With the Park Hyatt Tokyo reopening in December 2025 and now accepting reservations, it feels like the perfect time to revisit one of its most legendary rooms — the Diplomat Suite, better known as the Lost in Translation Suite.

This was the very setting for Sofia Coppola’s Academy Award–winning film Lost in Translation, starring Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray. Over the years, it has become one of the most famous hotel suites in Japan. It’s a destination in itself for travelers and film lovers alike.

Since the hotel closed for its extensive renovation, there has been endless speculation among loyal guests and design enthusiasts about the fate of this iconic suite. The prevailing rumor? That it is being refreshed and upgraded, not redesigned — preserving the quiet elegance and cinematic aura that made it legendary.

ABOUT THE HOTEL WHERE SOFIA COPPOLA FILMED

I had the privilege of staying in this suite shortly before the renovation began. The experience felt like stepping into a piece of modern film history — and into the golden age of Tokyo luxury.

When the Park Hyatt Tokyo opened in the late 1990s, it quickly became an icon for a new type of luxury hotel. No other hotel combined modern minimalism with such warmth and polish. It wasn’t just a place to stay. It was the place to be.

Everyone who mattered in the world of business, art, or culture eventually passed through its doors. The New York Grill, perched high above Shinjuku with its skyline views and live jazz, became the city’s living room. The hotel’s atmosphere was electric — half Silicon Valley summit, half high-finance cocktail party, with a touch of film-set glamour that has never been replicated.

THE TIMELESS DESIGN OF THE PARK HYATT TOKYO

What makes this property truly remarkable is how faithfully it preserved its original identity for more than 25 years. Until the recent closure, most rooms still carried the same refined decor from opening day — meticulously maintained, polished to perfection, and serenely timeless.

The public areas, too, remained exactly as the first guests (myself included) remembered them. From the hushed, wood-paneled entrance to the subtle lighting in the elevators and the lush greenery of the lobby, every element evoked the same calm sophistication. Even the long corridors, lined with art and travel books, felt untouched by time.

Walking through it all was pure déjà vu. The prints on the walls, the textures, the fragrances — everything was as it had been since Lost in Translation was filmed there. It felt like stepping into a living time capsule of Tokyo’s golden age of luxury.

That chapter, however, has now paused. The hotel began a major renovation in May 2024 and it is re-opening this December 2025. Hotel executoves promise a sleeker, more polished version of itself — an evolution, not a reinvention.

La Esperanza Granada — a Spanish hacienda in Andalusia where solitude becomes a luxury

(We come here to rest, to reset, and sometimes, to reinvent.)

INSIDE THE DIPLOMAT SUITE — THE LOST IN TRANSLATION ROOM

What was the Lost in Translation suite like? This elegant corner suite captured everything that made the hotel legendary. It had that same quiet confidence, cinematic light, and understated luxury prevailing elsewhere in the hotel.

The space unfolded like a private sanctuary above the city. A grand piano stood by the window, the skyline glimmering beyond it. The marble bathroom offered a deep soaking tub with panoramic views of Shinjuku, while the living room felt like a modern study, lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

Every room at the Park Hyatt Tokyo reflects this same quiet balance of Japanese restraint and timeless design. Elegant yet unpretentious, the spaces have always embodied the hotel’s signature aesthetic and contemporary classic luxury.

However, this suite is not just a room. It’s a home I could live in.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BOOKS

And it had a library I could spend days going through. The books alone revealed the hotel’s philosophy. The collection of travel books in the living room transported one to faraway places. A quick glance and I saw titles about Bhutan, Patagonia, Rajasthan — all corners of the world that share a sense of solitude and wonder.

Meanwhile, in the bedroom, the tone changed: only cookbooks and volumes devoted to the art of food. The contrast felt deliberate. Perhaps a quiet design decision meant to reflect mood and appetite.

I stayed in this suite several times, and each visit felt like returning to a place that understood the art of stillness. The books were so carefully chosen, so deeply engaging, that it was easy to lose a full afternoon turning pages, the city humming faintly beyond the glass.

There are countless hotels that scatter coffee-table books around to look cultured or stylish. The Park Hyatt Tokyo was not one of these. Its shelves hold thousands of real books, each worn from years of browsing hands. Nothing felt staged or decorative. These books looked read, loved, and lived with — the kind of quiet authenticity that only decades on a shelf can create.

