Review: The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho, a Luxury Collection Hotel (Japan)

After concluding my Kyushu trip in Kagoshima, I flew to Tokyo to prepare myself for home. Just like last year with staying at the Ritz-Carlton, I wanted to end my trip by staying in a hotel with a gorgeous view of Tokyo skyline. With that said, I chose The Prince Gallery, which is one of the hotels I’ve almost stayed at multiple times, but haven’t got to it due to change of plans. The time finally came, and I can honestly say that this is one of my favorite Marriott hotels in Tokyo. I daresay, better than the Ritz-Carlton.

Booking

I booked a 2-night stay with Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts rate for the first night and 70,000 Marriott points the second night.

The cash rate for the FHR rate totaled around $579 including taxes and fees. Thanks to the Amex Platinum, I got the rate down to $379. Plus, the Amex FHR rate for The Prince Gallery includes:

• $100 Food & Beverage credit
• Room upgrade (subject to availability)
• Guaranteed 4pm late checkout
• Noon check-in (subject to availability)
• Free daily breakfast for 2

On top of that, Amex FHR rate qualifies for Marriott promotion for double elite night credits on paid stays.

The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho is a Category 8 hotel, making 85k Free Night Certificate redemption possible on certain dates. However, it tends to be priced cheaper compared to EDITION Toranomon and Ritz-Carlton, which are other Marriott Category 8 hotels in Tokyo.

Award availability is tougher at The Prince Gallery however, since the room bookable with Marriott points is called the Superior Room, which only has 12 rooms total.

Location

The Prince Gallery is located in Chiyoda, right in the heart of Tokyo. The hotel’s embedded into a complex with the Tokyo Garden Terrace Kioicho that has shops, cafes, restaurants, and a terrace garden. Outside of that, there’s not much going on within the walking vicinity.

Public transportation access is very easy as the hotel is next to Akasaka-Mitsuke Station that serves Marunochi (Red) and Ginza (Orange) Lines of the Tokyo Metro. Though access to/from the airports (NRT/HND) will take transfers if using trains.

Check-in

I arrived to the hotel at around 6pm coming from HND. As I exit from Akasaka-Mitsuke Station, I recognized the hotel building and approached it until I see the hotel’s sign. I followed it and took an escalator to the second floor and then took the elevator to the lobby.

Check-in process was smooth and the front desk are well-attuned to the Amex FHR rate I booked and gave me a piece of paper that’d remind me of the benefits.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get an upgrade due to the hotel being sold out. But, I was kept on the same Deluxe Room throughout my stay.

On top of that, they’d also let me use the $100 food & beverage credit from the FHR rate until the final day of my combined stay.

Marriott Bonvoy Elites unfortunately cannot access the Club Lounge from status, and there’s no compensation as Luxury Collection don’t apply for lounge access policy in general.

Deluxe Room

I was assigned to Floor 33, and all guest rooms are assigned below the lobby at the 36th floor. The first thing that captured my attention is the view, and I just dropped everything to check out the amazing Tokyo view!

I got so excited that I forgot to take a picture of the welcome gift. But, it was just a small plate of strawberry and oranges.

This is the type of view that just melts your troubles away. The long window bay seat just makes it so much better to enjoy it!

Across the bed is the TV with the main desk underneath. The TV remote is inside the book with the mountain design cover. Then, there’s also a Bose Bluetooth speaker to play your custom tunes.

The desk also has a flip-top mirror attached inside.

Tracing back to the entrance, there’s a closet to the left of the door with a safe, ironing equipment, and sets of yukata and pajamas.

The next set of closet is where the bathrobe and hangers are to store your coats.

The pantry and minibar are stored inside an enclosed cabinet that fully utilized every parts of the drawer.

The king bed was very comfortable that also comes with sets of small body pillows.

Bedroom controls are set in the smart pads placed on the nightstands. They also have hair straightener and universal plug outlet.

For evening turndown, the yukata is placed on the bed with 2 pieces of chocolates placed in a box that includes a laundry bag should you need to use that service.

There’s comple sets of bathroom toiletries with C.O. Bigelow skincare products (30mL per bottle) that stand out from the rest. Those will get replenished daily as well.

A separate toilet room with self-opening toilet for complete privacy.

The wet room has separate shower and bathrub. You can really enjoy a marvelous view while showering. But, the smart glass can be made opaque with a single button for complete privacy.

The shower amenities are Le Chemin by Byredo, a Luxury Collection standard.

I really could not get enough of this view. I wonder what it would be like if I had received a room with Tokyo Tower view.

