I didn’t want to wait another 5 hours until actual check in time, and I definitely wanted the Tower view so I paid up and in the end I think it was worth it. FYI: of all the nice hotels we stayed at, the Andaz was the only one that wanted to charge us anytime we asked for something throughout our stay (whereas at other Tokyo hotels I stayed at with points offered many extra amenities without us asking).
Tea with a view
Totally worth the upgrade!
I actually didn’t drink the tea. It was just a prop.
These photos were taken at 5am
IG story clips I spliced together for this short video. Sorry it has no flow. Or see pics of parts of the video below.
The Andaz Tokyo is inside the Toranomon Hills building. The building is home to business offices, restaurants, and retail space. After you pass through a glass sliding door, this is the hallway to the Andaz elevator.
The Andaz lobby is on the 51st floor. Then you take another set of elevators to the rooms and another set to their gym/spa/bar. It was confusing and took me a while to navigate.
From the lobby you can see this little tree, and as you get closer you see a stunning view of Tokyo and the Tokyo Tower (as seen in my video above).
The lobby is beautiful and modern (and a little dark!)
View from the lobby looking into the restaurant
The hallway leading to our room is pretty amazing. Designed by New York-based Tony Chi to mimic Kyoto’s 17th century Katsura Imperial Villa.
Ex Machina feels
Walking into the room, look to the right and you’ll see these cute slippers and Yukata. I took the ones on the left home. The ones on the right weren’t too comfortable so I left them in the room. I wanted to take home the Yukata, but I don’t think that was allowed.
The room 😍
Love it!
Room lighting controls
Mood
Complimentary Mt Fuji water. Now the only water I want to drink is water from Mt. Fuji 😂 . All the other drinks and snacks in the room were complimentary as well (minus the alcohol). The wasabi chips (I forgot to take a pic of them) were my fav. I asked the front desk for more and they wanted me to purchase them. Instead I called housekeeping and they brought me one bag (at no charge) 👍
Kinda love the shower + tub separate but in one room. All the nicer hotels I stayed at in Tokyo had this layout.
More bathroom views. I forgot to get an action shot of the toilet which was awesome (the toilet lid had a sensor and opened when you walked in the room). Only one other hotel we stayed at in Japan had this feature. But the best part was the Deodorizer. Smelling my husband’s shits 💩 were a thing of the past with the automatic deodorizer! Thanks, Japan, for your amazing innovations!
During happy hour, the hotel lobby had an assortment of drinks and snacks every night.
Different snax everyday
Checking out the gym/spa area
Spa entrance. It smelled so good in there.
Indoor pool
Views
Night view from the room shot on iPhone X (iPhone, when will your night shots be as good as Samsung’s phone camera??)
Yoga on the lawn outside the hotel
Andaz bakery shop
Inside the bakery
That’s where I got these eclairs
Matcha Latte from the coffee shop inside Toranomon Hills
Leaving the Andaz was bittersweet. I didn’t want to say goodbye to Tokyo, but I couldn’t wait to get home to my dog! BTW that little suitcase is all I packed during the 2 week trip, and I saved enough room for souvenirs. Traveling light is the best way to travel.
Overall the stay at the Andaz Tokyo was really great and very memorable. However, I’m not sure I’d stay here again because of the location. It’s in the business district which means it’s pretty much dead after working hours. It’s also a hell of a walk from the closest subway. But if you’re all about Uber (which is super expensive in Tokyo) or cabs, this is a great place to stay. And it’s definitely worth staying if you pay with points! Our 25,000 points + $45 a night in exchange for a $600 a night room was not a bad deal!
