The seven- floor Yoyogi Park resort’s concrete wall, with plants drooping over the balconies, blended so well with its surroundings that I nearly missed the entrance, not least because it was a bland side door that slid softly opened when you press the doorbell or tap with a crucial card. Certainly, host private was zealously guarded here: Outsiders have no access to the top share team where there is a club, heated pool and Jacuzzi. The only business you’ll own is your” tribe”, the kind that values recover and rest as much as the excitement of the area.
But the Interior Shibuya beauty still wafts through. Surrounding the hotel is a plethora of lovely cafes, great bars, exclusive restaurants, bookshops, art galleries and yet people baths — all summarised into a nifty pocket- sized map for guests to bring about. The hotel’s only restaurant, the ground floor Pizzeria e Trattoria L’Ombelico is family- friendly, pet- friendly, and mostly filled with locals. The menu is an Italian roll call of classics done right, namely wood- fired, Neapolitan- style pizzas whose cheeses bubble and tomatoes tease your tongue with their sweet tang, and perfectly al dente pastas with clingy sauces. The lunch sets were the best deals, winning even at the appetisers, which were tiny but mighty on flavours. Breezy Italian wines and beers, including a Yoyogi Amber Ale from a microbrewery down the road, add to the convivial air.