In my recent trip to Tokyo, I stayed at the ANA InterContinental Tokyo in one of their Club rooms, which have reviewed. Staying at the Clubroom meant unlimited access to the Club Lounge, which I gladly took advantage of during my trip.
Located on the 35th floor of the hotel, the ANA InterContinental Tokyo’s Club lounge is the largest hotel lounge in the city, occupying 500 square meters of space. In a high-density metropolitan city like Tokyo, such a space is a great luxury that is often underappreciated. The lounge was actually upgraded as recently as 2016.
Upon walking into the club lounge, there are two reception desks manned by the courteous hotel staff. Near the entrance, there is a decent-sized corporate boardroom and a small workstation, computer, and printer. In between these is a small sitting area with a large picturesque window that looks out at the bustling skyline view of Roppongi. The lounge wraps around the floor in an “L” shape, providing more great views of the Tokyo skyline and various other major landmarks, such as the Imperial Palace, the Japanese Parliament building, and even Mount Fuji on a clear day!
I first went into the lounge in the evening of the day of my arrival. From 5:30 – 7:30 pm, the lounge features a large spread of appetizers, finger food, and dessert. There is also a rotating list of 3 Japanese and Western hot canapes, which you can order off the menu.
One of the highlights of the evening service is the welcoming open bar with a good selection of liquor, beer, wine, Japanese sake, shochu, and regular and rose champagne. Manning the bar is a knowledgeable bartender who whipped up great cocktails upon demand.
Spoilt with the choices, I had a good mix of the Japanese and Western appetizers. I later savored a sampler of all 6 Japanese and Western tapas to go along with a b̶o̶t̶t̶l̶e̶ glass of champagne, all while overlooking the beautiful lights of the Tokyo skyline at night. I had some food in the lounge on all the nights I stayed in the hotel, and the food quality was consistently superb and flavourful.
The next morning, I had my breakfast in the lounge. Breakfast service runs from 7:00 – 11:00 am and features a decent spread of freshly baked bread and pastries, Japanese and western canapes, cold cuts, cereal, and nuts. Surprisingly, the spread is actually to complement the superb breakfast a la carte table service menu. There are traditional Japanese breakfast options such as Japanese egg omelet, grilled salmon, and steamed ‘Koshihikari’ rice from Toyama to go along with miso soup with tofu and wakame seaweed.
The other Asian options for breakfast include Dim Sum, congee, and Pho noodles. The western options include a variety of cooking styles for eggs with various brunch food accompaniments such as bacon, ham, sausages, mushroom, spinach, hash browns, and smoked salmon.
The highlight of the breakfast service, however, is the recently introduced Pierre Gagnaire breakfast. As the hotel hosts the eponymous 2 Michelin star restaurant of the world-renowned chef, the club lounge decided to up their game. It introduced a breakfast designed by Pierre Gagnaire after the chef visited his restaurant and the hotel in later October 2017. In doing so, the ANA InterContinental Tokyo became the first InterContinental hotel in the world to offer a 2 Michelin star breakfast at their lounge.
The perfectly balanced Pierre Gagnaire breakfast features 4 different items. On the side is a poached egg with fromage blanc citronnee sauce on smoked salmon, a crispy Italian bread topped with ginger tomato confit, and a bread with dried fruit and nuts stuffed with Paris button mushrooms. The main course is a mix of pink grapefruit, grilled avocado, and Iberico ham, nestled beautifully on a large white plate. The garnishes on the side include homemade jam and Bordier butter. The dish was healthy, beautiful, and very tasty.
Hotel guests staying in the clubrooms also have the option for an extensive buffet breakfast at Cascade Cafe on the ground floor or even in-room dining. For those in a rush, there is also the option for breakfast to go. I chose this option on my last day as I was heading to the airport. I received a voucher redeemable for 5 pastries or croissants and a drink at the “Pierre Gagnaire Pains et Gateaux”. The pastry selection was extensive, and the few pastries I had were very delicious.
On top of breakfast and evening cocktails, the Club lounge also serves a full-scale high tea from 2:00 – 4:00 pm, featuring a delectable selection of high tea staples such as cakes, scones, tarts, macaroons, and sandwiches, as well as seasonal fruits, Japanese sweets, and rice cakes. Of course, high tea would not be complete with the actual tea, and in this aspect, the hotel offers a quality selection of Ronnefeldt tea served by the pot. A wide selection of coffee is also available, and my iced long black was crafted to perfection!
I know I raved a lot about the dining aspect of the Club lounge; it is definitely that good and worth it! Of course, the club lounge also offers a lot more beyond dining. In terms of hardware, the club lounge features a variety of seating spaces, from lounging areas to sit down dining tables. There is even a library with decent titles, as well as a good variety of local and international newspapers and magazines. Another interesting item that I’ve never seen before in the lounge was a television set with the audio-only visible via wireless headphones. I thought this was a great novel way not to distract guests!
Additional services offered to club guests include a complimentary shoeshine service per stay, a pressing of 2 articles of clothing, free local phone calls, usage of the corporate boardroom for 2 hours, 2:00 pm late check-out, and priority hotel restaurant reservation services. Club guests using the spa services will also receive complimentary upgrades. For those feeling adventurous, club guests can also use the hotel’s “tokyobikes” to cycle around the city. The knowledgeable reception team are more than happy to share their local knowledge and suggest routes or places to go to.
In my 3 nights in the ANA InterContinental Tokyo, the Club lounge was definitely one of the hotel’s highlights. The warmth and hospitality level I received was superb. Coupled with the exquisite dining and attention to detail, I must say that this is definitely one of the best hotel lounges in Tokyo! I wholeheartedly recommend the ANA InterContinental Tokyo Club lounge experience to everyone!
We are huge fans of Intercontinental hotels, having recently reviewed Intercontinental London the O2, InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam and we also love the Club Lounge at the London, Park Lane Intercontinental.
If you decide to book this hotel, it is worth doing so via our luxury travel concierge. We offer benefits such as complimentary upgrades, breakfasts, room credit, and more at most luxury hotels.
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