Edited by Shereen Shabnam

Superbly located in the prestigious financial district within the historical and cultural centre of Tokyo, Mandarin Oriental Tokyo’s visionary design and award-winning service has been recognized numerous times as the epitome of sophisticated luxury in the city with spectacular views of the city skyline.

Mandarin Oriental Tokyo has recently completed a comprehensive renovation of its guestrooms and suites to create new levels of luxury, that confirm the five- star hotel’s status as one of the best in the world.

The hotel has luxuriously appointed guest rooms and suites, ten restaurants and bars and an award-winning spa situated within the soaring, Cesar Pelli-designed Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower.

The makeover of all spacious guestrooms and suites draws on Japan’s rich culture, to provide guests with a strong “sense of place”. Japanese craftmanship has been combined with the latest technology to ensure a thoroughly contemporary Japanese experience.

Renowned textile designer Reiko Sudo and art director Ryu Kosaka have transformed the guestrooms and suites, and built on the existing ‘Woods and Water’ interior design theme. Jeffrey A. Wilkes has acted as principal interior designer for the Presidential Suite, which is the largest and most luxurious suite in the hotel.

Bespoke fabrics and furnishings representing the woodlands and the changing seasons, have been incorporated throughout, with autumn leaf colours of gold, orange and purple and blooming springtime wisteria and sakura patterns embroidered onto headboards.

To honour the hotel’s location in Nihonbashi, an area that is closely connected to the culture of the Kimono, Reiko Sudo has used locally produced fabrics in all suite and guestroom interiors.

Mandarin Grand Roomuses contemporaryJapanese style and materials, ranging from an embroidered headboard depicting weeping cherry blossoms to a light fixture made from bamboo strings. Curvaceous lines, such as the round table and curved back for the chaise longue, create a welcoming, approachable atmosphere.

Featuring the original Flower Shower textile pattern on furnishings, such as the sofa and chairs in the living room, the hotel’s restyled suites are designed to conjure up thoughts of blissful moments with flowers. A wisteria in full bloom is embroidered onto each headboard, while each bedside chest is crafted with wood from the Paulownia tree.

A silver-leaf round table and gold-leaf embossed cabinet brighten the living room, while the carpet blends the look of Japanese ink and brush work with a motif of clouds and gentle breezes, a nod to the extensive views of Tokyo that can be enjoyed from the hotel’s suites.

Another quintessentially Japanese highlight are lampshades inspired by the Andon, a traditional Japanese lamp. Made from washi paper, these have been placed in asymmetrical positions throughout each bedroom, a distinctive characteristic of Japanese design.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is the award-winning owner and operator of some of the world’s most luxurious hotels, resorts and residences. Having grown from its Asian roots into a global brand, the Group now operates 30 hotels and six residences in 21 countries and territories, with each property reflecting the Group’s oriental heritage and unique sense of place.