Aside from the brand new Fantasy Springs Resort, we’ve stayed in the entire on-site lodging at Tokyo Disney Resort during the last decade-plus, most a number of instances. This contains the deluxe choices overlooking Tokyo DisneySea and Disneyland, in addition to the third social gathering properties alongside the monorail loop.
Nevertheless, there’s one to which we maintain returning: Hilton Tokyo Bay. Admittedly, a part of that is sentimentality. It’s the primary lodge we ever stayed at in Japan and we’ve made many nice reminiscences there through the years. However you don’t proceed frequenting the identical place because of nostalgia, logging a number of months’ price of stays within the course of. (Or no less than, we don’t.) Particularly not after getting a style of the top-tier luxurious inns at Tokyo Disney Resort and elsewhere in Japan.
The Hilton Tokyo Bay is our go-to lodge at Tokyo Disney Resort due to its robust slate of facilities, inviting public areas, nice breakfast, and incredible location simply steps from the Bayside Station on the monorail loop. Pricing can also be an enormous issue, with rooms right here usually out there for round and even beneath $200 per evening. The lodge feels fashionable and high-end, and also you’re getting numerous bang to your buck. Nevertheless, these aren’t the one causes we maintain returning to Hilton Tokyo Bay.
The most important motive is our Hilton Diamond Standing, which affords us higher advantages and upgrades when staying right here. This contains the Membership Stage lounge, which is a superb possibility for breakfast and dinner. Earlier than I lose all of you who will not be Hilton Diamond members, it’s additionally price noting that you would be able to pay out of pocket for this degree.
What you’ll wish to search for when reserving is the room classes with “Government” within the title–there are a selection of them. To verify you’re reserving the best factor, you’ll additionally see “Government Lounge” listed as one of many facilities, together with this within the description: “Take pleasure in unique entry to the Government Lounge providing complimentary breakfast, refreshments, and night cocktails.”
In response to our full Hilton Tokyo Bay Resort Evaluation, we’ve had a number of readers ask us whether or not the Government Lounge/Membership Stage is price it. Each from the attitude of the out of pocket value, and from those that are Diamond members questioning whether or not it’s price their time. It will set to reply these questions, largely by exhibiting you the Government Lounge, since there’s not lots about it on-line.
Since this can be a area of interest matter and pictures fairly nicely inform the story, let’s begin with these:
In case you’re a Hilton Diamond member, you don’t simply have entry to the Government Lounge for breakfast, you even have the choice to make use of a precedence lane on the predominant breakfast buffet restaurant, Forest Backyard. That is situated on the far finish of the lodge, previous the check-in counter. That restaurant typically has an extended line throughout peak hours, however you’ll have nearly no wait by way of the Diamond line.
In case you go to throughout peak season or one other time that occupancy is excessive (and this may happen even throughout Japan’s offseason–to the extent that’s a factor anymore–as Hilton Tokyo Bay typically hosts college teams), you may additionally have the choice of doing breakfast at Lounge O. Confusingly sufficient, the Government Lounge has an enormous “O” in entrance of it…however they’re two completely different locations.
Lounge O is the open-air atrium restaurant that’s centrally situated within the lodge foyer and crammed with pure daylight from the multi-level floor-to-ceiling home windows–it’s the one which’s seen from the central elevators. It’s changing into more and more widespread for Lounge O to be open for breakfast–one thing that we by no means witnessed in any respect till a 12 months or so in the past.
The Hilton employees will advise utilizing Lounge O if it’s out there. We might concur with this advice, as there are distinctive breakfast objects right here that you simply gained’t discover anyplace else, corresponding to made-to-order ramen and comfortable serve ice cream. (You learn that appropriately–ramen and comfortable serve for breakfast.) Or no less than, that was our expertise right here at Christmas-time.
All three of those eating places serve a couple of 50/50 mixture of Asian and Western delicacies. We extremely suggest getting breakfast at one in every of these three eating places, as there are some nice objects on the buffet. If it’s your first journey to Japan, we’d additionally recommend stepping exterior your consolation zone–the breakfast is a straightforward and approachable strategy to pattern Asian delicacies. Don’t simply eat the potato waffles, good as they may be. You’ll additionally wish to gasoline up earlier than rope dropping Tokyo DisneySea or Tokyo Disneyland, and consuming breakfast contained in the parks is a poor use of your time.
Forest Backyard has essentially the most selection, with a barely bigger unfold than Lounge O and considerably extra choices than the Government Lounge. Nonetheless, there’s most likely ~95% overlap between Forest Backyard and Lounge O, whereas solely ~50% of these dishes seem on the Government Lounge. As such, it would stand to motive that it is best to do a type of versus the Government Lounge, proper?
In all probability. There are a few causes you may very well wish to do breakfast on the Government Lounge, although. For one factor, it’s way more environment friendly. Even with a minimal wait to enter the bigger venues, you’re nonetheless going to lose time on the buffets themselves, and simply navigating the eating places, basically. In case you don’t want the complete unfold, that’s one thing to think about–particularly since rope drop is severe enterprise at Tokyo Disney Resort.
