Every ryokan has an ochanoma—a lounge that serves as an exclusive living and dining room for guests staying there. It contains a library and is furnished with desks and sofas.

This large living area is a common space for the six guest rooms on your floor, and until 9pm, it’s attended by a member of staff who will serve you complimentary sake and tend to your every need. Twenty-four hours a day, you can come here to relax and help yourself to tea, coffee and snacks.

In the morning, guests wake up to the enticing aroma of soup drifting from the lounge. They are invited there to partake of seasonally flavored miso soup and bracingly seasoned rice balls. As the guests dine, staff are on hand to inform them about the weather and local events.

These south-facing rooms enjoy plenty of sunlight filtering through the shoji paper sliding doors that cover the windows. Twice the size of the Yuri and Sakura rooms, they are furnished with a lounge sofa, dining table, and small desk. The bath area window can be opened to create the feeling of bathing outdoors. Three single-size beds are laid out on the bed stand.

Maximum capacity: 3
Total area: 83 sqm

Bamboo closets and shoji paper sliding doors give these rooms a traditional aesthetic. Each room contains a bathtub and shower stall. Sakura rooms are furnished with either a twin or double bed, and are located near the lounge, allowing guests to enjoy a true ryokan experience.

Yuri rooms are corner rooms furnished with double beds, and are more suitable for guests who wish to enjoy more privacy and quiet.

Maximum capacity: 2
Total area: 41-49 sqm

The best food from every part of Japan culminates here in Tokyo—and the Hoshinoya Tokyo restaurant is no exception. It offers surprising ryokan cuisine that brings out the richness in ingredients that normally go unappreciated. The ryokan also connects directly to a restaurant complex offering a wide variety of fare.

The restaurant itself is a paragon of Zen minimalism, with grey plastered walls, soft lighting and a private space for every group of diners.

Opt for the Japanese breakfast and you’ll enjoy a hearty spread of grilled fish, miso soup, rice and pickled vegetables. Or if you fancy something more familiar, you can choose the copious Western breakfast.

Expect to be surprised by the creative twists chef Hamada gives his fish-focused menu. Whatever he’s concocted, it will be superbly paired with French wines and Japanese sake.

In the lobby area, you can learn how to make your own matcha tea using a sunken hearth built into the tatami floor. Japanese green tea Your host will teach you how to heat the cup to the right temperature and whisk your matcha to create a rich, frothy green tea.

The resort can organize a rickshaw ride for you around the local area, with anecdotes aplenty from your driver.

Alternatively, the Imperial Gardens are just a few minutes’ walk away, or you can go further afield for museums, parks and more.

How about a short concert? On certain nights, demonstrations of Japanese Gagaku (8th-10th century court music) are held in the lobby area – with complimentary sake.

Indulge in the luxury of a private cruise on the Nihonbashi River departing near hotel to discover the city from the water. A river journey will allow you, through the guide’s explanations, to discover Japan’s history through its bridges and to notice the contrast between the Edo era and the Tokyo of today; a fun, enjoyable, and rewarding cruise.