HOW TO ARRANGE A LIBRARY

Every book inside the Lost in Translation Suite was chosen with both a collector’s precision and a reader’s hear

How else does one explain the shelf devoted entirely to Russia and the former Soviet Republics? And then another filled with photo books on Africa? Or the careful grouping of volumes on French cuisine?

There was a quiet method behind the order. It felt as if each guest left behind a trace of curiosity, and then someone patiently restored the suite’s library to perfect harmony. I imagined I was not the only one who has pulled a dozen books to read by the bedside, only to find them back in place by morning — straightened, aligned, and waiting for the next traveler.

Someone clearly tended this library with devotion. It was the same care and meticulous attention to atmosphere that defined the Park Hyatt Tokyo itself. And this made the Diplomat Suite unlike any other hotel room in the world.

INSPIRATIONS FOR BATHROOMS

Then there was the corner bathroom of the Lost in Translation Suite. This is easily one of the most breathtaking hotel bathrooms in Japan. It was a space made for lingering — a sanctuary where you could watch Tokyo unfold beneath you from the deep soaking tub.

It’s easy to imagine guests checking in and falling instantly in love with the interiors. Within minutes, I always started mentally redecorating my own home, trying to capture this same feeling of calm luxury and quiet elevation. It’s hard to describe the feeling that this hotel gave its guests, except to explain it as that rare sensation of being, quite literally, on top of the world.

BATHROOMS WITH VIEWS IN TOKYO

The moment I first saw this bathroom, my plans for the day vanished. Instead I was running the bath, surrounded by soft light and skyline reflections. The shelves were lined with Aesop amenities, not in sample form but in a beautifully complete selection, as though someone decided that guests of this suite should have nothing less than the full experience.

Of course, all suite bathrooms aim to impress. But what makes this one exceptional is its placement . It occupied the corner usually reserved for a bedroom or living room. The result was a sense of openness and light that few hotels could match. The hotel turned a simple daily ritual into something quietly cinematic.

THE LOST IN TRANSLATION HOTEL ROOM

Over the years, the Diplomat Suite at the Park Hyatt Tokyo has quietly hosted some of the most influential people in the world. Heads of state, visiting dignitaries, and artists have all stayed within its calm, book-lined walls. Even The Weeknd reportedly spent a month here writing an album — proof that creativity thrives in this rarefied space above the city.

But its most enduring fame still comes from Sofia Coppola and her award-winning Lost in Translation. The film’s quiet, reflective scenes — those moments of jet-lagged solitude and connection between Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray — were captured right here.

For travelers lucky enough to have stayed in this suite, stepping into it felt like walking into a still frame of modern film history. The light, the view, the atmosphere of the film — everything remained instantly recognizable, almost suspended in time.

THE ROOM WHERE SCARLET JOHANNSON STAYED IN

At the time of filming, the Diplomat Suite was cleverly divided into two bedrooms — one for Scarlett Johansson’s character and the other for Bill Murray’s. By early 2000s standards, Lost in Translation was bold and unmistakably indie. It captured a version of Tokyo that few outside Japan had ever seen. It was a city defined not by temples or tradition, but by neon solitude, late-night bars, and quiet emotion.

Many credit Sofia Coppola’s film for awakening global curiosity about modern Tokyo. She captured the contrasts, the loneliness, and the beauty. Knowing this, I couldn’t resist the chance to once more have my own Lost in Translation moment inside the very room where it all began, before the Park Hyatt Tokyo closed for renovations.

READ ABOUT THE PARK HYATT NISEKO IN HOKKAIDO

ROOM SERVICE & MOVIES

“Do you have the movie on DVD?” I asked then–Park Hyatt Tokyo General Manager Hervé Mazella. Fortunately, the hotel did. This was a small but essential detail.

So that evening, I slipped into my pajamas, and ordered room service. Movie nights in Tokyo are about Japanese curry with rice, the ultimate comfort food. Then, from the sofa of the Lost in Translation Suite, I watched Lost in Translation itself.

