Hotel 1899 Tokyo: Spend Delightful Time Enjoying Green Tea in Shinbashi

Shinbashi, long considered Tokyo's mecca for office employees, is easily accessible on a single train ride from Haneda Airport.

At Onarimon Station (Toei Mita Subway Line), take the A3 exit and walk about six minutes along Akarenga Street in the Shinbashi district. This famous road lined with red-brink structures has been used since the Meiji Period (1868-1912). As the hustle and bustle of the city start to quiet down, you'll see Hotel 1899 Tokyo.

Hotel 1899 Tokyo: Explore Japan's Tea Culture

Upon arriving at Hotel 1899 Tokyo's front desk on the second floor, you'll probably feel like you've stepped inside an actual tea house. Green tea leaves and tea utensils blend in perfectly with this modern space.

Every day from 15:00 to 22:00 at the second floor tea counter, guests can enjoy delicious matcha, sencha, and seasonal teas carefully prepared by hotel staff.

Hotel 1899 Tokyo features a green tea theme. The hotel was built by Ryumeikan, a well-established ryokan (Japanese inn) that was founded back in 1899.

Ryumeikan is known for Restaurant 1899 Ochanomizu, operating since 2014. It offers an innovative Japanese-style dining experience, including various green tea incorporated into the cuisine.

Born from the desire for visitors to learn about Japan's tea culture, Hotel 1899 Tokyo was opened in Shinbashi in 2018. Since then, the staff have been offering various services that allow guests to directly experience the attractive qualities of green tea.

Alhough not every hotel staff is a tea expert, they are undoubtedly enthusiastic green tea lovers.

The hotel spokesperson, Tomoharu Katsuno, said with a warm smile, "I really love the green tea here. I usually drink a cup of tea soda every day." His love for green tea possibly outshines that of a professional tea master.

The fragrance of tea emanates from a tea incense burner.

The staff will brew tea according to your preference or the type of tea you feel like drinking that day. As the staff serve up your beverage, you can sense their dedication towards green tea and warm hospitality.

The hotel interior features various decor modeled after tea utensils, starting with tables resembling tea canisters. As a facility that focuses on green tea, Hotel 1899 Tokyo is known for being highly unique and one of a kind—unrivaled anywhere in Tokyo.

4 Different Room Types With Green Tea-Inspired Decor

Hotel 1899 Tokyo has a total of 63 guest rooms. The four room types are either twin or double rooms, all featuring unique interior decor inspired by green tea.

For example, look at the door plate displaying the room number. This is modeled on the handle found on a fusuma, a sliding door in a traditional Japanese room.

We'll introduce the two guest rooms we visited during this interview: the Superior Double B Room -ENGAWA- and the Corner Deluxe Twin Room. We'll describe their unique characteristics and mention features found in all rooms.

If you stay here, you can go on a fun treasure hunt by trying to identify the tea-inspired decor!

Superior Double B Room -ENGAWA-

All guest rooms have decorative light fixtures that resemble a chasen, the bamboo tea whisk used for preparing matcha green tea. When you hold down the button, you can easily adjust the light intensity.

They've also adopted pillows made by Nishikawa, a Kyoto-based bedding manufacturer operating for 450 years. This ensures guests are having the perfect night's sleep.

While inspired by the atmosphere of a tea room, the hotel wanted to provide a relaxing, restful space for guests. This is why desks are not found in any of the rooms.

The accommodations have also creatively employed some unique structural features.

For example, the Superior Double B Room -ENGAWA- has a design that incorporates an engawa, a veranda with wooden flooring that connects a traditional Japanese house with its garden area.

If you sit down on the slightly raised bed area, you can spend some relaxing time like you would on an actual veranda.

As you would expect, the rooms in the green tea-inspired Hotel 1899 Tokyo are equipped with a highly functional BALMUDA electric pot.

They are also equipped with two kinds of mineral water, exemplifying how particular the hotel is when it comes to excellent service.

In addition to several varieties of green tea, each room comes with a tea set that was carefully selected by the staff.

*Guest rooms provide coffee packets as well.

Guests can stretch out their legs in the spacious bathtub. The bathroom also has round windows reminiscent of a traditional teahouse (see photo above).

Corner Deluxe Twin Room

The large picture windows in the Corner Deluxe Twin Room create a spacious, wide-open feeling.

The carpet and wallpaper are highlighted by a green tea-like color giving the space a luxurious atmosphere.

In the Corner Deluxe Twin Room, the window area design is based on the image of an engawa (veranda). When looking at the city lights shining softly through the windows, you gradually start to feel more calm and relaxed.

The hotel pajamas are also designed with green tea in mind. A cute motif featuring a young tea leaf has been embroidered on the chest area.

The bath amenities were produced by a local Shinbashi company called Pelican Soap.

The hair conditioner, shampoo, and other products contain green tea extract. Thus, they are filled with plenty of healthy nutritional compounds such as catechin, collagen, and vitamin C. You can feel the power of green tea by the healthy effect it has on your skin and hair.

Chaya 1899 Tokyo: A Cafe in the Heart of the Metropolis

Chaya 1899 Tokyo is located on the hotel's first floor. This green tea cafe can be enjoyed by hotel guests and outside customers as well.

Inside Chaya 1899 Tokyo, you'll find a variety of tea sets alongside green tea-related books. The light fixtures are based on Japanese umbrellas used at open-air tea ceremonies. In other words, Japanese traditions are alive and well within the shop's modern design.

Visitors can enjoy drinks and unique cuisine made with green tea.

A Breakfast Capturing the Aroma of Green Tea

Picture courtesy of Hotel 1899 Tokyo

Breakfast (for hotel guests only) at Chaya 1899 Tokyo is an enjoyable experience.

The popular matcha bread uses matcha green tea from Shizuoka and Japanese wheat flour.

These dry ingredients are mixed with Hokkaido milk and fermented butter. Then the batter is slowly fermented at low heat for an extended period of time. It turns into a superb treat after the batch is baked.

Picture courtesy of Hotel 1899 Tokyo

Additionally, there is a myriad of original dishes using green tea, including tea-flavored sausages.

You can experience the tasty flavor of green tea in various ways. This should be enough to have you waking up refreshed and ready to go every morning.

Spend Some Delightful Time With Green Tea

Hotel 1899 Tokyo encourages visitors to savor green tea in a multitude of ways. This includes eating, drinking, and staying a night in one of their tea-inspired guest rooms.

The warm hospitality that permeates Hotel 1899 Tokyo is a proud tradition that's been passed down from the well-established ryokan, Ryumeikan. While steeping yourself in this unique atmosphere, you can't help but feel relaxed and at home.

Hotel 1899 Tokyo

6-4-1 Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0004

Written by Lin
Sponsored by the Japan Ryokan and Hotel Association Tokyo Branch
Supported by Hotel 1899 Tokyo