90s Flashback: Hyatt Regency Tokyo Review

Located in the heart of Shinjuku, the Hyatt Regency Tokyo offers a balance of convenience and comfort in one of the city’s busiest districts. In a place where hotel prices can be steep, this Hyatt provides reasonable rates, warm Japanese hospitality, and the reliability of a well-known global brand.

I stayed here for three nights in late 2024 and found it comfortable overall. However, some standard facilities were unavailable due to ongoing renovations. This serves as a reminder—if certain amenities are essential for your stay, be sure to check their availability before booking!

Location & Accessibility

The hotel is within walking distance of Tochomae & Shinjuku Station, a major transportation hub with multiple train and subway lines. This makes it a great base for exploring Tokyo’s top districts, including Shibuya, Ginza, and Akihabara.

That said, Tokyo is an expansive city, and no single neighbourhood offers the perfect location for everything—travel times will vary depending on your plans.

Getting to the hotel is straightforward:

• From Haneda Airport – Around one hour via multiple subway line options.
• From Narita Airport – Approximately 1 hour 20 minutes using the Skyliner and JY Line.
• The hotel also offers a free shuttle service to and from Haneda Airport, adding extra convenience for guests.

If you are coming via public transportation – keep in mind the hotel side occupies a vast underground network that is directly connected to pathways to the subway, shops and malls as well as the adjacent Government buildings complex.

Be sure to check out the free observation deck across the hotel in one of those government buildings !

Check-In

The hotel features a vast grand lobby adorned with impressive chandeliers, creating a welcoming atmosphere. The lobby area seemed to go as high as 5/6 floors, which kind of reminded me of the Pan Pacific in Singapore..

At around 9pm the reception/check-in area was mostly deserted.

I was warmly greeted and check-in was quick. I had recently dropped from Hyatt EXPLORIST to DISCOVERIST – despite this, the staff still showed recognition of status and offered me the highest room floor they had – and no I didn’t even ask !

The place has the feel of a big hotel – without feeling soulless. But there was no denying there were plenty of retro vibes from those tiled flooring, windows, to even the escalator..

The elevators are glass on one side which gives you great views down of the atrium & lobby below…

Sizing up these chandeliers – which are each bigger than the elevator itself !

 

There are many rooms per each floor but it was easy enough to find my assigned room, 1934.

The Room

I booked a King Room with City views..

At 355 square feet – the room is huge by Tokyo standards !

The bed itself was also large and sufficiently luxurious to get good sleep in. The pillows provided were not the fluffiest, but since it was just me it was more than adequate to find a comfortable setup.

One feature I particularly liked was the bedside lamps are fitted on the along the wall, so it frees up surface space to store you books/phones and other gadgets you need to keep near you..

You had all the essential lighting controls accessible from the bed, however not everything in the room was controllable from the bed – so you’d have to get up if you forgot the hallway light or something.

You could say the room is rather dull. In fairness this has long been a Hyatt trait many other Hyatt around the world would attest to.

Hyatt designs tend to be uber minimalist

The room contained plenty of seating with a small two-seater sofa and a single seater chair around a coffee table.

Storage wise – the closed was large with all the usual amenities such as robes, slippers, ironing board and enough room for large suitcases for two people to be spread out !

What you could not overlook however was the distinct 90s-esqe furniture and lack of many modern touches you might be accustomed to. I was half expecting to find a old school CRT TV popping out from somewhere, but thankfully there was a 42″ LED of a more recent era.

Running alongside the wall opposite the bed was a side console containing a mini fridge, and then a desk area.

The whole hotel was under-going renovations at the time and should now be complete as of January 2025. Going by Hyatt itself, this is what these rooms should look like post renovation..

This certainly looks more up to standard with integrated features within the bed frame.

Bathroom

The bathroom was also reasonably spacious, naturally with a Japanese bidet toilet..

There was a full bathtub with shower, which admittedly has aged..

The sink area has plenty of console space. The bathroom was spotlessly clean, and everything worked well with good shower pressure etc

It was stocked with all essential amenities such a facial towels, tumblers, hair dryer, sanitizer wipes, dental & hygiene kits as well as now long running Pharmacopia products. I love the Argan oil scent – and find them very soothing.

Hyatt Regency Tokyo Facilities

There are standard room service, business services and meeting rooms available for booking if you are here for Business.

On the leisure front – a fitness centre is located on the 28th floor, with essential equipment for most kinds of workouts but more on the small side..

Spa + Wellness Joule

The Joule Spa & Wellness centre provides plenty of relaxation opportunities with a range of treatments catered to men and women specifically.

I had an excellent “Deep pressure” body massage for 60 minutes and it was well priced.

The staff were super friendly and professional, offering me refreshments both before and after !

Spa Pool

Unfortunately, the pool was closed during my whole stay and seems to have been for a while. This was slightly disappointing as I prefer a nice pool far more than having a Gym. Hyatt’s website did highlight this – if I would have looked however, so it was my bad for missing the warning !

Regency Club

For those staying in Club rooms – there is a decent lounge here we you can enjoy refreshments and beverages throughout the day..

Some Hyatt’s do offer to upsell you to have access, however in this instance that did not happen.

Restaurants

This hotel has 5 different restaurants/cafe in the compounds but unfortunately I did not eat in any of them as I just enjoyed exploring at eating in different areas of the city that I happened to be in!

Around the Hotel

As alluded to earlier, there is lots going on around the hotel compounds itself with some independent connivences underground, but getting out of the immediate vicinity you will find:

• Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden – A tranquil oasis perfect for a morning stroll (15-minute walk).
• Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building – A must-visit for its free observation deck offering panoramic views of the city and, on clear days, Mount Fuji (5-minute walk).
• Kabukicho & Golden Gai – Tokyo’s famous nightlife districts with vibrant bars, izakayas, and entertainment (20-minute walk or short train ride).
• Omoide Yokocho – Also known as “Memory Lane” or “Piss Alley,” this alleyway is famous for its traditional yakitori and izakaya-style eateries (15-minute walk).

Booking / Pricing

In terms of pricing, the Hyatt Regency Tokyo offers competitive rates when you compare it with other hotel brands in the city.

My booking worked out an average of $240 per night, which is favourable compared to higher end Tokyo hotels. There was a promo running so I was earning double points for this booking – which represented a nice offset for future trips.

Do keep in mind during super peak seasons such as Cherry Blossom, the rates would go far higher.

You can book with World Of Hyatt Points starting at 15,000 per night – this could be a better way to go for peak seasons.

This positions the hotel as a cost-effective choice, especially for those seeking accommodations in a central location.

Overall Thoughts

The Hyatt Regency Tokyo stands out as a solid choice for travellers prioritizing location and affordability. This is the oldest Hyatt property in the whole of Tokyo and some facilities and rooms might reflect, even after the 2024 renovation is fully complete.

But I confess, in some ways this might be one of the drabbest hotels I’ve stayed in. Especially when comparing to more modern properties like the Hyatt Regency I stayed at in Malta

Being a fan of Hyatt properties as low key/safe bet, I made reservations here fairly last minute without much research! Especially with regard to state of renovation and pool closure.

In any case, the hotel’s overall offerings and competitive pricing make it a worthy consideration for those visiting Tokyo.