It was a surreal experience, seeing the same corners of my suite appear on screen in real time. Few travelers will ever have the chance to do this, and that made it even more special. Moments like this are what I call truly living a Travelife. When I find magic in the places where stories, cinema, and reality quietly overlap.

Read more about the best hotels and resorts in Japan in Travelife Magazine.

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At its peak, the New York Grill of the Park Hyatt Tokyo was easily one of the best restaurants in the world. This was in the late 1990s and the hotel had just opened to great acclaim. It literally changed the landscape of the hotel industry. Until then, there was no hotel on the planet that made ultra-stylish modern interiors with extreme attention to details for the luxury market.

THE PLACE TO SEE AND BE SEEN IN TOKYO

Meanwhile, the New York Grill set the standard for contemporary fine dining. I do not exaggerate when I say that everyone who was anyone in the world wanted to eat here. The waiting list for a table at the New York Grill was as long as several months. There were lots of people hoping for confirmed dinner reservations and also for a table for Sunday brunch. Sunday brunch at the New York Grill was the best in Tokyo. Of course, the wait was worth it.

In the late 1990s, this was the destination restaurant for people who had already been everywhere and done everything. First, there was the location. There were few restaurants that occupied the entire floor of the top of a building in Tokyo in those days, so this fact alone made everyone’s jaw drop. I think the massive open kitchen also made it to restaurant design history. Three sides are either open or walled in glass so there is no place to hide messy preparations. This ushered in the era of performance cooking, where your food is on show from preparation stage to plating and serving.

IF VIEWS COULD KILL

The views from this restaurant were — and still are — a crowd drawer. You see, when you get out of the elevator on the restaurant floor, immediately you are eyeball to eyeball with incredible views of Tokyo. These are not just any views either. The New York Grill is housed in a dome that is three or four storeys high. So you have this incredible feeling of being in the sky from the height relative to outside, and then also from the height inside.

Then there was the wonderful food. I’ve known many of the New York Grill chefs and each one had a way of combining the best of Japanese ingredients into great Western-style comfort food. This has always been the go-to place for steak-and-sides for dinner.

Then for lunch, including on Sundays, the chefs always created a truly fancy appetizer and dessert buffet. Diners could have their fill of both and they chose a main dish in between. This was so enjoyable and a long Sunday brunch at the New York Grill was my favorite weekend activity for a very long time.

LIVING IN ELECTRIC DREAMS

Finally, the electric atmosphere of the New York Grill was a great crowd drawer. It was always full of Japanese celebrities, New York billionaires, Hollywood movie stars and European supermodels. All the American movie stars visiting Tokyo stayed at here, so it was not unusual to see one of them in the next table. In fact, this is how Sofia Coppola ended up choosing to shoot her movie “Lost in Translation” at the Park Hyatt Tokyo. She’d stayed here several times.

This made for a real adrenalin rush, to enter a restaurant full of movers and shakers and beautiful people. If you were not part of this crowd, you suddenly felt you had joined anyway.

For a time, I ate here several times a week. In fact I was always looking for an excuse to eat here because life seemed more perfect after a meal at the New York Grill. I kid you not. I always left the restaurant with a much better feeling about the world than when I entered it. And this is probably the best reason to eat in any restaurant.

Because I ate there all the time, I had a hotline for booking tables. In those days, as I have already written, the restaurant was completely full for months. However, when possible, they always left one table or two empty for sudden VIP arrivals. So if I was lucky and no VIPs had claimed this table, it was usually mine. This is how the New York Grill became my “kitchen.”

FINE DINING AMIDST THE PANDEMIC

Fast forward to September 2020 and we are in the middle of the worst pandemic mankind has seen in about 100 years. The world has become a place of lockdowns and misery in a matter of months. So if there was any perfect time for me to revisit the New York Grill, it was probably in these COVID-19 months. I have already mentioned how my perception of the world always changed after eating here. Well, last September was a good time to get my current worldview altered even slightly.

Fortunately, the New York Grill did not disappoint. The best thing about it was that it was exactly the same as I have always remembered it. Absolutely nothing had changed. So if someone had tied a blindfold around my eyes, I would still be able to find my way to my favorite table.

