Review: Hilton Yokohama [Japan]

I originally planned to go to Kanazawa for a night from Osaka before heading my way to Tokyo. However, I got a bit sick on the later end of my stay at The Osaka Station Hotel so I switched my Kanazawa plans for Yokohama where I’ll be much closer to Tokyo.

Western chain hotels in Yokohama tend to be a lot cheaper than the Tokyo counterparts, and I found a cheap Hilton stay that can be covered by the Hilton credits from the Amex Hilton Honors Business and Business Platinum Cards at last minute!

Hilton Yokohama is a somewhat new hotel that opened in 2023, and is the only Hilton property in the city so I may as well stay and see how it was.

Hilton Yokohama- Booking

I booked a cash rate for 23k yen or ~$145. The Hilton credits from my 2 Hilton Business Card and 1 Amex Business Platinum more than cover the total amount.

Hilton Yokohama- Location

Hilton Yokohama is located in the Minato Mirai district, the business center for Yokohama. It’s situated between the Katabira River and Anpanman Children’s Museum.

However, the nearest station, Yokohama Station, is quite a walk from the hotel. The plethora of bridges make it not straightforward to get to at first, but it still is somewhat an inconvenient location to get in and out.

There is a Lawson connected to the hotel for convenience purposes, if needed.

Hilton Yokohama- Check-in

I got to the hotel at around 1pm after getting off the bullet train via Shin-Yokohama Station. The first two floors of the hotel serve as the entrance that leads to the elevator. Though the 2nd floor is where one of the hotel’s restaurants Ocean Milano is at.

After stepping out of the elevator, I was greeted with the hotel’s lobby where floor-to-ceiling windows accompany views of the river and skyscrapers of Yokohama. The gold accents decor give a more classic luxury look.

I was granted early check-in with my early arrival, but I was not given any upgrade as a Hilton Gold member. Unfortunately, I downgraded my Amex Hilton Honors Aspire Card at the moment so I no longer have Diamond status. I chose to have free breakfast as my Welcome Gift which will take place in the Executive Lounge on the 5th floor.

I was fine with having no upgrade since it was just one night. But, the front desk offered me a deal to upgrade to the Premium Room for 3000 yen, which in hindsight, I should’ve done since the Hilton credits from my credit cards will still cover it. I ended up refusing since I figured that I’d just raid the minibar for “free drinks”. Still, it’s kind of disappointing to see upgrades being upsold here since a Premium Room should be free for Hilton Gold.

Hilton Yokohama- Deluxe King Room

The base Deluxe Room is 31sqm in size which is good for a Japanese hotel. Blue color on the carpet goes with the city of Yokohama, the largest port city of Japan.

By the entrance is where the slippers and umbrellas are placed conveniently.

The bed comes with a huge upholstered headboard, and the mattress feels on the softer side compared to many Japanese hotels I’ve stayed at. It’s actually quite comfortable. There’s also a sofa by the window.

Bedside come with light controls, USB-C plug, Bluetooth player, and a classic alarm clock.

Across the bed is the TV with the pantry and fridge below it. There’s a working desk next to it also which is crucial for a business hotel like this.

Since I was hoping for a minibar to raid, I was sad that it was just an empty fridge. Oh well.

The curvy cabinet holds the tea and coffee sets with pots.

Underneath the closet, there’s two sets of pajamas ready for use for bedtime.

The view was nothing special, but at least there, but I can see the Yokohama Landmark Tower. I wish I got an upgrade to the River View which I bet would be much better.

Moving to the bathroom, it comes with all the necessities in one room like showers, toilet, and sink.

The toiletries include razor, dental kits, mouthwash, bath salts, and even skincare trial sets.

Overall, the room is decent and comes with up-to-date plugs like USB-C that I appreciated.

Hilton Yokohama- Breakfast/Executive Lounge

Free breakfast for Hilton Gold and Diamond takes place in the Executive Lounge at the 5th floor from 7am to 10am. From past reviews I’ve read, breakfast used to take place at the Parade Restaurant, so it’s disappointing that it now takes place in a lounge which usually imply a downgrade in quality.

Some seats in the Executive Lounge offers a beautiful view of the river, busy bridge, and the skyscrapers surrounding them.

Unfortunately, most of the breakfast seating takes place far away from the windows.

Breakfast is a buffet that offers Japanese and Western items that tasted fine, but nothing stood out in particular, except having caramel popcorns to snack on.

Hilton Yokohama- Gym

The gym is also located on the 5th floor like the Executive Lounge. It’s on the smaller side, but is open 24 hours and comes with the necessary equipment for cardio and strength training.

Conclusion

Hilton Yokohama is an OK hotel to stay at. The rooms are big enough for most people’s needs. My main irks are the slightly inconvenient location that’s a bit of a walk from the hotel to a nearest train station, upselling upgrades that are meant to be free for elites, and a downgraded breakfast experience that now takes place in a lounge instead of one of its restaurants.

I probably won’t stay here anymore unless it’s a very short stay that allows for burning credits from some of my Amex cards. I can’t deny that the cash rates for this hotel can be quite good for what it is, however. Otherwise, I find the InterContinental Yokohama Pier 8 to be a much better property that I’d love to repeat instead.