Luxury Hotels in Japan

The land of sushi and apple-blossoms, Japan is a wonderful country that millions of people flock to each year. The capital, Tokyo, sees millions of businessmen and women who travel here and want a little luxury when travelling.

As a very prosperous country, Japan has numerous hotels that cater to every budget. For those who want a more luxurious place to rest their heads and to do business in, there are several hotels that would be perfect.

The Peninsula Tokyo

1-8-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0006

Tel: (81-3) 6270 2888

https://www.peninsula.com/Tokyo/en

A five star hotel located near the Imperial Theatre and Ginza’s shopping district, this magnificent hotel provides the perfect destination for those who love to shop ‘til you drop. With 347 rooms and 47 suites, the hotel is perfect for those who want comfort and opulence.

The hotel offers incredible spa and health facilities, business facilities and the perfect setting for those wanting to hold their wedding here. The staff here will make any event here a magical experience.

Shangri-La Hotel Tokyo

Marunouchi Trust Tower Main, 1-8-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8283, Japan
T: (81 3) 6739 7888 F: (81 3) 6739 7889

http://www.shangri-la.com/en/property/tokyo/shangrila

Designed for both businessmen and tourists, the Shangri-La Hotel is a magnificent hotel situated in central Tokyo and the shopping centre. The hotel is next to the Tokyo Station and near the Imperial Palace.

The hotel is situated in the top 11 floors of the Marunouchi Trust Tower building, making it a haven for those travelling here on business. There are two world-class restaurants here which offer not only some of the most delicious and varied menus, but simply stunning views of the city below.

For those conducting business here, the hotel has the perfect business facilities for meetings and conferences. On the 29^th floor there is a fabulous spa which uses traditional Asian rituals and methods.

Four Seasons Marunouchi Tokyo

Pacific Century Place, 1-11-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 100-6277

Tel. 81 (3) 5222-7222. Fax. 81 (3) 5222-1255

http://www.fourseasons.com/marunouchi/

This glorious hotel is located in the heart of the business district in Marunouchi. Luxurious yet intimate, this hotel offers everything a traveller could want. A contemporary hotel decorated in warm colours and textiles, it has only 57 rooms but is massive in character.

The rooms have wall to wall windows giving the sense of light and openness. The bathrooms are just as luxurious and after a hard day’s work, the spa can offer the traveller the chance to relax with the many treatments. There is also a traditional Onsen bath.

Travel Destinations: Guoliangcun, Henan Province, China

Guoliangcun is a small village, home to around 300 people. It is nestled away on the cliff top high up on the Wanxian Mountains (Ten Thousand Immortals) in the north of Henan Province. This pretty little stone hamlet has been a delight to find, being hidden away from the rest of the world due to inaccessibility and anonymity. It has risen to fame in the last few years as the breathtaking backdrop to movies set in ancient times and in mythology.

Today, Guoliangcun draws masses of tourists and artists who come here for inspiration – the simply stunning beautiful scenery gives poets, painters and writers all the inspiration an artist could ever want. Recently, hotels have been established at the foot of the village, but the original and traditional buildings have remained, climbing the slopes of the mountain.

The weather here is much cooler than Zhengzhou which means that mosquitoes do not stay here all the year round. If coming during the winter, it is best to pack some warmer clothing as the nights can be very cold.

As soon as you enter Guoliangcun, you will be amazed by the simple prettiness of this village. The houses are decorated with the yellow bangzi (sweetcorn cobs), and are made with the same stone that has been used for the streets, alleyways, bridges and the gates that decorate the village. The villagers are used to seeing visitors, but you will see the old people watch you from their doorways and children run around in the streets.

Guoliangcun offers some lovely sights to see. Taihang Precipice (Taihang Juebi) is the first thing you see as you draw closer to the village but you can go back down to see it more clearly. These cliffs have some incredible and dramatic views from the tunnel carved from the face of the rock itself.

For a long time, the Sky Ladder (Tian Ti) was the only way in or out of the village. You can now go via the road behind the hotel strip away from the Sky Ladder; this is a hair-raising 5km loop through the mountainous valley and through the wonderful Shouting Spring (Huan Quan). According to the old legend, the flow of the spring’s water responds to how loud your shouts are. You will also see the Old Pool (Lao Tan) and the Red Dragon Cave (Honglong Dong) and the White Dragon Cave (Bailong Dong). From here, take a bottle of water and head for one of the smaller trails into the hills and relax and enjoy the incredibly and awe-inspiring natural beauty of this remarkable place.

Travel Destinations: Gulang Yu, Fujian Province, China

With so many provinces and thousands of great cities and towns in China it can be difficult to choose one or even a dozen cities to visit. But if you are in Fujian Province, then you should definitely make the time to visit Gulang Yu, an island 10 minutes on the boat away from Xiamen.

This is a simply beautiful island; the architecture has a distinctive colonial feel to it, with beautiful villas and crumbling ruins from its former years. It was used as a base for a large foreign community in the 1880s, complete with an English newspaper, a post office, consulates, libraries, churches and many other services. In 1903, the Chinese government declared Gulang Yu an Internation Foreign Settlement and a council of Sikhs were brought together to run the community.

Today, you can still see the impact the foreigners had on this beautiful island. The charming colonial buildings are still being used. Some of China’s most famous of musicians have come from this island.

So what can you see here? Start with a trip to Sunlight Rock, which is the highest point on the island. At 93m and when the day is clear, you may be able to see Jinmen Island itself.

At the base of here, you can visit the Koxinga Memorial Hall which has a gallery dedicated to the Dutch who settled in Taiwan and Koxinga throwing them back out of the island again. You can admire some remains of his clothing and his beautiful jade belt.

You will find Yingxiong Hill near the Memorial Hall. There is an aviary here where egrets and parrots squawk and speak. A little noisy sometimes, but it is a charming place for tourists.

Shuzhuang Garden is located on the waterfront near the southernmost part of the island; it is so beautiful that it is the perfect place to stop and relax and let the world go sailing by. The pavilions here so incredibly delicate and the bonsai gardens look simply stunning. It was established by a businessman from Taiwan who came here with his fsmily during the Anti-Japanese War.

There are other things to see and do here. Why not visit the beautiful Roman Catholic Church near the British consulate and if you carry on, you will come to Haoyue Garden, where an impressive statue of Koxinga has been erected, looking out to see to Taiwan.

One of the best things to see and do here is to wander the old streets and alleys to admire the beautiful colonial buildings that still stand on Gulang Yu.