The Strings by InterContinental Tokyo by IHG

At dinner in the Bar lounge on the 26F tonight, Maria, Lemon, and Chiba gave us excellent recommendations for food and the famous Japanese c ocktail with Japanese ginger. Their hospitality really lifted the experience. The reception and service team were warm and attentive from arrival, with a warm towel and welcome drink, and they took time to explain things and get me settled. The room was spacious enough and had all the toilet amenities, including mouthwash and bath salts for after a day of walking in Tokyo. Extra towels or bath salts arrived very quickly when requested. The location is quiet except during rush hour, since it’s a business district, so avoid the morning and afternoon peaks if crowds bother you. There are a few restaurants in the hotel, though plenty of pharmacies, restaurants, and malls nearby too. This is by far the best Tokyo hotel I’ve stayed at, and I don’t say that lightly. My one nitpick is that the chicken curry could use more pieces of chicken. Thanks to The Strings Intercontinental Dining Team!

The easiest part was getting around. Intercontinental the Strings has its own entrance connected to Shinagawa station, so you can walk from the Shinkansen or Haneda Airport to your room in minutes. It’s easy to catch a train or get a taxi from the lobby with help from staff, and Haneda is only a 20-25 minute drive away. The central Tokyo hotel has beautiful, spacious, elegant rooms and wonderful staff hospitality. The building is shaped like a courtyard, so the hallways look into the lobby, which makes quite a space. The staff were welcoming, eager to help, and made sure we had a lovely stay. Breakfast was delicious, and the dining area was gorgeous. There are other restaurants in the building too. We tried China Shadow and it was the best Chinese food I’ve had. I highly recommend the hotel and would love to return.

We had a lovely, relaxing stay, thanks to all the staff. Service from check-in through checkout was excellent, discreet, and helpful. No request seemed too much, even on Christmas Eve when the concierge got us a dinner reservation at the last moment. Our room on the 32nd floor was beautifully appointed and had a nice view. A walkway from the hotel connects to Shinagawa Station. Tokyo is about 10 minutes away by Shinkansen or around 45 minutes by local train or taxi. If we return to Tokyo, we’ll definitely stay at the Strings by InterContinental, Shinagawa.

Breakfast was superb, and although check-in was a bit choppy, management followed up afterward. That was a nice sign they care about the guest experience. The rooms are lovely, but I couldn’t see what made my room, 2814, premium. It looked just like the classic room on the website, where the premium rooms are shown as larger corner rooms, so the extra charge didn’t seem worth it. The hotel sits on floors 26-32 of an office building and generally has nice views, but my room faced a huge construction site that was brightly lit and audible all night. You may want to request a room facing another direction. The location is convenient, though arriving from Haneda with luggage wasn’t really a one-minute trip from the station. Keikyu is on the other side of Shinagawa station, and with construction in the way, we had to take several escalators and use a congested elevator to reach the main traverse. Allow 5-10 minutes with luggage. At night, the office tower entrance is closed, so you have to come in through 7-11.