Janu Tokyo — Hotel in Tokyo

I stayed with my family in early December 2024 and checked into deluxe suite for 5 nights. The location and infrastructure of the hotel is 5-star worthy. The suite layout, lobby lounge, gym and swimming pool are worthy of the Michelin 2-key accolades. However, infrastructure is only half of the hotel experiences especially for the price Janu is charging customers.||I am glad to report that the concierge service has improved since its opening when other reviewer mention lack of communication from staff. My experiences with concierge before and during my stay was great. I really appreciate all the help and patience of the concierge staff in helping us to make many of our restaurant reservations. All the information have been communicated clearly and extra effort to suggest recommendations when desired reservation was not available.||The 5th floor main reception staff, restaurant staff, gym receptionists were all friendly and helpful. There was a minor inconsistency in handling our gym clothes rental. Gym clothes usually came packed in a discrete tote for first 2 days but later the staff skipped providing the tote bag. It was the lapse of attention to detail that made me wonder how Michelin guide will give Janu 2-key status. Then I remember one should not trust Michelin guide for Tokyo restaurant recommendation and same logic should apply to hotel service as well. The gym and swimming pool experiences were still very enjoyable. The swimming pool and changing room staff were helpful but not intrusive.||We only dined at the grill restaurant for breakfast and lobby lounge for night time drinks. The grill cooked decent breakfast. The Japanese breakfast was a disappointment. It is the same ingredients every day. I prefer the western style breakfast, but the choice was limited. We were bored after 3 days. But since breakfasts were already part of the room fee, it will be a waste not having it. Janu should learn from other 5 stars hotels in Bangkok and Asian cities on how to keep breakfast menu interesting. Lobby lounge drinks were decent but the Tokyo tower view was the main selling point not really the drink quality.||The main service issue happen at the end of the trip after we checked out with 5th floor receptionist. We paid extra to have Janu concierge to reserve car service to and from airport. We understand most Tokyo hotels (even 5 stars) do not have their own hotel car fleet. They rely on 3rd party car service. Janu charge 30K yen extra compared to direct booking. So I do expect seamless service between hotel and car driver. The arrival pickup was seamless and great. |But the checkout from Janu to airport is not at all. The gound floor receptionist had no idea of our reservation even after I given her our room number. She sounded very impatient as if we were bothering her. After she found our reservation she said she will call the driver since we were early. We were ok to wait next to the reception table. We noticed there were at least 4 other staff in and outside the front door. But no one care to let us know that our driver had actually arrived waiting for us for over 10 minutes. This was not the way to leave your guest with the last impression of a hotel service. There was no communication between the gound floor receptionist and front door staff. No one check on us while we wait. I do not think this is a 5 star or 2 key service.||I filled out a long questionaire sent from the hotel via those automated email system after I return home. I did sing the praises about service of majority of the staff except the 1st floor receptionist. Told them about the incident waiting for the car without knowing it arrived. Usually, there will be a follow up from other hotels like Four Seasons, MO or Ritz Carlton. But there was not follow up at all. ||If Janu is charging at a lower price point, I will not be comparing it to Four Seasons or MO. I really do hope they will improve. ||Is Janu a 5 star and 2 Michelin key hotel in Tokyo and do you want to spend several thousand US dollars...

This is a review of staying at Janu hotel, not just using their services for a day. I would probably give Janu a 4.5, but with Google’s limitations I’m happy to give them a 5 instead.

It would be easier to start with what Janu can improve on, which would be two things that I experienced from lesser hotels: First, their elevators could use some improvements. They use “touch-free” buttons which is pretty cool, but sometimes they are too sensitive and multiple buttons can detect your finger and trigger. Also at a 4* hotel in Sendai, their elevator would know which floor your key card was assigned to and would automatically take you to that floor upon scanning your card. I think if Janu could implement this technology it’d be very convenient. Second: Janu provides some amazing toiletries in the room (their razors and toothpaste are especially great), but I’ve been to multiple hotels in Japan that would also provide mouthwash. It would be nice if Janu provided mouthwash too given their class of hotel.

One last note, which isn’t really something Janu can do something about, but the building sits on a hill that is 8-10 minutes walking to either of two different subway stations. So for those who may have some trouble walking, especially on slopes, be aware.

Otherwise, my stay at Janu was absolutely amazing. Yes it’s very expensive, but if price is a top priority then you shouldn’t bother with a 5* hotel, especially in Tokyo.

