Hyatt Diamond benefits at the Park Hyatt Tokyo: food and drinks.

My family and I just finished up an incredible five-night stay at the Park Hyatt Tokyo. While we were there, we had the opportunity to enjoy some pretty amazing benefits because of Josh’s Hyatt Diamond status. The value (and enjoyment) we got from these benefits is a great example of why Josh and I are going to do everything we can to achieve Diamond status this year; if we hadn’t been Diamond members at the time of our stay, at the Park Hyatt Tokyo we would have had a completely different experience – probably still very nice, but not quite as over-the-top and value-packed.

We don’t always travel this way (staying at super high-end hotels), but for us, it’s absolutely worth building up a stash of points to occasionally splurge on a luxury hotel stay or lie-flat flight. As I always say, it’s all about the high/low mix: we love both luxury travel and shoestring backpacking…and the blend is important. Since (thanks to points and miles) we can travel both ways, we do. 😉 For us, variety keeps things interesting, and it keeps everyone on their toes.

The Hyatt Diamond benefits at the Park Hyatt Tokyo are generous. Two of the most valuable are the complimentary breakfasts and nightly drinks. Here is a description of both:

Breakfast.

As a Diamond member, you (and the other guests in your room) can enjoy either a buffet in the Girandole restaurant, or a room service breakfast delivered to your room. As we were there for five nights (and five mornings), we were able to enjoy both. The room service breakfast was fantastic. Not only was everything delicious, but the way it was presented was beautiful.   Although the room service menu states that Diamond members can order from a couple of specific set options (“American” breakfast was one, and I think “Healthy” breakfast was another), we simply ordered a reasonable mix of items, and we weren’t charged for anything. We really loved the smoked salmon.   The eggs benedict was also very good. At Girandole, you can choose from either the breakfast buffet, or the traditional Japanese breakfast. Both options cost 3,900 yen per person (about $40) if you are paying with cash. I really expected to like the Japanese breakfast more than the buffet, but this was not the case. The buffet was a lavish spread, and the choices offered were extremely fresh and delicious.

Again, the presentation was gorgeous. There was a good blend of the familiar (breads and pastries, bacon and sausage, fruit), and the Japanese (rice porridge, interesting jams, fish).

We loved all of the different flavors.
The honeycomb slab was very cool.
Josh ordered the Japanese breakfast one morning, and while we both love Japanese food and would gladly eat fish or sushi for breakfast, it was not our favorite. There was a brothy soup with tofu, miso soup, rice, and a few other accompaniments. Glad we tried it, but it wasn’t really our thing.

On the whole, breakfast was excellent and memorable.

Twilight Time

From 5 pm to 9 pm every evening, Diamond members can enjoy a complimentary selection of unlimited drinks and snacks in the Peak Bar. Normal cost for this is 3,500 yen (around $35).

Since we were with our kids, we couldn’t sit in the bar area, but since there is a lot of other seating, this was not a problem.

The snacks were tiny morsels, but they were delicious.This is definitely not one of those happy hours that can double as dinner. Instead it is a nice finish to the day, or the perfect start to an evening out.
There is always a selection of spreads with bread…
bites of fish and cured meats, and a cold savory soup (poured into a shot glass)…
fried savory snacks and small chunks of roasted meat.
Every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, there is a DJ in the Peak Bar from 6 pm to 10 pm.

We liked the vibe and ambiance in the Peak Bar a lot. For comparison (and because we felt like we had to because of the movie Lost in Translation), we also went to the New York Bar for a drink one night. This was not a Diamond benefit, so we paid 1,900 yen per drink (about $19). Pricey!

Here’s a video clip of the ambiance in the bar.

We actually preferred the Peak Bar. The views were just as good, the crowd was a little friendlier, and the ambiance was more casual and groovy.

Both of these benefits added a lot of value to our (already free) stay. The convenience factor was huge – being able to get up and simply walk downstairs for breakfast, and to know that there was a nice cold drink waiting for us at the end of a long day – was worth a lot. The benefits were also worth actual money to us: starting the day with a big breakfast made it possible to eat a later lunch, and then a lighter meal for dinner, which ultimately saved us a nice chunk of change. Another reason we loved these benefits is that the ingredients and flavors were always in keeping with the high-end luxury of the hotel. Everything was fresh, delicious, and plentiful.

Have you tried these benefits at the Park Hyatt? What did you think? If you haven’t been to the Park Hyatt, which other hotels have given you awesome perks?