Although I still have a deep affinity for Japan’s business hotels, it has become harder and harder to stay at them with a baby in tow. It’s certainly possible, but it’s definitely harder. And while there are plenty of decent-sized, modestly priced hotel rooms outside of Tokyo, it can be difficult to find something suitable for a family when visiting the Japanese capital.
A couple of weeks before our most recent trip, I was happy to find award availability at the somewhat new Hyatt House in Shibuya, where I would never consider staying on a cash rate, as it can be comically expensive. The only award availability was for a one-bedroom king suite, and it wasn’t particularly cheap on points either, at 32,000 per night. For reference, that’s just 3,000 points less than the off-season award rate for a beach villa at the Park Hyatt Maldives.
But as a wise man once said, if you are happy with how your points were used, it was a good redemption, and for us, two nights at the Hyatt House Shibuya was a perfect way to begin our trip to Japan.
The room at the Hyatt House Shibuya
Everything in our room was in very good shape and still had that new hotel feel to it. There was a comfortable sitting area with a couch and a table for work, and a bedroom that was big enough to fit a crib. The bathroom was spacious, and the room had all the amenities you could possibly need. If there was something you were missing or forgot at home, the front desk also provided a list of things that they would provide for free. I had forgotten my entire bag of charging accessories at home, and they sent up an iPhone charger in about 15 minutes.
The blackout drapes were great for the jet lag, and the front desk was also happy to send up a memory foam pillow. This, combined with the very effective air conditioning, made for a very comfortable evening.
Our baby was also affected by the jet lag, but having a secondary room for him and one unlucky parent to eat all the midnight snacks purchased at the nearby 24-hour Lawson convenience store, made it easier to deal with as well.
The washer and dryer in the bathroom was also hugely helpful, especially since laundry detergent is included. The kitchen features a refrigerator and a freezer, as well as a microwave, stove top and everything you might need to cook a simple meal. Dish soap and a new sponge were also provided and a rice cooker was one of the things that the front desk had on its list of devices that it would provide upon request.
The only disappointing aspect of our room was that there were long hairs on the floor in multiple locations. The style and color of the floor made them more apparent, but they were there all the same.
The common areas at the Hyatt House Shibuya
One of the neatest things about this location is that much of the outside urban development, while not actually part of the Hyatt, feels like an extension of the hotel. This includes a fun fountain for kids to play in, a garden walk, an outdoor events area, and access to the Shibuya Stream, which houses more restaurants, cafes and bars than you could shake a stick at.
Because we were in Tokyo for such a short time this time around, we did not have a chance to check out either the gym or the pool.
Just across from the reception area is a hotel cafe which stocks everything from rice snacks to bottles of champagne to souvenirs. There is also a filtered water dispenser to fill up your water bottle so that you don’t have to keep buying plastic PET bottles in Tokyo, as fun as the vending machines are.
The food and beverage at the Hyatt House Shibuya
I was surprised to find that Explorists were entitled to free breakfast at the Hyatt House. The breakfast area was spacious with great views of the Tokyo skyline. There were both Japanese and Western options available, and while it wasn’t the most impressive breakfast I’ve ever had at a hotel, it certainly helps to remember that, as nice as the hotel is, it is still a Hyatt House. I kept to the Japanese options on both mornings – fish, rice, and pickles with miso soup, and plenty of coffee.
We didn’t have any meals at the hotel besides breakfast, as I’m fairly certain it’s a culinary crime to eat at your hotel in Tokyo (unless of course it has some Michelin-starred sushi restaurant tucked away on the top floor or something).
The bottom line
The only other downside about staying at the Hyatt House was that the works on the Shibuya station that abut the property make it a bit difficult to find it on foot. However, when the works on the News South Gate entrance to the station are completely finished, I think this problem will sort itself out.
Having a big room in Tokyo to sort out our jet lag was a godsend. The Hyatt House Shibuya is not particularly unique, but it is comfortable, big and somewhere that you can count on your Hyatt benefits being honored properly.