READ ABOUT THE LOST IN TRANSLATION SUITE OF THE PARK HYATT TOKYO

PARADISE FOUND IN TOKYO

In this current world where everyone’s lives have been turned upside down, the New York Grill was still the paradise it has always been. Even the menu did not seem to change much, Why change a good thing that works, after all? So the steaks and the sides were as good as always. I ordered a rib-eye grilled medium, and as always I asked the kitchen for rice instead of potatoes.

I was so thankful that night that some things indeed never change. The New York Grill was an oasis of normalcy and a vestige of the old world we had before the pandemic. This was a most precious thing, and it gave me a real break away from all these months of thinking about COVID-19.

JUST LIKE THE GOOD OLD DAYS

In fact, the restaurant was full that evening and as lovely and lively as ever. And the waitstaff who came to take our order also said: “We served over 100 covers at lunch today. And we’ve managed to keep the appetizer and dessert buffet too.” Wow. That sure sounded like a pandemic had never happened..

Nevertheless, these days are also all about safety. Masks, temperature checks and sanitizers were all in place. So perhaps “the best of the old world and the new world” is a more accurate description for this restaurant. And for now, this is probably the most perfect combination of all.

Read more about the best hotels and restaurants in Japan in Travelife Magazine.

A HACIENDA HOTEL OPENS IN SPAIN AMIDST THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

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The Park Hyatt Kyoto is a wonderful blend of modern and traditional. It’s located in one of the loveliest neighborhoods of Kyoto, near the Kiyomizudera and the Yasaka Shrine. It is also at the doorstep of the old entertainment district of Gion, home to the geisha and maiko. There are not a few famous restaurants and tea houses in this area too. Because of this, it’s a joy to walk around even late at night.

The hotel also has amazing provenance because of its relationship with the legendary Kyoyamato Restaurant of Kyoto. This is a traditional kaiseki restaurant that has been serving fine Japanese food since 1877. The current owners belong to the sixth generation of the original family.

This association with Kyoyamato has also provided many benefits to the Park Hyatt Kyoto. For one thing, the hotel has access to some of the best artisans of Kyoto, many of whom already have some relationship with the Kyoyamato.

THE BEST ARTISANS OF KYOTO

The Park Hyatt Kyoto uses these traditional Kyoto crafts throughout the hotel. For example, the Kyoto Bistro is the hotel’s casual cafe with an entrance right along the Ninenzaka Street. It’s known for comfort food which can be enjoyed in the restaurant or ordered as take-out.

This cafe uses tea cups and bowls called Asahiyaki. Asahiyaki dates back 400 years. It’s currently produced at a pottery kiln in a city called Uji, which is near Kyoto.

WHERE TO FIND YOHEN TENMOKU TEA BOWLS IN KYOTO

The hotel also uses Tenmoku tea bowls. These are beautiful pottery with incandescent colors that change hues depending on the light reflected on it. The highest quality Tenmoku tea bowls are the Yohen Tenmoku, and Takeshi Furukawa is one of the rising potters in this field.

These much admired bowls have an 800-year history, and these have been created amidst much secrecy. Only the potters themselves know the exact formula for creating the beautiful glaze of the Yohen Tenmoku. However, it is common knowledge that Yohen Tenmoku bowls are made with natural soil rich in iron and then glazed with oxidized metals.

KANAYA COPPER CRAFTS IN KYOTO

Meanwhile, many of the copper items used by the Park Hyatt Kyoto have been created by Kanaya Gorosaburo XVI. Kanaya-san is heir to a long and revered tradition of copper making. His family has been involved in this craft for over 400 years.

Kyoto is a conservative city that does not easily welcome newcomers. So most new hotels — especially foreign ones — may find it hard to become involved in its old traditions. However, because of its association with the Kyoyamato, the hotel enjoys the equivalent of a hotline to some of the best artisans of Kyoto.

Read more about the best hotels in Japan in Travelife Magazine.

Photos credit : Park Hyatt Kyoto

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The entrance to the Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono is deceptively simple. A winding road passes through fields that are green in the summer, with houses in the distance. Then it ends at the entrance of a building inspired by somber tones and minimalism. An extreme design to complement the extreme nature of Hokkaido.

MINIMALISM AT ITS BEST

However, the stark lines of the hotel should not put the upmarket traveler off. It is precisely because the hotel is so luxurious in every sense that it can confidently create maximum space with minimum lines. It’s literally a paradise where you can leave your troubles at the door, especially during the time of COVID-19.

