Calling all explorers, lovers of art, fashion, music and all things creative. Hotel Indigo Tokyo Shibuya set out to tell a story with their hotel. Weaving together all the idiosyncratic beauty of different Shibuya artistic subcultures throughout all twenty-one floors, they have embraced the uniquely creative nature of the neighborhood they reside in order to create a space unlike any other. With 272 hand-designed rooms accompanied by breathtaking views of either Scramble Crossing or Mt. Fuji, you are sure to walk away with an experience as one-of-a-kind as the city itself.
The pulse of creative energy can be felt in every inch of the Hotel, from the personally-selected, unique set of eight vinyl albums on display and available for play in each room to each floor’s eclectic designs reflecting different aspects of Shibuya. During an interview with Metropolis, Rebecca Thorn, General Manager of the hotel, explained the intention behind the design, “The neighborhood is brought to life inside the hotel. When guests leave the hotel they can connect all of the aspects of the neighborhood to the areas that are inside the hotel.” Hotel Indigo Tokyo Shibuya’s creativity isn’t limited to its physical aspects, the multilingual hotel staff members have taken their expert knowledge and channeled it into curating treasurehunt-like maps of the surrounding area for you to explore and get to know the nitty gritty of what Shibuya has to offer.
Each guest room of the hotel is designed with a subtle homage to the Shibuya music scene. The general manager herself hand-picked each of the eight vinyl albums displayed in each room, totaling to over two thousand unique albums across all 272 rooms. “Most of our rooms are north facing,” GM Thorn told Metropolis, “some are south facing as well. So every view is very unique.” Each room comes with floor-to-ceiling windows and high-quality audio speakers in case you want to call reception and order a record and record player to listen to music in your room. The decor is modern but not without style with small details like the refrigerator made to look like a record shelf adding a quirky charm to the rooms.
Whether you are an overnight guest or just popping in for the afternoon, you definitely don’t want to miss out on the food. The main restaurant is located on the 11th floor of the Hotel and is exquisitely designed to accommodate whatever mood you find yourself in. The restaurant doubles as an art gallery exhibiting local artists and works commissioned specifically for the hotel, “we’ve got the art displayed in all the different areas of the restaurant.” GM Thorn remarked, “In the tranquil area of the restaurant we’ve got a lot of tied-down beautiful, soft pieces, and in the more vibrant areas we have more lively artwork.” You can have a casual drink with your friends on the low-seated plush tables or spice it up in the more upscale section of the restaurant. While the entirety of the restaurant is a single large room, the half walls and mixture of different art styles that adorn them do a fantastic job of creating small pockets of separation between each space’s individual ambiance. Keeping in theme with Shibuya’s cultural explosion, the restaurant’s Italian Master Chef has curated “an international menu with a Japanese twist” that’s sure to keep you guessing and leave you satisfied.
Attached to the restaurant is the crown jewel of the hotel, the terrace. With sweeping views that cover everything from the vast Yoyogi Park to the hubbub of Scramble Crossing. There is a separate specialty kitchen located outside with three grills, so you can get lost in the view with the comfort of a freshly sizzled burger in your hand or take advantage of the terrace’s BBQ menu. Whether it’s the hotel’s meticulously curated playlist or one of its resident DJs setting the vibe, you can expect to hear the music ebb and flow according to the time of day. If you’re in the mood for a particular track, browse the playlist and make a request via your mobile phone or, when it’s one of the hotel’s resident DJs music duties, guests are welcome to make a request directly.
A winding path past the grills and live music stage leads to a point overlooking the entire city where you can walk up directly to the glass railing and relish in your own personal Shibuya Sky without a drove of tourists obscuring your view and Instagram pictures.
If you aren’t in the mood for a full-course meal but still want to nibble on something before you head out for a day of traversing the Shibuyan landscape you can stop by the third-floor grab-and-go cafe. This chic cafe is open for both hotel guests and locals alike. Specializing in waffles and their original specialty coffee, this small slice of the neighborhood floor is bound to become a staple in the hearts of all who visit it.
The Hotel Indigo Tokyo Shibuya is scheduled to open on August 29, 2023, and bookings are available now. So, whether you’re looking for a family vacation, a business trip, or just a quick getaway in a unique place, The Hotel Indigo Shibuya is the place for you.
Hotel Indigo Tokyo Shibuya
2-25-12 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, 13 150-0043 Japan
www.ihg.com/hotelindigo/hotels/gb/en/shibuyaku/hndsh/hoteldetail
reservations.shibuya@ihg.com
