Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo announces for the first time a range of “Enchanting Excursions” for guests wishing to explore Japan. Enchanting Excursions includes a unique extension of the hotel’s “Meet and Greet” service to the platforms of Tokyo Station to celebrate the revitalisation of the Tokyo Station area in October 2012. Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo’s unique position above Tokyo Station puts it right at the heart of the city at a time when the 100-year-old home of the bullet train reopens as part of the mammoth Tokyo Station City renewal project. Enchanting Excursions offers a high-end experience of Japanese local tradition with a smooth door-to-door transfer to prime scenic sports for vacationers or busy business travellers.
The hotel’s complimentary Meet and Greet service has earned a renowned reputation for personally escorting guests directly to and from Tokyo Station’s platforms, where guests can catch a bullet train directly to the far corners of Japan smoothly and precisely, in addition to their arrival and departure from Narita Airport by Narita Express.
The Express Explorations one-day trips and “Overnight Opulence” stay options offer exclusive opportunities to explore or stay in Gion in the heart of Kyoto, eat dinner with entertainment provided by geisha, bathe in the hot springs resort area of Hakone, or relax in the onsen of the Izu Peninsula, with more to be announced soon. Via the hotel’s Meet and Greet service to the bullet trains at Tokyo Station, and upon arrival at the destinations, business and tourist guests can experience the best of Japan with ease.
Originally constructed in 1914 in distinctive European-style red brick and designed by architect Kingo Tatsuno, the iconic Tokyo Station building is set to be uncovered from extensive renovation in October, while new commercial facilities such as the high-end Daimaru Department Store reopen simultaneously. The Tokyo Station district, the access point for high-speed rail travel throughout the country, is set once again to cement its place alongside the Imperial Palace, Marunouchi and the Ginza shopping area as one of the city’s prime destinations.
Tokyo Station attracts over 1.1 million passengers every day. As the hub of the financial district of Marunouchi, east of the Imperial Palace, 4,000 businesses representing 10 per cent of the Tokyo Stock Exchange are based around the station, including 17 Fortune Global 500 firms (as of 2011). Since 2000, Tokyo Station has become a fast-developing commercial centre, with hundreds of new shops and restaurants opening up, and the brand new Mitsubishi Ichigokan Art Museum has hosted exhibitions since 2009. The new Tokyo Station City, a new landmark in the area’s development into one the city’s leading commercial districts, is set to open in 2012.
Reservations can be made by e-mail. Enchanting Excursions reservations can be made from 1 October 2012, and will be available from 15 October 2012. For further information, please contact the hotelat (81 3) 6739 7888, or visit the Shangri-La hotel website.