This was our experience, arriving for a much-needed holiday at the end of July, just as Tokyo was announcing record figures for COVID infections and fatalities. The world seemed dreary and bleak at that particular time. In contrast, the Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono was like a breathe of fresh air in a world of masks and viruses.

SAFETY IN SPACE

Here, space was a big factor in the feeling of safety. The hotel is a mammoth eight-stores complex with 11 restaurants, some of the largest hotel rooms in Japan, and corridors so wide you could play football in them. In such an environment of great distances, the coronavirus suddenly felt very far.

As with many places, space is always a valuable commodity. The sheer amount of it at the Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono is enough to make anyone’s jaw drop. Then there are the beautiful views visible from almost every room. These transport you out of the everyday. On one side is the Annapuri mountain range , while Mount Yotei is on the other.

THE INTERIORS OF THE PARK HYATT NISEKO HANAZONO

Finally, in case you ever tire of the views outside — all white in the winter and all green the rest of the year — the views inside are equally compelling. It’s a mixture of industrial materials and exquisite finishing. Basically, a most unlikely combination that works.

The impressive lobby is a massive counter in front of a giant mural in a cavernous lobby that can basically double as a running track. Next door is the lounge which is jumping with apres-ski activity in the winter. Families hang out by the sweets bar for cakes and ice cream by Pierre Herme, while couples sit by the fireplace for dinner.

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At the end of the lounge is a floor-to-ceiling bar where one can easily imagine ending the day with a shot of whiskey, happy and checking one’s phone for a next possible date to return.

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Kyoto is a city for the serious gourmet. It has many excellent establishments including some of the finest kaiseki restaurants in Japan. However, few offer the unbeatable combination of great steaks, a stylish atmosphere and one of the best views in Kyoto.

UNIQUE RESTAURANT IN KYOTO

In this sense, the Yasaka restaurant of the Park Hyatt Kyoto is in a category all its own. It offers a contemporary version of teppanyaki to diners sitting around two massive wooden counters, both with 180-degree views of the Yasaka Shrine.

The atmosphere alone is most impressive, as the hotel that houses it. The Park Hyatt Kyoto is a modern structure inspired by traditional Japanese design. It’s all 21st century and at the same time 18th century. Moreover, it stands out for being a design innovator. However it also blends seamlessly into the background of one of Kyoto’s most famous and most picturesque neighborhoods.

AMAZING VIEWS OF YASAKA SHRINE

The Yasaka restaurant has a similar concept. It is disarmingly simple in design. In fact, you will not be aware that it exists unless you have already booked your seats for dinner. Otherwise, you will never see it during your stay. It’s tucked away in one floor of the hotel that you would never go to unless you are dining here or drinking at the bar.

Once you set foot in the restaurant, though, it is quite impossible to forget it. The view of Yasaka Shrine and the city of Kyoto in the background alone is the kind you will remember forever. And moreso because you will have had a perfectly grilled steak to go with it. The chefs here certainly know how to cook meat exactly as each diner wishes.

READ ABOUT A NEW HACIENDA HOTEL IN SPAIN

THE BEST TEPPANYAKI IN KYOTO

Part of the fun of a teppanyaki dinner is being able to sit around a counter and watch the chef cook your meal. The movement, colors and aroma all combine for some great entertainment. Then, of course, the food at a teppanyaki restaurant is served the same minute it is done. So this ensures the best possible conditions for dinner.

Eating at the Yasaka restaurant of the Park Hyatt is food and art and also theater all at once. In fact, it is a most dramatic theater. And arguably the best seat in Kyoto every evening,

Read more about the Park Hyatt Kyoto in Travelife Magazine.

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Kyoto is not a city usually associated with afternoon tea. For one thing, this is hardly a Japanese tradition. However, on a recent visit, we discovered a unique version in a most extraordinary hotel. This all came about by accident, too.

After a short walk around Ninenzaka, a famous old street near Gion, we returned to the Park Hyatt Kyoto to take refuge from the summer heat. We’d been too busy to have lunch and it was already mid-afternoon, which is neither here nor there time for a meal.

