Tokyo for Families

Tokyo is already a favorite with well-traveled families, but during the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, we already see even more interest in this fascinating destination as it basks in the glow of the international spotlight.

This summer, families who want to expand their knowledge of Tokyo beyond the inner city limits can get to know nearby areas, thanks to two brand-new hotels opened this spring:

The Tokyo Bay Tokyu Hotel near Tokyo Disneyland, and the Kawasaki King Skyfront Tokyu REI Hotel in King Skyfront, a new science and technology innovation hub.

Parents can entertain both young and older kids at the Tokyo Bay Tokyu Hotel, which offers a blend of urban vibe, softened by the surrounding blue waters of Tokyo Bay. The 638-room property showcases the bay view from every guestroom, regardless of room category, as well as from its second-floor restaurant. Children will especially appreciate its location near Tokyo Disney Resort, accessible in less than 20 minutes by complimentary hotel shuttle.

Tokyo Disneyland © Niphon Subsri | Dreamstime.com

First-time visitors to the park will discover plenty of familiar faces — including iconic Disney characters — along with attractions specific to the resort. For those who don’t know, for example, Tokyo Disneyland actually comprises Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, whose seven themed so-called ports of call all feature nautical themes.

That seafaring motif extends to the Tokyo Bay Tokyu Hotel, opened May 1 and whose interior design theme — Collection of the Sea — features marine images. The property is located about an hour by car from Tokyo Haneda Airport and 60–85 minutes from Tokyo Narita Airport.

The Kawasaki King Skyfront Tokyu REI Hotel, opened June 1, is located in the Kawasaki Rinkai Area on a historic site that offers a nostalgic, industrial ambience, despite being newly built. The 186-room property was designed to look like an old warehouse, using materials inspired by the early manufacturing plants now lit up at night.

Located in Kawasaki City’s King Skyfront, a self-described “high-tech zone,” the hotel offers biking and jogging along the river, working out in the hotel gym or soaking in the hotel’s large, fifth-floor bath, which overlooks the Tama River, followed by drinks on the rooftop terrace.

Kids interested in conservation will appreciate that the property, about a 10-minute car ride from Haneda Airport, is the first hotel in the world to use hydrogen fuel made from recycled plastic collected in the local Kawasaki area.

Families looking ahead to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games will have three more Tokyu Hotels from which to choose: the 180-room Shibuya Stream Excel Tokyu, opening October 2018 in Shibuya, Tokyo; the 360-room Osaka Excel Tokyu, opening 2019 in Osaka; and the 230-room Yokohama Minatomirai Tokyu REI, opening in Yokohama in 2020.