Bath amenities are by British brand Bamford but many other items are from heritage Japanese brands. The bath linens are made in Imbari, a city in Ehime prefecture renowned for manufacturing high-end towels since over a century ago, and there are premium Jugetsudo teas by Maruyama Nori, a brand founded in 1854 in Tokyo’s Tsukiji district. Enjoy them in nambu-tekkei cast iron teapots and teacups made in Saga prefecture. The lacquered teacup saucers are also storied, originating from Sabae, a city in Fukui prefecture that started producing the emperor’s Echizen lacquer ware over 1,500 years ago.
One of Palace Hotel Tokyo’s highlights is undoubtedly the 1,200 sq m Evian Spa Tokyo (the second in the world to to open), a two-time Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star spa. Housed on the fifth floor, MEC Design International Corporation created a serene white world with accents of Evian red. White limestone floors and oak walls treated with a Japanese kesyou-shiage technique (whereby delicate white powder is brushed over the wood, accentuating the oak’s growth rings) bring texture into the snow-white spaces.
Each treatment room is christened after a peak in the Alps. Through a corridor layered with Motoi Mitani’s petal-like artwork, I entered into one of these white rooms where a blue-lit counter enhanced the aqua theme. Water is also the theme of the facials and treatments, grouped into the categories of celestial restoration, mineral enrichment, precious nourishment and renewed vitality.