This was when the hotel concierge suggested: “Why don’t you try our afternoon tea?” I’d been hearing about this unique pairing of sweet and savory treats with assorted fine teas. So this was the perfect thing to do.

LOBBY OF THE PARK HYATT KYOTO

We sat in the corner of the lobby lounge, which is a wood paneled space filled with books and art. It’s a wonderful place to spend some time in, just relaxing over cups of tea. It’s cozy and intimate — perfect to escape the summer heat or to keep warm in the winter.

It turns out, the Park Hyatt Kyoto version of afternoon tea is a five-course event paired with tea. It can really stand in as a late lunch instead. So we were very pleased to have followed the suggestion of the concierge.

FOOD AS AFTERNOON TEA

Every course was a work of art, and the teas were delightful. We began with a plate containing two bite-sized morsels. One was a terrine of foie gras and passion fruit. Meanwhile, the other was a financier topped with fresh mango and ringed with grated coconut.

AFTERNOON TEA AT THE PARK HYATT KYOTO

One piece was savoury and the other was sweet. This turned out to be a very balanced combination of tastes, especially when drunk with a slightly acidic tea. The chef paired this with a rose hip blend from Kyoto, from the Herbalist Club Miyama.

VEGETABLES & SEAFOOD

Following a traditional multi-course meal, we then had the afternoon tea version of salad and seafood. The chef sent out a perfectly formed summer vegetable terrine and a corn waffle topped with scallop and sea urchin. We ate this with green tea wafers and cups of a green tea and ginger blend from Kotoshina in Kyoto.

EGGPLANT AS TONKATSU

The main course followed, and this was probably my favorite. A Kamo eggplant was fashioned into a deep fried cutlet and served with olive green tapenade. This was so similar to the Tonkatsu, which is everyone’s favorite Japanese comfort food.

PEACH PALATE CLEANSER

Prior to the last course, we had the equivalent of a palate cleanser. Slices of fresh peaches were arranged nicely in a basket and sprinkled with sake granite. It was a lovely pairing of sweet fruit and spicy alcohol.

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CHERRY SOUFFLE FOR DESSERT

Finally, the chef sent out dessert. Or at least the equivalent of it in this afternoon tea multi-course pairing. He made a cherry and ricotta cheese soufflé which was warm, sweet and filling all at once. A slice of chocolate covered jelly accompanied the soufflé. Guessing what to do with this, we dipped the chocolate sticks into the soufflé’ and this turned out wonderfully.

The tartness of the cherry in the soufflé also complimented our last tea. We happily drank cups of tea in a beautiful red color, a blend of hibiscus and Shiso. Everything was fruity and tart and yet also sweet and comforting.

We were full after that. But what a delicious and relaxing way to spend Saturday afternoon in Kyoto.

Read more about the Park Hyatt Kyoto in Travelife Magazine.

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Foodies staying at the new Park Hyatt Kyoto are in for a special treat. If they order a Japanese breakfast during their stay, the famous 150-year old Kyoyamato Kyoto kaiseki restaurant will be cooking.

ABOUT KYOYAMATO RESTAURANT IN KYOTO

Kyoyamato is one of the most famous kaiseki restaurants in Kyoto. It’s also one of the most beautiful in a pretty crowded city. The old capital of Japan has narrow streets lined with long and narrow wooden houses. In these houses, the people of Kyoto lived, worked, played and served food.

Amidst these less than spacious conditions, there are some special restaurants known for their food, service and beautiful surroundings. The Kyoyamato is one of these. It’s lovely wooden structures are set in a traditional Japanese garden that dates back to the Edo era. One of the reasons to book a meal at Kyoyamato is to enjoy its gardens.

POSSIBLY THE BEST ROOM SERVICE BREAKFAST IN KYOTO

Until the Park Hyatt Kyoto opened, this kaiseki restaurant was only serving lunch and dinner. However, now, it makes breakfast too, just for guests of the Park Hyatt Kyoto. Those who order the Japanese breakfast set at Kyoto Bistro or via room service get the special Kyoyamato Japanese breakfast set.

Kyoto Bistro is the the all day dining restaurant of the hotel. It’s also the breakfast restaurant. However, those who wish to have breakfast in private, enjoying the views from the room, can dial room service.

