Tucked away on the side of an imposing high-rise in Tokyo¡¯s upscale Akasaka district, the entrance to looks almost out of place. A huge ¡°1¡± made of recycled wood and claimed by vines contrasts with the sleek concrete behind it. Beyond, a wooden doorway surrounded by greenery and stonework makes clear this is no ordinary urban accommodation.
Opened in March on the topmost 38th to 43rd floors of the Akasaka Trust Tower, 1 Hotel Tokyo is the brand¡¯s first property in Japan, and the chain¡¯s philosophy of bringing nature indoors is on full display. As I step out the elevator into the lobby, I¡¯m awed by the sheer amount of plants in sight ¡ª over 1,500 across the premises.
Reclaimed materials are everywhere you look: The front desk is made of wooden beams that look like salvage from an ancient shipwreck, while walls are hung with slices of tree trunk or transformed wholesale into vertical moss gardens.
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