The staff are all incredible friendly and definitely the highlight of hotel, especially Ryoka at the boutique and Eri (?) the spa therapist. They both were very cheerful and genuinely seemed to enjoy chatting with me.

The rooms were spacious, beds were very comfortable, and they have the best memory foam pillows across all the different hotels I’ve stayed at in Japan so far (from business hotels to western chains like Marriotts). The tub in the room is very large and there are lots switches for all the lights. Also their toilets are Neorest!

One of the strongest points of Janu that helps separate them from other hotels is the housekeeping. They worked around my schedule flawlessly including turndown service, and they will even provide gifts and snacks like fresh fruit regularly. But their attention to detail is at a level I have not experienced before. They will notice your habits and adjust how they prepare your room based on that. For example, I like sleeping with the blankets untucked from the bed. After the first night, they stopped tucking in the blanket when they made the bed. I also was using a hand towel to dry my toiletries on top of. After a couple of days they gave me a dedicated mat for my items. These little details were put into their work during my entire stay and it felt like they were going beyond their normal duties to make me just a little bit more comfortable.

Laundry service was also great as unlike other hotels, you don’t bring it to the front desk, but just leave it in your room and let them know to pick it up. Lastly, the bedroom curtains perfectly blackout light so you can easily sleep in if needed.

Probably the most “overpriced” part of Janu is the dining. But even so, the cocktails at the bar are quite tasty (just really small portions for the price point), SUMI is one of my favorite restaurants in Japan now, and the included breakfast is actually perfect: many options and not excessive in portion like other hotels with meal set breakfasts.

I don’t normally splurge on hotels and I only stayed at Janu due to some special circumstances of this particular visit to Japan, but even though my bank account is now sad, I am very glad I decided to pull the trigger and experience a...

Stayed at the Janu Tokyo hotel on its opening day, March 13, 2024. Had been eager to try this hotel brand ever since I first heard, probably around 2019, that Aman was developing a new hotel concept. Initially, Janu was planned to be first launched in Montenegro in 2021. However, due to the Covid pandemic, the plans were delayed and Tokyo was then fortunate to be chosen as the first location for the launch. ||At first, we were thrilled and felt fortunate that Janu Tokyo opened just a day before we had to return to our home country. However, in retrospect, our excitement peaked just few days before our stay date. Since then, it's been downhill from there.||GOOD:||- The hotel design is simply stunning and reflects the typical design sensibility of the Aman brand. (I watched a YouTube video showcasing a flawed toilet layout design, but our room, in a different category, was impeccable).||- The staff made genuine efforts to provide exceptional service to guests.||- The pool is impressively beautiful and spacious.|||BAD:||- In the days leading up to our check-in, we received no communication from the hotel whatsoever. There were no reminders or information on how to reach the hotel. This lack of communication was particularly frustrating, as our taxi driver mistakenly dropped us off at the Aman Residence building after being misinformed by the doormen that the hotel was not yet open. We received no emails or WhatsApp messages—there was simply radio silence from Janu.||- The majority of the staff encountered difficulties in speaking English, making communication with on-site staff quite challenging and limited.||- Was surprised to be charged a delivery fee for in-room dining, amounting to JPY 1,818, equivalent to the price of my French Fries order. When I questioned the charge at check-out, the staff member was unable to provide an explanation and promised to follow up, which never happened.||- The iPad provided in the room for lighting control and service requests initially did not work. It took over 15 minutes for a staff member to arrive and resolve the issue, although they were courteous and helpful.||- There was inconsistency and disorganization regarding information provided by staff, particularly regarding pool rules. Despite being informed of various rules by different staff members, there was no written information available in the room. However, the staff were all friendly and cooperative.||- After watching several YouTube reviews of stays at Janu, it appeared that guests received a turn-down gift, such as an Aman essential tester perfume. However, I did not receive such a gift, despite booking a higher room category than some featured in the YouTube clips. While this may have been an oversight, it is unexpected for a high-end hotel.||- As one of the first guests to stay at the hotel, there was no appreciation or recognition. There was no room upgrade, special gifts, or any other special treatment. This lack of acknowledgment would have been less noticeable if the service had been exceptional. Additionally, as we were paying full price and Janu did not offer any opening offers or incentives, this was particularly disappointing.||Following an impressive stay at Edition Toranomon and Four Seasons Marunouchi just days before our visit to Janu, it's difficult to shake the feeling that our money was not...