Now is the time to go! Seriously, what are you waiting for? Cherry Blossom forecasts are set for the end of the month so book your trip to Tokyo right now! But wait – where should you stay? You can probably imagine, it’s not easy to find a nice place to stay in a busy city like Tokyo. Apart from the big luxury hotels like the Four Seasons and Aman, there seems to be little choice outside of the business district Ginza and also very few places that meet a design-lovers expectation of modern Japanese aesthetics. But thankfully TRUNK delivers just that. We spent a night at this newest Shibuya Boutique Hotel and here are five reasons you must stay here and everything else we loved about it:
1. THE DESIGN AND CONCEPT
Part of Design Hotels, this hidden gem in the fashion-centered district of Shibuya offers everything you want and need when spending a night in Tokyo. TRUNK features a big lobby on the ground floor with the idea of creating a hub for both visitors and locals alike. There’s also a small concept store offering Tokyo-made keepsakes, locally sourced honey, craft beer, sustainable cosmetics and more. All of the 15 rooms are carefully designed with so much love to detail, you’ll be busy exploring the room for hours. The motto “local and sustainable” is translated into everything here. All items have been made from recycled materials, such as the wooden beds, the iron coat hangers, the wood chip pencils, clay mugs, slippers, and even the shoe horn. In 2018, Trunk won the “New Concept of the Year” prize at the AHEAD Asia 2018 awards, making clear the impact and change it has brought to Tokyo and its hospitality scene.
2. THE ROOMS
There are 15 rooms, which for a busy city like Tokyo feels very intimate and that’s exactly what we loved about it. When taking the elevator to our floor, the hallway to our room was very quiet and dark so it immediately calmed us down after spending the day in the bustling hipster streets of Shibuya. Room categories range from single rooms to suites with private terraces and kitchens so even if you’re traveling solo you will feel at home in one of the two super cozy single rooms. All rooms are designed to create a light, minimalistic yet very warm atmosphere: Sisal floors, wooden beds, grey stone, and black metal fixtures with green plants – I immediately felt at home. Designers Jamo Associates have up-cycled different sorts of materials and infused them with new life: the terrace house, for example, boasts recycled white boat sails that have been made up to oversized cushions in the seating area.
3. THE LOBBY AND BAR
You should be aware, that the main feature of the hotel is their amazing rooftop. But in fact, it’s only accessible if you’re attending a wedding or are getting married there yourself because the rooftop features an insanely instagramable wedding chapel. The founder and mastermind of TRUNK Hotel is no lesser than Yoshitaka Nojiri, who coming from the wedding industry, created this space to follow up on a new arising trend of “private house weddings”. That said, you’ll probably photo-bomb at least half of the 6 weddings per day on your way through the lobby!
The lobby of the Hotel really is the centerpiece where everyone comes together, both visitors and locals. There’s a big working table with desk lights and power plugs for your laptop, as well as a huge bar at the end of the room. The open space instantly becomes a community hub, with brand collaborations such as Trunk Music series, exhibitions, and workshops that invite to fun long nights at the lounge.
4. THE ACTIVITIES
There is a huge selection of TRUNK activities you can exclusively book at the Hotel: my favorite include watching a live sumo wrestling fight where you can afterward join the wrestlers for dinner! But there’s not only fancy choices, but you can also book a tour of the Tsukiji Fish market, or even visit a local and book a homestay with them.
5. THE LOCATION
We could not have been happier with the location of the Hotel, which is situated in a quiet pedestrian street off Omotesando-dori between the trendy neighborhoods Shibuya and Harajuku. You can easily walk to all main stations (Omotesando, Shibuya or Harajuku) because the hotel literally sits in the middle of the triangle of these three major stations. I can’t wait to be back to Japan and know that TRUNK will forever be my home away from home in Tokyo!
TRUNK HOTEL, 5-31 Jingumae, Shibuya-Ku, Tokyo, 150-0001 Japan
www.trunk-hotel.com
Book your stay: www.designhotels.com/trunk-hotel
Photos: Trunk Hotel, Jessie Schoeller
You like what you read? Follow us on Instagram or Facebook for more travel & food stories.