This is exactly what we did every day. We ordered the Kyoyamato Japanese breakfast via room service at 9 AM. This was brought over daily by two lovely ladies bearing one table each, each full of bento boxes.

WHAT IS A KYOYAMATO BREAKFAST?

What’s in a Kyoyamato breakfast, you might be wondering?

In many ways, it looks like a typical luxury ryokan breakfast. However, when you eat it, you realize that the ingredients are very good and the taste of each tiny dish is excellent.

KYOYAMATO BREAKFAST AT PARK HYATT KYOTO

Genmai tea

Grilled eggplant with dashi jelly & sesame sauce

Japanese Miyama egg omelet with grated radish

Kurokawa squash with baby potatoes

Wheat gluten cake

Simmered radish

Sautéed wagyu beff tendon and burdock

Kyoto tofu with bonito flakes

Sautéed baby sardine and Fushimi pepper

Roasted fish cake and cod roe

Simmered kelp with bonito flakes

Japanese pickles

Miso marinated silver cod

Lotus roots with simmered sweet potato

Koshihikari rice from Tango

Miso soup with Shijimi clams and Mitsuba lead

It has the usual assortment of cold appetizers to start. These are mostly tofu and vegetable dishes since Kyoto is famous for its vegetables. Then it also has the simmered egg roll found in sushi restaurants and ryokan breakfasts.

READ ABOUT THE PARK HYATT NISEKO IN HOKKAIDO

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE EGG

This egg dish looks so simple to make but it actually isn’t. Only the best Japanese restaurants are able to make a proper one. Meanwhile, the main course is usually grilled fish accompanied by rice, pickles and miso soup. In this case, the miso soup had tiny clams.

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As a finale, Kyoyamato includes a plate of fresh seasonal fruits in a very restrained way. There are no huge platters of assorted fruits, as you will find in Western countries.

This is Japan, after all, where everything whispers rather than shouts. So the dessert at breakfast is two modest slices of seasonal fruit. Today we had one grape and one slice of a peach. But these were the tastiest fruits I’d had in a long time.

Read more about the best hotels and resorts in Japan in Travelife Magazine.

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The Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono is a massive luxury resort complex. It’s so big that you’ll be forgiven for assuming it has everything a fastidious traveler could want. It has 11 excellent restaurants, after all. Also, it’s gifted with a hotel team that doesn’t seem to have never used the word “no.”

Most of the things we experienced during our stay were absolutely wonderful. Even the experienced traveler in me was slightly surprised. We were in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic that had brought the world to its knees. How could this hotel still manage to make its guests so happy?

Manpower resources were low for every luxury hotel in Japan at that time. In fact, most hotel teams were operating at 30% to 50% capacity. Nevertheless the Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono delivered a wonderful experience befitting, if not over, its fancy price tag. This is not a cheap hotel.

HOW TO FORGET ABOUT THE PANDEMIC

However we enjoyed ourselves so much that we actually forgot about the COVID-19 virus raging in the world outside our cocoon — even just for a few days. For the pandemic-weary, this temporary respite from the coronavirus, as offered by the Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono, is expensive. Nevertheless, it is worth every yen.

SWEET SURPRISES AT THE PARK HYATT NISEKO HANAZONO

Sometimes, too, the sweetest delights are the most unexpected. What a treat it was to discover that famous Parisian patissier Pierre Herme actually had an outpost for his cakes and sweets at the hotel. It was so far from civilization as we usually know it. After all, Pierre Herme has been called the “Picasso of Pastry.” Moreover, his shop in Paris along Rue Cambon is a major destination for travelers with deep pockets and a sweet tooth.

THE BEST PASTRY CHEF IN THE WORLD IS IN HOKKAIDO

Well, happily, Pierre Herme fans need not travel so far anymore for their fix. He has outlets in Japan, of course. However, this is the only Pierre Herme outlet I know of so far in Hokkaido, land of excellent cream and butter. In addition, the hotel has a sweets counter right in the lobby and it’s filled with the classic cakes that Pierre Herme has become famous for.

Of course, there are the classic assorted macarons that every Pierre Herme fan know very well. What makes the Pierre Herme counter at the Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono very special, however, is the extraordinary variety of cakes and tarts.