The base Deluxe Room is bright and beautiful overall. Though it does show some signs of aging, including some dirt spots I noticed in the carpet, but I can’t expect that to be pristine ever.

Sky Gallery Lounge Levita

One of the main dining establishments of The Prince Gallery is the Sky Gallery Lounge Levita, located just before the lobby and one of the first things you’ll encounter after stepping out of the elevator.

The wavy wall lights make you feel like you’re floating in the sky, and the night view was especially excellent.

I decided to use my $100 credit from Amex FHR rate here on my first night and invited an American friend who moved to Tokyo over for dinner and catch up on life.

Reservations can be done through Tablecheck. We were only able to get a sofa seat, and the counter seats with Tokyo Tower view would cost 1000 Yen extra.

I reserved the set menu “Gallery Night Out E Plan”, which costs 9,000 Yen per person. Only around ~$15 came out of my pocket at the end. The rest of the menu can be found on Tablecheck.

The plan included appetizer, pasta,  margherita pizza, and free flow drinks that last for 90 minutes. Non-alcoholic drinks are included.

Overall, I loved the bar’s atmosphere and it was a really nice pace of change to use my credit and share it with a friend when I’ve usually have spent it on myself being mostly a solo traveler. The food is good, but nothing too memorable. Although, it got me curious about Japan’s pizza scene, which I’ve heard is a hotspot for margherita pizza.

Breakfast (Oasis Garden All-Day Dining)

Breakfast is served daily at Oasis Garden All-Day Dining from 7am to 10am.

The interior is bright and easy on the eyes. Breakfast is mainly buffet with special items you can order on top as a side.

I got myself a chef’s special egg dish. A soupy egg dish flooded with truffle sauce. It was alright and I preferred the French toast item I got on the next morning more (shown later).

The buffet consists of variety of Western and Japanese menu.

I mostly picked up the items from the Japanese offerings since the side a la carte were all Western. The French toast fulfilled my sugar craving, and I felt lucky to be able to enjoy my breakfast with this stellar view with Tokyo Skytree in the background.

Breakfast overall was nice, but nothing memorable again. Though it could be due to me feeling meh about eating hotel breakfast too many times, especially when I’m at the end of my trip.

Pool & Spa

The hotel’s pool is on the 35th floor. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take pictures in the pool area due to the no phone policy, and there were staff watching the pool area meticulously. Though, I’ll try my best to describe what’s inside.

You’ll check in with your room’s keycard, and thankfully you don’t have to sign any waivers that some hotels might tell you to. Pool and gym use is free of charge for hotel guests.

There’s a lap pool with sun chairs facing the window rather than the pool, which is better to be honest. There’s an exclusive lane for Seibu Elite members, but it won’t matter much when the pool’s barely empty. There’s also a whirpool section next to the pool and shower behind it to use for a quick rinse before and after use of the jacuzzi.

They also have locker rooms that include swimsuit dryer and a vanity section with deodorant spray and facial skincare products like foam cleanser, toner, and moisturizer.

Finally, there’s a hot and cold bath section where you’d have to go in fully nude just like in a traditional onsen. There’s also shower stools and rinse fountain that’s recommended before going in either the cold or hot tubs.

Overall, the spa facilities are vastly similar to the one at Ritz-Carlton Tokyo, but the one in Prince Gallery feels more bright due to the colors used for the walls.

Fitness

The gym is located next to the pool and it is expansive with lots of cardio and weight machines. There’s also a yoga room and every angle is covered with a gorgeous view of Tokyo.

You can especially see the Tokyo Skytree in the yoga room.

Conclusion

The Prince Gallery Tokyo is a phenomenal hotel, and is possibly my favorite Marriott Bonvoy hotel in Tokyo next to Mesm.

It’s similar to the Ritz-Carlton in many ways, but The Prince Gallery is like the younger and bubblier sibling. The interiors are brighter and more modern than the Ritz-Carlton which make me enjoy this hotel more.

On top of that, The Prince Gallery is the “cheapest” Category 8 hotel in Tokyo, making 85K Free Night Certificate easier than other Category 8 hotels like the EDITIONs (Toranomon Hills & Ginza) and Ritz-Carlton.

On the other hand though, award availability is a lot more strict here due to the hotel only allowing Superior Room (only 12 rooms in the whole property) bookable on points or certificates. I wish they’d allow us to book Deluxe Room as well which has over 100 rooms in inventory. If you want to book this hotel on points, you’ll have to watch award availability for this hotel a lot closer than usual compared to other Marriott properties.

Still, I would love to come back to this hotel again, and it would be a safe pick for an 85K Free Night Certificate if I’m in Japan.