Tokyo, December 5, 2025
Last night, I stepped once again into my corner of the sky.
Park Hyatt Tokyo hosted its reopening party — the first time for guests to enter since the hotel closed in May 2024. The hotel officially reopens on December 9, but last night a small circle of longtime guests and friends were invited for an early preview of the newly refreshed public spaces.
I’ve stayed here countless times over the years. Moreover, the Park Hyatt Tokyo has been the setting for so many milestones in my life, including birthdays, weddings and anniversaries. I even celebrated the historic end of the 20th century here, at the hotel’s Y2K party on December 31, 1999.
So, last night, walking through those glass doors again felt like returning to a familiar dream — one that had quietly been polished while I was away.
Familiar Elegance, Perfectly Preserved
The most striking thing about the “new” Park Hyatt Tokyo is how unchanged it felt. Everything looked refreshed — brighter, crisper, more refined — and yet I couldn’t find a single thing that looked truly different.
The driveway lobby appeared exactly as I remembered it from day one, more than twenty-five years ago. The same benches around a sculpture in the middle, with the pastry boutique on one side. Even the whimsical bronze sculptures lining the elevator walls were still there, as though waiting for our return.
Upstairs, the Peak Lounge awaited, only slightly changed. The bamboo garden at the center was smaller, leaving space for further growth.
Someone near me smiled and whispered, “Of course, they’ll grow taller.”
That moment captured the spirit of the evening. The same hotel, renewed. Familiar, yet newly alive. Under the steady leadership of General Manager Fredrik Harfors and Director of Rooms Anna Shirshova, Park Hyatt Tokyo has not reinvented itself — it has deepened its identity.
Meanwhile, the long corridor leading toward the main check-in area held its quiet rhythm. The floor-to-ceiling bookshelves from the old version of the Park Hyatt Tokyo were intact, their curated coffee-table collections still perfectly arranged.
Girandole by Alain Ducasse
At Girandole, the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant, the giant black-and-white photo murals remained untouched — like anchors of memory in a hotel built on subtle continuity. I had dinner here on the historic New Year’s Eve 1999; and the narrow hall to the right, with booth tables for two that always remind me of a luxury train dining car, is my favorite place to dine.
Girandole has now officially joined the world of Alain Ducasse. It has always carried a faintly French accent — from its menu to its mood — but now it’s a full-fledged French bistro.
Alain Ducasse himself was reportedly at the party last night, mingling quietly among Tokyo’s society and longtime guests. Unfortunately, I never got to meet him. Still, it felt fitting that one of France’s greatest chefs is now guiding the restaurant that, for many of us, has marked so many milestones and memories.
Girandole under Ducasse’s stewardship feels like closing a circle — a classic renewed with the confidence of experience.
Designed for Timelessness
The full renovation was led by Jouin Manku, the Paris-based design studio behind Hôtel Plaza Athénée and Mandarin Oriental Munich. Their vision was to honor the late John Morford’s original interiors — his poetic restraint and cinematic serenity — while subtly modernizing textures, lighting, and flow for a new generation.
They succeeded. The palette feels warmer. The materials, softer. Every transition feels deliberate, every light quietly considered. Nothing has been broken or forced. Instead, Park Hyatt Tokyo breathes more deeply — the same hotel, but sharper in definition and lighter in mood.
Who Is Jouin Manku?
Founded by French architect Patrick Jouin and Canadian designer Sanjit Manku, the Paris studio crafts interiors that merge art, craftsmanship, and emotion. Their portfolio includes Le Jules Verne at the Eiffel Tower and luxury hotels across Europe and Asia.
Who Was John Morford?
The late American designer John Morford (1948 – 2010) created the original Park Hyatt Tokyo interiors in 1994. His work defined quiet modernism in Japanese hospitality — rich woods, dimmed light, and spaces designed for contemplation.
A Quiet Return to the Clouds
Quite perfectly, the party wound down at the New York Grill & Bar, where a live band was playing Motown hits. Everyone sat back to enjoy old favorites over drinks in this new space that still felt exactly like the old space — and thankfully so.
In a case of déjà vu — seeing the new but remembering only the old — I bumped into the hotel’s original Assistant General Manager, Ernesto de Lima. At the very outset, during the construction of the hotel, he had once taken me up to the yet-unfinished New York Grill in a construction elevator. We wore hard hats and rubber boots, walking through what was then just an empty space with a view.
He gestured around enthusiastically and said, “This is going to be the most talked-about restaurant in the world one day.” And indeed, it was, for a very long time.
Last night, I saw him there again, this time as a guest, clearly pleased with how the renovations had turned out. “Everything is wonderful,” he said. “And you must see the rooms. The team has done an amazing job keeping the spirit of the old Park Hyatt Tokyo while bringing in the new.”
More on the rooms sometime soon — when I check in for my stay. Sooner rather than later, I hope.
Official Reopening: December 9, 2025
Reservations: www.hyatt.com/parkhyatttokyo
Location: Shinjuku Park Tower, 3-7-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-0023
Phone: +81 3 5322 1234
Plan Your Next Escape. This time to Andalusia, Spain.
After Tokyo’s skyline calm, head to Spain and unwind at La Esperanza Granada — Andalusia’s most romantic private villa and luxury retreat, near the Alhambra Palace. Elegant suites, lush gardens, and unforgettable sunsets await.
Book direct: www.la-esperanzahotel.com
