Everything you need for ‘bleisure’ travel can be found at Hotel Toranomon Hills in Tokyo

It was 5pm and the setting sun was cloaking the Tokyo skyline in a rosy glow. At the light-dappled 11th floor lounge of Hotel Toranomon Hills, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, I may have found the perfect workspace.

The 3,800 sq ft maisonette-style space has long tables, snug sofa seats, plenty of well-placed power outlets and complimentary refreshments. Tapping on the laptop to a panoramic city vista framed by six-metre-high windows was really not too shabby. I had just arrived and was already thinking how to maximise the upper floor’s well-appointed shower rooms and cosy sleeping pods on my day of departure.

According to market research and consulting firm Allied Market Research, the global “bleisure” industry — travel that combines work and pleasure — was estimated at US$315.3 billion (S$425.5 billion) in 2022 and projected to reach US$731.4 billion by 2032. In a 2023 survey by Expedia, 76 per cent of business travellers, especially the millennials (43 per cent) and Gen Zs (38 per cent), said that they plan to incorporate leisure activities into their upcoming trips.

The Unbound Collection is where Hyatt parks its storied luxury independent properties and their first in Tokyo targets those who want work efficiency and connectivity alongside local discovery.

The interiors of Hotel Toranomon Hills were designed by Danish firm Space Copenhagen to be a respite within from the city’s chaotic energy without. Walking to my 14th floor Deluxe Twin Suite from the elevators was like a stroll through torii gates as pearly lamps on matte red walls referencing Japanese lacquer lit up the corridors. Earth tones and muted palettes meet the occasional quirky “melted” disco balls in the lobby and restaurant while the Japanese-Scandinavian aesthetic is expressed in curved furnishings and clean lines in the 205 rooms and suites. A couch and small table next to full-length windows meant that a functional workspace or cosy musing corner was available any time of the day, distracting views included.

POSH NOSH

I was half expecting udon curry bowls and run-of-the-mill steaks as most business hotels are wont to offer, but Dutch chef-entrepreneur Sergio Herman, who oversees the hotel’s dining options and has a bevy of Michelin-starred establishments to his name, obviously had loftier ideas.

Le Pristine Tokyo is one part casual fine-dining restaurant and one part all-day cafe. The restaurant menu trots out refined European plates that marry Japanese ingredients with those from Herman’s hometown of Zeeland. Outstanding flavours without ostentation marked dishes such as the signature lobster pasta with handmade orecchiette, clams and squid; venison with foie gras, mizkan and quince; and Jerusalem artichoke with wanashi (a species of Japanese pear) and roasted buckwheat toppings. By the time we reached the collapsed tiramisu, we were reflections of the yummy mess. But a nightcap at the cafe’s bar counter was in order and the affable Vince whipped up a delicious espresso martini with a dash of house-made vanilla syrup to the Kahlua and espresso concoction.

Breakfast at Le Pristine Cafe was equally stellar.  How does one make something as simple as egg white omelettes with spinach, sesame seeds and herbs taste so good? The basic Japanese breakfast of  “tamago kake gohan”  (rice topped or mixed with a raw egg) was upgraded to a superbly savoury “Le Pristine” rice bowl of poached egg, pecorino, speck and gremolata sauce. The stir-fried Asian noodles were pitch-perfect in their aromatic sesame oil and soy sauce seasonings. They were all polished off alongside fruit and pastry pickings from the buffet spread.

LOCAL EXPLORATIONS

The hotel’s convenient location in the 49-storey Toranomon Hills Station Tower makes it a breeze to explore the immediate neighbourhoods and the rest of the city.

From the basement Toranomon Hills subway, the Hibiya line zips you to shopping districts like Ginza and Roppongi within 10 minutes. There’re over 70 retail stores and restaurants in the building itself, including the T-Market Food Hall, a microbrewery and a whisky bar as well as rotating art exhibitions and events at Tokyo Node. Take the link-bridge, whose wide space is decorated with quirky art installations, to Toranomon Hills Business Tower where there are more restaurants, shops and the Toranomon Yokocho, a lively indoor alleyway filled with izakayas and a craft gin distillery. Round the corner from the hotel is the Kikuchi Kanjitsu Memorial Tomo Museum, which showcases ceramic pieces by local artisans, the TeamLab Borderless digtal art museum and the hilltop Atago Shrine for introspective reflection. I found an old-school cafe Coffee Embassy Kamiyacho, which was decked in leather seats and dark wood interiors. As I tucked into my coffee and cinnamon toast with clotted cream to jazz music in the background, there was a different sort of fuzzy warmth to the usual Tokyo jaunt. And I loved that a modern hotel could be found so near to it all.