JAPAN – Intercontinental Hotel the Strings: luxury in Shinagawa, Tokyo

Shinagawa is a ward (neighborhood) in Tokyo and home to Shinagawa Station which is a huge train station in Tokyo. It’s more a business area as tourist area but due to the fact that the Intercontinental Hotel the Strings is located just next to the train station made this the best choice to stay.

I stayed two nights with my family over Christmas time and I’ll show you why this hotel is perfect for both leisure and business travel. Join me on a hotel review tour of the Intercontinental Hotel the Strings.

The hotel

The Intercontinental Hotel the Strings is located in the upper floors of one of the skyscrapers just next to the Shinagawa train station. It’s easily reached from both the airports of Tokyo; about 1 hour from Narita Airport and about 30 minutes from Haneda Airport. As I arrived from Narita and departed two days later from Haneda this was the perfect spot to book my hotel. I could also reach the rest of Tokyo easily from the train station.

When I arrived at the Intercontinental Hotel the Strings my luggage was taken care of while I checked-in. The staff immediately remembered my name and each time I entered I was warmly greeted by name. I like this personal attention. The reception is located within the huge atrium which is beautiful decorated with plants, a pond, and lights. Like a Japanese garden. Now let’s look at the rooms.

The rooms at Intercontinental Hotel the Strings

If you have visited Japan you’ll know that hotel rooms can be small, as small as a tube. The rooms at the Intercontinental Hotel the Strings are above average in size but not that large as the rooms of the Intercontinental Osaka. Still, however, they are large for Tokyo! The rooms have a beautiful panoramic view on Tokyo’s skyline. It was great waking up by the sunshine through the large windows and the view on Tokyo.

The colors used in the room are soft and warm, which is pleasant. There was even room for a sitting area where fresh fruit was waiting for me. This is standard if you’re a loyalty member of the IHG Rewards Club program. The bathroom in my room was large with a separate bath. The amenities were of good quality and not just the standard Intercontinental ones but branded ones. I really enjoyed the room as it was large for Tokyo and everything was taken care of including good amenities, fresh fruit, and water.

Facilities at Intercontinental Hotel the Strings

Intercontinental Hotel the Strings has a professional gym with a beautiful panoramic view on Tokyo. I enjoyed going there when all the lights of the city lit up (in the photo below my son). The concierge of the Intercontinental Hotel the Strings is professional and informed me about the openings times of the fish market. You really have to go early! He also helped arranging a sushi workshop near the fish market. The Intercontinental Hotel the Strings also offers the standard business and leisure facilities of course. This includes business center, laundry, room service and more. Altogether plenty of facilities for a relatively small city center hotel.

Dining & Drinking at Intercontinental Hotel the Strings

There are two restaurants at the Intercontinental Hotel the Strings plus a bar. One restaurant serves a-la carte dishes and the other is the all-day dining restaurant. I had only breakfast at the hotel in the morning which includes a full buffet and one a-la-carte dish too. All the dishes where delicious and made with fresh ingredients. Unfortunately, the staff didn’t speak that good English but I was told many were on leave due to Christmas. I assume this isn’t always the case. Also, at 22:00 the restaurants where already closed which made me order room service one of the days. It’s a bit early I think but maybe this was also due to Christmas.

If you want to know where to go out for dinner I can recommend Warayakiya which has several restaurants in Tokyo. If you like craft beer then read all about my craft beer guide for Japan. The area around the hotel has many western style restaurants, for Japanese I recommend going to Roppongi area. I just love Japanese food!

Conclusion

If you plan a visit to Tokyo I highly recommend staying at the Intercontinental Hotel the Strings. It’s a luxury hotel with, for Tokyo, spacious rooms which are also affordable. They serve delicious food and the staff knows Tokyo. With its location near Shinagawa train station it’s easily reached from both airports and all places of interested are reached within no time. Both for leisure and business travel I can recommend the Intercontinental Hotel the Strings.

If you would like to know what you can do in and around Tokyo then see one of these options: 2 weeks in Japan, Fish market & sushi workshop, two days in Tokyo, and check where to drink craft beer in Tokyo. I will add more destination information over time.

For more hotel information and booking options please visit the website of Intercontinental Hotel the Strings or subscribe to the Facebook page of Intercontinental Hotel the Strings to receive the latest hotel news.

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Gallery of Intercontinental Hotel the Strings

** All opinions are based on a genuine stay, flight or experience. I’m not affiliated with the hotel, airline or tour operator but I might be (partially) sponsored – or paid. **