Keio Plaza Hotel Review- Where To Stay in Tokyo

We only had 48 hours to explore Tokyo, so picking a hotel with the ultimate location became our top priority.
Shinjuku and Shibuya are the best areas to stay in Tokyo, so we narrowed our search using only those locations. Once we set filters for a high guest rating, affordability, and non-shoebox rooms, only a few hotel choices remained. The Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo was one of the top results.

Why We Stayed At Keio Plaza Hotel

It’s location is unbeatable for getting around on foot and by local transportation
The rooms are actually a great size when compared to other hotels in Tokyo
Nightly rates are very do-able for 4 star Tokyo travellers
Who doesn’t like L’Occitane amenities!?

The Room:
Premier Grand Deluxe King

At 382 Sq Ft, the Premier Grand Deluxe King is 2-3 x’s the size of an average Tokyo hotel room.

The room itself was modern, yet still had some of the Japanese charm we were looking for. Some of the high tech features were: a smart phone you could take out with you, ordering room service on an ipad, and of course a toilet with all the bells and whistles.
Keio also gets major brownie points for having make-up remover wipes, Shiseido skin care and L'Occitane amenities.

Some other things we liked about the room were:

High thread count Italian sheets with an ultra comfy bed
Back lit make-up mirror
Nespresso machine to use in the room
Bath robes, striped yukata robes AND pyjamas (LOVED these pyjamas! Changed into them as soon as I entered the room.)
City lights view at nighttime
USB and HDMI plugs in the desk that connected to the TV

Club Lounge Access

Staying in any of the ‘Premier’ category rooms gives you access to the awesome Club Lounge, found on the 45th floor.

It’s really an entire experience. Upon arrival we were whisked up to the Club Lounge for a private check-in with a cold towel and tea. They explained all the benefits of our room to us, amenities of the hotel and offered assistance if we needed help with dinner or entertainment reservations.

Throughout the day we found food, drinks and snacks constantly restocked for us to enjoy. It was a very classy and relaxing spot to escape the insanity of the city.

Club Lounge Benefits

Private check in with cold towel and green tea
7:00am to 10:00am – Buffet breakfast with a huge spread and made to order hot items
2:00pm t0 4:00pm – High tea service with desserts
5:00pm to 7:00pm – Canapes, beer and wine
All Day – Premium coffees, juices and snacks all day
Concierge staff to help with bookings inside and outside the hotel

How Much Extra Does Club Access Cost?

To upgrade from the hotels most standard/basic room, to a Club Lounge room (like the Premier Grand Deluxe King) will cost approx $120 USD per night. (Can be higher on weekends and peak season dates.)

If the hotel is very under-booked, they might even give a better upgrade rate upon check in.

For the dates we were there, the premium to have access to the Club Lounge made sense! The extra $120 gave us both a fantastic breakfast, afternoon tea and sweets, cappuccinos, premium fruit juices, evening canapés, and a quiet place to work. We would have easily spent that amount if we had ventured out of the hotel for all of those services. It also gave us a bigger room with a better view and more amenities.

If we stay at the Keio Plaza Hotel again, we would absolutely spurge for Club Lounge Access.

Keio Plaza to Narita Airport

We came into Tokyo from Gifu on the Shinkansen bullet train, so we were naively unaware of how expensive getting to the airport is. The night before our flight, we looked up how much a Taxi or Uber would be from Keio to Narita airport. We almost fainted! Uber was quoting us ¥27,000 Yen/$240 USD (which would have been $325 CAD…way more than we ever imagined!)

Thank goodness Keio Plaza is a stop on the Airport Limousine Bus route. Downstairs at the Bell Captains desk there is a kiosk to buy tickets from the hotel to Narita. We bought them the night before to ensure there was a place on the bus for us in the morning,

The Airport Bus is only ¥3,100 YEN ($28 USD) which was an easy pill to swallow compared to taking a Uber/Taxi. The bus takes about 2 hours, but it does have a bathroom on board. Best way to get the airport hands down.

Keio Plaza to Haneda Airport

We were headed to Narita, but we checked the prices to Haneda Airport as well.
Keio Plaza to Haneda is ¥1230 ($11 USD) and takes just under and hour.

Tokyo Attractions Near Keio Plaza Hotel

Keio Plaza Hotel Address: 2 Chome-2-１ Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-8330, Japan

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building – 400m, 4 minute walk

Shinjuku Central Park – 650m , 7 minute walk

Shinjuku Station – 750m, 8 minute walk

Omoide Tokocho – 750m, 8 minute walk

Park Hyatt / “Lost in Translation” Bar – 1km, 10 minute walk

Robot Restaurant – 1.2 km, 13 minute walk

Golden Gai – 1.3km, 14 minute walk

Hanazono Shrine – 1.3km, 14 minute walk

Samurai Museum – 1.5km, 16 minute walk

If you really like walking:

Meiji Shrine – 2km, 24 minute walk

Harajuku District – 2.6km, 30 minute walk

Takeshita Street – 2.7km, 32 minute walk

Shibuya Crossing – 4km, 45 minute walk

What Keio Plaza Has On-Site

Keio Plaza Hotel has everything you would need on-site.

Convenience Store

Sounds simple, but we always look for a hotel that has a convenience “7/Eleven” type store in it, or just nearby. Keio has a mini-mart type store on the lower floor that has all kinds of food and snacks. We used this shop to stock up on food and drinks for our bus ride to Narita.

Restaurants

Keio Plaza has 11 restaurants, 5 bars/lounges, a karaoke bar and don't forget about room service.

Japanese Dining
Yamanami – teppanyaki
Shun – tempura
Kagari – general Japanese
Soujuan – kaiseki set dinner
Kyubey – sushi
Fumotoya – soba

International Dining
Jurin – fusion
Duo Fourchettes – Italian & French
Glass Court – super buffet
Nan-En – Chinese
Gokoku Tei – Korean

Wellness

We were actually surprised at how many wellness based amenities this hotel has.
Carju Rajah Esthetic Salon – Massages and Facials
French Refle – Reflexology
Hatuko endo Beauty studio – Hair & makeup
Fitness Room – 7th floor
Outdoor Pool – 7th floor, only during summer

We really enjoyed our stay at Keio Plaza and would absolutely stay again!