THE PIERRE HERME SOFT CREAM SUNDAE

Every cake that made Pierre Herme famous was available at the hotel when we were there. Best of all, the Pierre Herme soft cream sundae, made with pure Hokkaido milk and cream and garnished with summer berries and syrup.

This soft cream sundae, which is so characteristic of Hokkaido and yet also of the best of Pierre Herme, was so good. So I actually ordered it two days in a row. I even managed to get it delivered to the suite so I could sit in the corner living room with beautiful views of the Mount Yotei, having my sundae. II was ever so happy to disregard calories and simply live a delicious Travelife.

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There are ski towns, and then there is Niseko. Tucked into the mountains of Hokkaido, it is famous for powder snow so deep it draws skiers from across the globe. But I wasn’t here to ski. I came for something else: the promise of luxury at the Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono, a hotel whispered about as one of Japan’s most refined retreats.

The drive up was all silence and snow, the kind of hush that makes you feel as if you’ve left the world behind. And then, suddenly, the Park Hyatt appeared — all sharp lines, warm light, and glass walls that framed the winter outside like paintings. Inside, wood and stone glowed with understated elegance. It wasn’t showy, but it was grand all the same. I knew I’d arrived somewhere I wouldn’t want to leave.

Corner Suite at Park Hyatt Niseko:

My room was a corner suite, the kind of place that makes you pause before dropping your bag. Two walls of glass brought Niseko’s landscape into every corner. On one side, the slopes rolled down in soft curves; on the other, the majestic cone of Mount Yotei stood against the sky.

The suite had space to breathe — a proper living room, a dedicated dining area, and the kind of silence you don’t find in cities. Breakfast arrived each morning like a still life: pastries so crisp they shattered, bowls of fruit glowing with color, coffee that filled the room with warmth. To eat it at my own table, sunlight spilling across the snow, felt more indulgent than any buffet.

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Afternoons had their own ritual. The hotel arranged for Pierre Hermé sundaes to be delivered to my suite. Imagine layers of ice cream, fruit, and chocolate by one of the world’s greatest patissiers, served while snowflakes drift past your window. It was indulgence and simplicity at once — a quiet luxury that felt almost too good to share.

And then, of course, the hot spring soaking tub. Every evening I would sink into its warmth, the steam rising against the glass, Mount Yotei beyond. Watching the light fade over the mountain from the comfort of an onsen became my private ceremony.

Fine Dining in Niseko

The Park Hyatt Niseko has eleven restaurants, but one of them steals the spotlight. Molière Montagne is the mountain outpost of Chef Hiroshi Nakamichi, Hokkaido’s only three-Michelin-starred chef.

Dining here is theater. The courses arrive in sequence, precise and surprising, each plate a story of Hokkaido told through Nakamichi’s imagination. There was shellfish encased in a black squid crust — dramatic, almost sculptural — that broke open to reveal the sea itself. There was grilled pork, juicy and fragrant, laid over fresh tree branches that carried the scent of the forest right to the table. And finally, Nakamichi’s famous cheese with berries, a dish I first tasted in Sapporo but which felt even more poetic here in Niseko.

It wasn’t French. It wasn’t Japanese. It was something in between — or beyond — and it reminded me that the very best chefs don’t cook in categories, they cook in voices. Nakamichi’s is unmistakable.

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Spaces at Park Hyatt Niseko

What struck me most about the Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono wasn’t only the food or the architecture. It was the sense of space. Lounges opened into wide views of the mountains. Fireplaces crackled softly as guests sank into armchairs. Service appeared before you asked, and vanished just as quickly.

Every detail was considered — the hush of the snow outside, the warmth of the interiors, the ease of knowing everything was quietly in place.

The Best Hotel in Niseko

When I left Niseko, I didn’t carry shopping bags or souvenirs. I carried moments. Breakfast at my own table while Mount Yotei glowed in the morning sun. A spoonful of Pierre Hermé ice cream as snow thickened outside. A final evening in the onsen, steam rising as the mountain faded into twilight.

The Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono is not just another five-star hotel. It is a destination in itself, where Japan’s northern landscapes and world-class hospitality meet. For travelers seeking the finest experience in Niseko — whether they ski or not — this is the address.

Read more about the best hotels in Japan in Travelife Magazine.

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