The Peninsula Tokyo Opens Its Doors

The Peninsula Tokyo Opens Its Doors

September 03, 2007

Luxury And Glamour Meet High Design And Technology At
Tokyo's Newest Landmark 


    TOKYO, Sept. 3 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The Peninsula
Hotels' rich history, glamour and legendary service arrived
in Japan with the opening of its eighth hotel, The Peninsula
Tokyo, on September 1, 2007.

    Officiating at the ribbon cutting were the respective
Chairman and board members of The Hongkong and Shanghai
Hotels, Limited (HSH) and its partner in The Peninsula
Tokyo project, Mitsubishi Estate Company Limited (MEC).  A
lion dance, a traditional Hong Kong element to ensure good
fortune for the launch of a new venture followed the ribbon
cutting.  

    "The sheer variety of Tokyo's attractions are
world famous -- not only the bustling streets and booming
economy, but also the traditions and renowned culture of
the Japanese people, and thus The Peninsula Tokyo attempts
to encapsulate all these sentiments in its architecture,
interiors, public areas and guestrooms.  Together, we shall
endeavour to become active and dependable contributors to
Tokyo's vibrant community, weaving our magic into the lives
of those we serve", said The Honourable Sir Michael
Kadoorie, Chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels,
Limited.

    With recent luxury hotels opting to be part of
high-rise office buildings or multi-use complexes, The
Peninsula is the only freestanding luxury hotel to be built
in Tokyo in more than a decade.  Standing 24 stories high
opposite the Imperial Palace and superbly located in the
prestigious financial district of Marunouchi, The Peninsula
is poised to become Tokyo's new landmark, offering
commanding city views, luxurious comfort, sophisticated
facilities, extraordinary dining and the legendary
Peninsula service.

    With celebrated architect Kazukiyo Sato's vision of The
Peninsula Tokyo as a traditional Japanese lantern at the
entrance of Marunouchi and Ginza, the hotel is a shining
beacon drawing local and international guests to meet the
world and experience the Japanese seasons reflected
throughout the hotel's design, facilities and services.

    The Peninsula Tokyo offers 314 spacious guestrooms,
including 47 suites, five restaurants, a modern lounge bar,
two ballrooms, six elegantly designed function rooms, a
wedding chapel, a Japanese ceremony room, a fitness centre,
The Peninsula Spa by ESPA, a fleet of Rolls-Royces and BMWs
and three luxury jewellery shops, all making their retail
debut in Japan -- Graff, de Grisogono and Chantecler
Tokyo.

    The dazzling rooftop restaurant, Peter, offers
internationally inspired cuisine set in a sensual,
contemporary space offering breathtaking 360-degree views
of Tokyo and the Imperial Gardens.  Designed by the
renowned US and Canadian architecture and design team Yabu
Pushelberg, Peter stretches the imagination with its chrome
polished trees, round "pods" concealing
semi-private dining areas and an interactive video wall
providing images and entertainment.

    Guestrooms are among the largest and most
technologically advanced in Tokyo and offer stunning views
of the city, the Imperial Palace Gardens and Hibiya Park. 
Interior designer Yukio Hashimoto, an alumnus of renowned
Japanese interior design firm Super Potato, intertwines
rich earth tone colours, woods, lacquer, marble and stone
with design and functionality to create a luxurious living
environment described as "international in design, but
Japanese by inspiration." 

    Peninsula's legendary focus on technology is evident
throughout the guestrooms, from the personal nail dryers in
each dressing room, to the bathrooms, which turn into spa
environments at the touch of a button.  Each guestroom
features two types of telephone -- a wired phone, which can
be synchronised with guests' personal mobile phones to
enable the automatic transfer of an incoming calls via
Bluetooth synchronisation to any handset in the room, and
to make Skype calls in addition to regular calls.  The
second phone is a portable phone, which functions anywhere
within the hotel as the in-room phone and converts to a
mobile phone to place outgoing calls outside the hotel
throughout the Tokyo metropolitan area.

    Room rates at The Peninsula Tokyo begin at 60,000
Japanese yen per night.  Reservations can be made through
http://www.peninsula.com or The Peninsula Hotels toll-free
Global Customer Service Centre at (81-3) 6270 2288. 

    The Peninsula Tokyo is managed by The Peninsula Hotels,
which operates luxury hotels in key gateways of Asia and the
USA: The Peninsula Hong Kong; The Peninsula New York; The
Peninsula Chicago; The Peninsula Beverly Hills; The
Peninsula Tokyo; The Peninsula Bangkok; The Peninsula
Beijing; The Peninsula Manila; and The Peninsula Shanghai
(2009).  The Peninsula Hotels is a division of The Hongkong
and Shanghai Hotels, Limited.


    For further information, please visit
http://www.peninsula.com or contact:

     Mark K. Kobayashi
     Director of Public Relations
     The Peninsula Tokyo 
     Phone:  [phone]
     Direct: [phone]
     Fax:    [phone]
     Email:  [e-mail]
     Digital Photo Library:
http://www.leonardo.com/peninsula