One other factor to know is that each one three of the buffets have distinctive dishes. Two of my favourite choices on the unfold within the Government Lounge are smoked duck breakfast and smoked salmon. Neither of those “higher-end” choices can be found on the different buffets. There’s smoked salmon salad, however that makes use of different components (together with mayo) to dilute the smoked salmon. There’s additionally some fruit and one other dish or two that you would be able to’t normally discover exterior the Government Lounge.
We additionally a lot choose the espresso machine on the Government Lounge, which produces larger high quality and stronger drinks. There’s additionally a Coke Freestyle machine, in addition to glass bottled drinks within the Government Lounge. There’s one thing to be mentioned for having glowing water from a glass bottle with a view of Mount Fuji within the distance.
Dinner is extra of a differentiator for the Government Lounge, but in addition, most likely not one thing you’ll use as typically until you’re taking a break from the parks (one thing we wouldn’t suggest). The unfold at dinner revolves extra round consuming and desserts than it does entrees. There’s beer on faucet, in addition to a wide range of of wines and different spirits. There are additionally a number of desserts out there on a rotating foundation.
So far as common meals goes, it is best to as soon as once more discover salmon and duck, together with a wide range of cheeses, breads, salad, and some sizzling dishes. We’ve discovered dinner to be very hit and miss. Generally, there gained’t be something we wish to eat apart from the salmon and duck and we’ve resorted to consuming on the in-lobby Lawson. Different evenings, there are a selection of intriguing choices.
If in case you have restricted time in Japan, frankly, you shouldn’t be consuming dinner on the Government Lounge. You must both be maximizing your park time, consuming within the metropolis, and even at Ikspiari. All of that could be a higher use of your time, even when it does save cash to do dinner on the Government Lounge. Breakfast is a unique story as a result of it’s saving you time to eat right here or at one of many different buffets.
One other benefit of the Government Lounge from our perspective is the vibe.
Whereas the opposite breakfast buffets are loud and chaotic, the Government Lounge is normally serene and peaceable. It’s a pleasant, calm strategy to begin the day earlier than the rope drop insanity begins. The employees within the Government Lounge can also be incredible, and has remembered us through the years (it most likely helps now that we have now a child whose blonde hair and blue eyes stand out in Japan).
If we’re being completely trustworthy, this can be a massive a part of why we love the Government Lounge. Not simply the service, however the reminiscences we’ve made right here through the years. Little issues like crashing right here on the finish of an extended journey day from Kyoto and having one of the best (glass bottle) of Coca-Cola ever; wide-eyed surprise on our daughter’s face when the employees gave her a toy duck; sitting collectively in an empty lounge as we loved espressos whereas ready for the Airport Limo to select us up–reflecting on a satisfying journey to Japan and already plotting our return. We’ve got so many reminiscences from the Government Lounge on the Hilton Tokyo Bay that it’s unattainable for me to offer an unbiased evaluation.
Provided that, hopefully the above pictures and descriptions suffice in serving to reply no matter questions you’ve got in regards to the Government Lounge/Membership Stage on the Hilton Tokyo Bay. What I can add is that, if we weren’t Diamond members who bought this free of charge, we most likely wouldn’t pay for it. As with most Membership Ranges, it’s extra “price it” on an emotional degree than an goal one.
I may add that the Government Lounge doesn’t maintain a candle to its counterparts in Tokyo. Our go-to lodge within the metropolis (we all the time switch for our non-Disney days and extremely suggest the identical) is the Conrad Tokyo. The Government Lounge at Hilton Tokyo Bay doesn’t even maintain a candle to the Membership Stage there. Nor ought to it! The Conrad Tokyo typically prices 4 instances the worth of the Hilton Tokyo Bay!
Talking of which, we generally see factors and journey hacking web sites which might be fairly harsh on the Hilton Tokyo Bay and make unfair (given the respective prices) comparisons. This isn’t to say that the Hilton Tokyo Bay is ideal (in case you get “upgraded” to one of many Completely satisfied Magic rooms you may wish to decline–particularly now that the common rooms have been redone), however we expect it’s a wonderful, feature-laden lodge that punches above its weight. Gaining access to the Government Lounge is simply icing on the cake!
Planning a visit to Tokyo Disney Resort? For complete recommendation, one of the best place to start out is our Tokyo Disneyland & DisneySea Journey Planning Information! For extra specifics, our TDR Resort Rankings & Evaluations web page covers lodging. Our Restaurant Evaluations element the place to dine & snack. To economize on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash publish. Our What to Pack for Disney publish takes a singular take a look at intelligent objects to take. Venturing elsewhere in Japan? Seek the advice of our Final Information to Kyoto, Japan and Metropolis Information to Tokyo, Japan.
Your Ideas
Have you ever used the Government Lounge on the Hilton Tokyo Bay? In that case, do you suggest consuming breakfast right here, or just sticking to the bigger buffet eating places? Did you discover the improve to be price your cash (or time, as a Diamond member)? Do you agree or disagree with our recommendation? Any questions we may also help you reply? Listening to your suggestions—even once you disagree with us—is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
