La Vista Tokyo Bay Hotel

We finally booked a weekend staycation after wanting to try the rooftop onsen and sauna for a while, and found a decent daily rate. The hotel is still fairly new, beside the newer fish market in Toyosu and outside Ginza. TeamLabs, Lalaport mall, an Edo-period themed restaurant area next door, and parks and paths for walking, running, or cycling with Tokyo Bay and Rainbow Bridge views are nearby. Ginza is technically close, but the walk is a bit long, so a bus or taxi makes sense. You could stop at Tsukiji fish market along the way. The room was a little bigger than we expected. The onsen and spa are new and great, and weren't too busy, though it helps to avoid peak times just before breakfast or dinner. The buffet breakfast is worth considering, and seemed cheaper when requested and paid for at check-in instead of added to the booking. The regular rates are on the high side for what you get. At a promotional rate, the onsen and spa alone could make it worthwhile. There's a gym too, but access costs extra.

The top floor has the onsen and sauna, and the men's area looks out over Rainbow Bridge. There's an ice bar available in the seating area. The lobby level has a lounge and restaurant, and another bar stays open until 2am. Massage and treatment services run until around 3am. After 10pm, the restaurant serves hotel guests free noodles, and breakfast has a wide selection, including sashimi for rice bowls for a Japanese seafood breakfast. It's right next to Toyosu market, though not in the city centre. Check-in is self-service, and my room was an okay size, with limited space to open my luggage. I think some rooms, though not mine, have Rainbow Bridge views. Parking is limited. I arrived late and had to use a nearby lot.

Service was good, and it's easy to get into the city. There's a beach about 20 minutes away and a restaurant across the road. One odd thing is that they can't book an airport taxi, which I'd expect at a standard hotel. They do have a shuttle, but for an early flight you'll need to find a taxi. The pool and baths don't allow tattoos, though you can rent a private bath room across the road.

The onsen is superb. The clean, well-kept heated outdoor baths on the 14th floor have a view I'll never forget. We were lucky to see Fuji-san with its hat on from the hot tub. Spectacular! Breakfast is nice too, but try to avoid peak entry times because it turns chaotic. If you're “white,” you can feel invisible there, though I think that's a Japanese cultural issue and isn't meant maliciously. Still, at 700$/night, I expected a friendly smile and some personal attention as a Westerner, and the hotel fell short. Check-in and checkout are done by machine, and you collect amenities in the lobby, which is common at hotels in Japan. But at this price, I hoped there'd at least be tea or coffee in the morning. The amenities were locked away in the morning, so we couldn't find anything between waking up and checking out. Pick up what you need at check-in if you want morning tea or coffee. We also found a used bandaid in plain sight by the bed. We didn't have the language skills or the nerve to raise it with staff, so let it go. About as gross as it gets. Staff were around, but came across as clinical and distant. Go for the city onsen and incredible view, but expect the experience to feel less than warm.