Bulgari Hotel Tokyo has opened its doors on the 40th to 45th floors of Tokyo Midtown Yaesu – a new ultra-skyscraper overlooking Tokyo Station. The new Bulgari Hotels & Resorts property comprises 98 guestrooms and suites, with designs by Milan-based Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, responsible for all of the brand’s properties worldwide.
Bulgari traditionally relates each of its hotels and resorts to a precious gem: the Tokyo property is linked with the pink diamond, tying both to Japanese culture and to the pink cherry blossoms of the Sakura season.
The hotel’s design language weaves together the traditions and cultures of both Rome and Tokyo. Upon arrival, a traditional Roman “sanpietrino” welcomes guests, alongside a wall of Italian Verde Issorie marble. The ground floor lobby, decorated with drawings from the Bulgari archive, welcomes guests into the building before they ascend to the main reception on the 40th floor. Japanese and Italian influences continue throughout, with corridors adorned with a mosaic by Italian brand Biasazza – custom design inspired by traditional Japanese fabrics.
A large corridor connects the east and west wings of the building, leading respectively to the hotel’s F&B outlets and to banqueting and spa spaces. Boasting high ceilings, the space is fragmented through the use of elm wood portals, reminiscent of the Bulgari flagship boutique’s walnut portal, and also evoking the bell-shaped windows – known as hatomado – typical of Japanese architecture.
Bulgari Hotel Tokyo’s 98 guestrooms are situated between the 41st and 44th floors, including the 400m² Bulgari Suite. Each room spans a minimum of 56m², with all offering panoramic views of the city through full-length glass windows.
Decor sees framed images of vintage Bulgari hanging on the walls, together with bedside lamps inspired by the famed silver Bulgari candleholder. Japanese elements are brought in through a bedspread produced by Hosoo, an ancient kimono textiles producer in Kyoto, and dark stained oak furniture custom made by Ritzwell. Walls, meanwhile, are entirely covered with silk and elm timber boiserie, while the fabric for headboards showcases colourful patterns exclusively designed by the ACPV Architects. Suites hold similar design details as guestrooms, along with added extras like hand-brushed matte gold ceilings, and Gaya vases decorated with patterns inspired by ancient Japanese kimono fabrics.
The hotel’s Bulgari Spa finds home on the 40th floor. Glass walls on all three sides of the space fill it with abundant natural light while – as with all Bulgari spas – the main finishes are Burma teak and Vicenza stone. A full-length pool is clad with emerald-green mosaic tiles, while the adjacent vitality pool is decorated with a mosaic that recalls the patterns of ancient Roman baths. Besides baths and saunas, a 1000m² spa area comprises nine separate treatment rooms.
As for further communal spaces, the hotel’s offerings are abundant. On the 40th floor, the hotel’s lounge Niko Romito is a vast space which opens up onto a large terrace. With a fireplace in cast iron and black Zimbabwe granite, walls framed with elm wood panels and coffered ceiling inspired by traditional Roman Renaissance palaces, the space continues with Bulgari’s signature Italian design influences. Furniture is entirely made in Italy, designed by ACPV, while floor lamps are courtesy of Flos and Fontana Arte, and colourful rugs by Altai.
Il Ristorante Niko Romito, the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, resides in a space with design typical of traditional Japanese wood temples. Suspended glass lanterns hand-blown by Barovier & Toso are complimented by chairs and sofas by Maxalto. Walls are cast in warm saffron colours, and furniture is in soft light-brown and white combinations to create a honey-toned, subdued space. In contrast, columns finished in mesh metal with a delicate herringbone pattern bring to mind Japanese Nishijin silk fabric.
Elsewhere, Bulgari’s first sushi restaurant concept, Sushi Hōseki, is an intimate space of just eight covers. Brushwood and dark oak are highlighted upon a traditional sushi counter while a backlit milky-white glass wall panel made of Japanese shoji paper evokes the aesthetic of traditional Japanese architecture. For drinks in a rooftop setting, guests are also able to head to the Bulgari Bar, which presents a rich list of Italian cocktails.
“We are proud to add a new gem to the crown of the Bulgari Hotels & Resorts collection with the opening of Bulgari Hotel Tokyo in Japan, a market that has been a strategic market for us for over 30 years,” comments Jean-Christophe Babin, Bulgari Group CEO. “Jewellery and hospitality combine perfectly to meet Bulgari’s clients’ expectations of a high level of service not only in our brand stores, but also when staying in our extraordinary properties, and provides us the opportunity to share the Italian luxury experience, design and creativity in an environment which reflects the Bulgari spirit.”
