Singaporebrides | Editors' Notes

April 2015

Taking the evian® Journey at Palace Hotel Tokyo

During one of my trips to Tokyo this year, I visited the Palace Hotel Tokyo for a tour of their facilities and also to enjoy a quick spa session at the first evian® spa in Japan.

Built on the site of the old Edo Castle, the Tokyo Imperial Palace is located in a large park in Chiyoda ward, very close to the Tokyo Station. Apart from the main palace, it houses the private residences of the imperial family and a museum, amongst other iconic buildings. The palace is closed to public, except for the East and Outer Gardens.

While visiting Tokyo, I was often at the East Gardens, strolling along the pathways, or admiring the sakura trees along Chidorigafuchi. This time, right before sakura season, I was across the moat from the Imperial Palace, looking down upon the Wadakura moat from the 19th floor Club Lounge of the Palace Hotel Tokyo.

Take an evian journey at Palace Hotel Tokyo Main Lobby with view of Wadakura Moat Taking the evian® Journey at Palace Hotel Tokyo Grand Kitchen Terrace Taking the evian® Journey at Palace Hotel Tokyo View of Palace Hotel Tokyo at Dusk

Opened in May 2012, Palace Hotel Tokyo has an enviable address at 1-1-1 Marunouchi, and is steps away from Tokyo’s prestigious business district and Marunouchi Naka Dori, an increasingly popular dining and shopping destination, akin to New York City’s Madison Avenue and London’s Bond Street. The 23-storey hotel commands one of the city’s most exclusive real estate, a legacy left behind by one of the city’s most iconic hotels more than half a century ago. Hotel Teito and the original Palace Hotel occupied the same site from 1947 and 1961 respectively.

Taking the evian® Journey at Palace Hotel Tokyo Crown Restaurant Exterior Taking the evian® Journey at Palace Hotel Tokyo Crown Restaurant Interior

In 1947, when the first hotel was built on the site, there was a height limitation due to its vantage point over the Imperial Palace. However, even from the recently one-Michelin-starred French restaurant, Crown, which is on the fifth floor, I still had a beautiful view of the gardens. Crown is just one of the 10 restaurants and bars in Palace Hotel Tokyo, with Japanese restaurant Sushi Kanesaka and Chinese restaurant Amber Palace each being helmed by Michelin-starred chefs.

The hotel also has its very own wedding chapel, with views of the Imperial Palace gardens, and even a Shinto shrine. Although the venue is smaller than what most Singaporeans are used to, I can already imagine the beautiful photos from a wedding held here.

Taking the evian® Journey at Palace Hotel Tokyo Wedding Chapel Taking the evian® Journey at Palace Hotel Tokyo Shinto Shrine

My final destination at Palace Hotel Tokyo was the evian® SPA TOKYO. Occupying part of the fifth floor of the hotel, the space encompasses five treatment rooms, one dual-bedded spa suite, and separate men’s and women’s relaxation lounges. Inside the ladies locker room, there is also a heated bath and marble sauna.

The spa is designed to reflect the journey that the natural evian® mineral water takes through the Alps. On a clear day, you can even spot the majestic, snow-capped Mt Fuji in the distance from the floor-to-ceiling windows at the lobby. Although the treatment experiences at the spa are inspired by French sensibilities, you cannot mistake the spa’s minimalistic aesthetics and zen ambiance that is purely Japanese.

Taking the evian® Journey at Palace Hotel Tokyo evian SPA TOKYO Corridor

Even the treatments are designed with the Japanese in mind. To cater to the busy Japanese work lifestyle, their facials and therapies are about 50 to 80 minutes long, so they can pop in for a while to relax after work, or even during lunch time. Those who prefer more pampering can choose from the 150-minute long Ritual Experiences. During my time spent lingering in the spa, I saw several ladies coming in on their own, while one brought her mother with her. We actually spent some time together in the heated bath and surreal marble sauna before we each went on our own treatments.

Taking the evian® Journey at Palace Hotel Tokyo Ladies Marble Sauna Taking the evian Journey at Palace Hotel Tokyo Suite Room with View

I love the inspiration behind the spa’s four treatment themes; tracing the cycle of evian® water within the Alps, from a Celestial birth as a gift of water from the heavens, it is filtered through the mountains, thus achieving unprecedented Mineral balance, where this Precious water bursts in a vital flow, providing a Vitalising source of life energy.

Highlights from the menu include facials, body scrubs, focused therapies, face-t0-body journeys, bodywork Signature treatments, and all-inclusive Ritual Experiences. I mentioned my frequent travelling to my consultant, and was recommended the Vitalising Signature treatment, which uses traditional Japanese seitai, or acupressure, to stimulate trigger points in the body, followed by a deep tissue massage to restore the body’s balance.

I arrived about 20 minutes before my session so that I could soak in the heated bath and try the marble sauna. It’s a beautiful spa, and after my 50-minute treatment, I was reluctant to leave because the space was just so comforting. You are allowed to stay in there for as long as you like, so I grabbed a bottle of chilled evian® water from the locker room and went to the Relaxation lounge, where there’s a free flow of tea and dried fruits and nuts.

Taking the evian® Journey at Palace Hotel Tokyo Relaxation Lounge

If you’re holidaying or honeymooning in Tokyo, I think it would be a great idea to pop into the spa for an hour or two. The Palace Hotel Tokyo is directly linked to Otemachi Station, and is also within walking distance from Tokyo Station, with all the shopping and sightseeing just around the hotel.

The spa also has a very attractive Afternoon Tea & Spa Treatment package during the weekdays. For 19,330 yen per person, you can choose from a 50-minute Celestial Therapy or Vitalising Signature, and afternoon tea at The Palace Lounge or Lounge Bar Privé. Totally my cup of tea. If you’re on a hen’s party trip to Tokyo, suggest coming here for a memorable afternoon!

Palace Hotel Tokyo and evian® SPA TOKYO is located at 1-1-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0005. You can make an appointment at the spa by emailing them at [email protected] or visit the hotel website at www.en.palacehoteltokyo.com for more information on rates and reservations.


All photos property of Palace Hotel Tokyo.

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Taking the evian® Journey at Palace Hotel Tokyo