Review: The Tokyo EDITION, Ginza

Why book?

Designed by Kengo Kuma and the brainchild of hotelier Ian Schrager—co-founder of New York’s Studio 54, long-time Japanophile, and the ultimate sensei in all things hedonistic—it has got the locals talking. And this is—full stop—a party hotel. Without a lick of Japanese-ness about it, the EDITION seeks to unfurl its world famous coolness, like Rapunzel’s braided hair, down onto the streets of Ginza from its cache of ultra-minimal rooms and mod, velvet-clad social spaces.

Set the scene

Nose rings instead of pearl necklaces, DJ-ed beats instead of classic piano, laminate floors instead of marble countertops, sweatpants instead of suits — it’s a new kind of luxury, fueled by the nascent boom of millennials with money.

The backstory

Out of nowhere, it seems as though hotelier Ian Schrager has minted a reverse Soho House of sorts, where everyone’s welcome to come hang. The EDITION brand has found its way into a variety of international cities as diverse as Reykjavik and Tampa, lending the Marriott portfolio a certain club appeal, where guests and locals swirl together.

The rooms

There’s something comforting about turning the doorknob to find a bit of familiarity in a foreign place—the rooms all come with the requisite mother-of-pearl paint swatch, a fluffy blanket accessory, some wooden slatting, and a compelling light fixture: you know your home in an EDITION as soon as you walk in. We’re currently preferring this prim and polished location to its sister property, where the wear and tear of several years of heavy partying has scuffed the brand’s signature white gloss.

Food and drink

Locals are eagerly stopping by for a coffee in the lounge-cum-lobby, a cocktail up the stairs in the dimly lit Punch Bar; a veritable sea of velvet couches, or they’re heading to top-floor Sophie, a new French dining concept 14 stories above the ground that’s attempting to put a luxury spin on the brasserie, with steak frites and a shortlist of pricy gallic wines.

The neighborhood/area

Rather than being lofted at the top of an office tower, like most other luxury hotels in Tokyo (including its sister property) The EDITION’s Ginza location starts on the ground floor and fills an entire structure smack in the heart of Ginza’s ultra-luxurious shopping district, with neighbors like Bottega Veneta, Hermes and Mikimoto. In a way, it’s as though the presence of the EDITION in Ginza has made it a similarly consumable brand; it’s the name of your posh pied a terre in Tokyo’s classically chic neighborhood.

The service

The casual attitude works nicely with the sociable atmosphere since the property feels global instead of Japanese; the bevy of foreign workers—part of the opening team—ensures a high level of English relative to other high-end hotels in town.

Anything left to mention?

EDITION devotees should make it a point to visit both properties in the Tokyo collection—stay at this Ginza locale and feel more like a Tokyoite. The Toranomon location is more of an EDITION mothership with massive, party-prone spaces and sky-high views of the sprawling city below; it’ll be like going to a frat party then having the luxury of retreating back to your quieter dorm.