Hilton Tokyo

Surrounded by office buildings, the 38-story Hilton Tokyo's immediate neighborhood can be hectic during the day, but the area settles down during evenings and weekends. The hotel's wide marbled lobby is filled with thick, illuminated columns supporting a relatively low ceiling, with a long back-lit front desk in the far corner. The business end of the cavernous space spills into an area that takes on a shopping mall atmosphere, with a few small stores and a lounge that serves an all-you-can-eat cake buffet every afternoon. The first of its kind in Japan, the sweet tradition has become a popular event, drawing in locals to mingle with guests under a copper-plated staircase that swirls up to the hotel's conference floor mezzanine.

The Hilton Tokyo is surrounded by office towers on the west side of Shinjuku, a bustling center of business and entertainment in the heart of Tokyo. The hotel is a five-minute walk to the massive Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (which offers an amazing view of the city, and entry is free). Two metro stations are within a short walk, and the huge Shinjuku metro station, within a 13-minute walk, is the busiest in the world. The bus stop for limousine buses, going to and from Haneda and Narita airports, is a five-minute walk from the hotel. Haneda Airport is about a 32-minute drive, while Narita International Airport is about an hour and 15-minutes from the hotel.

Each of the Hilton's 815 rooms has a clean, modern decor with neutral tones and rich wood accents. Lightly textured carpets are emblazoned with a graphic pattern that mimics Japanese calligraphy. Red leather arm chairs add a pop of color to the sitting area by windows with city views (though some are obstructed by taller buildings). All rooms have 40-inch flat-screen TVs, minibars, mini-fridges, and bedside iPod docks. Glass-top work desks have adjustable lamps and roller chairs. The luxurious bathrooms are typically Japanese, with a walk-in showers and separate soaking tubs sharing the same space behind glass screens. Some have TOTO aerial showerheads, which add volume to the water stream by aerating the water. Executive Rooms get free high speed Wi-Fi  and include breakfast, which is served in the Executive Lounge.

There are numerous casual and formal dining possibilities here, beginning with the 24-hour Marble Lounge in the lobby, with buffets that change between breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There's also a popular afternoon all-you-can-eat cake and sweets buffet with changing seasonal themes, highlighting different ingredients like strawberries, cherries, or chestnuts. Guests looking to sustain a sugar high can find chocolate and other confections at Chocolat Tokyo's counter, which is also in the lobby. For more savory dining, Dynasty serves classic Chinese cuisine, from humble dim sum to a regal Peking Duck dish that's cooked in a special oven, then carved table-side and served with steamed crepes and salted garlic chips. Metropolitan Grill covers upscale Western fare in an open kitchen that fires up aged Black Angus beef and Perigord chicken, and Junisoh serves multi-course kaiseki-style Japanese cuisine along with a teppanyaki grill menu. For libations, St. George's styles itself after an English pub, and the more exotic Zatta has nightly DJs.Most of the hotel's facilities remain open around the clock, including the 24-hour spa with a sauna and whirlpool, and an indoor pool with two lap lanes. The attached modern fitness center is also open 24 hours, and there's a pair of rooftop tennis courts where guests can compete in the shadow of Tokyo's looming skyscrapers. Business facilities are extensive, with state-of-the-art meeting rooms and ballrooms on several floors, the largest of which can host up to 1,200 people. A 24-hour business center has multiple workstations and printing services. The hotel also operates a free shuttle to Shinjuku station.