RIHGA Royal Hotel Tokyo

Richly decorated in marble and gold trim, with lush ornate carpets, the hotel invokes a classical European style throughout. An elegant entrance leads into a lobby with low molded ceilings and chandeliers. Black marble columns separate formal reception rooms with comfortable waiting chairs, where all guests are checked in and then escorted to their rooms. The hotel draws a mix of business travelers in town for events, families visiting the university, and both couples and families in town to sightsee; the free shuttle buses to and Takadanobaba Station are a big draw, and many families appreciate the big suites sleeping up to four. 

On a busy commercial road, Rihga Royal Hotel Tokyo is right next to Wasada University on the far northeastern edge of Shinjuku. The metro stop at Takadanobaba Station is about a 15-minute walk from the hotel (or a 10-minute ride on the free shuttle bus), and trains connect to Shinjuku within 22 minutes. From there, Shinjuku Station, the largest public transportation hub in the world, provides convenient access to anywhere else in the city. Haneda Airport is about a 32-minute drive, while Narita International Airport is about an hour and 20 minutes from the hotel.

The 126 rooms are decorated with a neutral palette and a classic European style. Striped wallpaper and textured carpets with ornate vine patterns pair with wood and upholstered furniture. The furnishings are a mix of deliberately traditional and just plain dated, with some couches, tables, and lamps that look like relics from the 1990s. Rooms start at 25 square meters (270 square feet) -- quite large for Tokyo -- and many rooms are significantly larger, at 38 square meters (409 square feet). Suites can be more than 2,300 square feet, adding extra flat-screen TVs in living rooms with opulent chandeliers; they can sleep up to four. All rooms have small sitting areas and desks, at least one flat-screen TV with satellite channels, along with mini-fridges, minibars, and humidifiers. Marble floor bathrooms have big vanities and shower/tub combos with handheld showerheads, and toiletries.

The Rihga health club is a large facility with beautifully wood-paneled halls and locker rooms. Its well-equipped fitness center has row after row of stationary bikes, treadmills, numerous weight training machines and free weights. It has a full-service spa with treatment rooms and a sauna, and there's an attached facility with a big indoor lap pool and hot tub -- but everything requires an extra fee for entry. The hotel's extensive event space is composed of several different meeting rooms and several classically elegant banquet halls, the largest of which can accommodate up to 1,000 people. 

The beautiful Garden Lounge has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the gardens and pond outside for afternoon tea or light meals and snacks. Cellar Bar styles itself after a dark English pub with wood paneling, dim lighting and cigars -- regulars have their own whiskey bottles stored for safe keeping in a glass display case near the entrance. Dining ranges from Western cuisine and a breakfast buffet (not included) at Ferio, to Naniwa's traditional Japanese kaiseki cuisine, teppanyaki, and sushi. There's also the sophisticated Royal Ryuho, a Chinese restaurant covered in mahogany wood paneling that serves Cantonese cuisine with a view to the gardens outside.