If you’re planning on staying in a Tokyo hotel anytime soon you might want to pack an earthquake safety kit. A helmet might not be a bad idea either. Four hotels in and around Tokyo have shut down on fears that they do not meet earthquake safety standards.
The new closures follow last week’s revelation that architect, Hidetsugu Aneha, had falsified earthquake resistance data used in the building of Keio Presso Inn Kayabacho.
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With so many new luxury hotels opening in Tokyo it can be difficult for one establishment to differentiate itself from the next. Which may be why the proprietors of the Royal Park Shiodome refuse to even acknowledge that their new establishment is a hotel at all — instead preferring to refer to it as a “tower”.
For those who just want to book a room at a standard “hotel”, it helps to know that the the establishment is located on the upper 14 floors of the 38-story Shiodome Tower Building. The prime location means that guest rooms features views of Tokyo Bay, Hamarikyu Gardens, and the Ginza shopping district.
The Royal Park Shiodome features all of the typical luxury amenities you would expect from a world-class Tokyo hotel/tower: multiple gourmet restaurants, spacious rooms, a stunning view, elaborate decor, attentive service. Yes, they have all that. But the real question I know you’re all asking is: how is the Internet access? Free broadband in room - no wireless. Ethernet cables are available from guest services at no charge.
Oh, and if you stay on the tower floor you’ll also have a massage chair and a pants press. Just hope the complementary ethernet cable is long enough to reach the chair.
If you’ve recently booked a room at the brand new Keio Presso Inn Kayabacho you might want to start looking for alternatives. The hotel, which just opened in August, has suspended operations amidst revelations that the building’s construction may not meet earthquake standards.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport learned this week that Hidetsugu Aneha, the buildings architect, had falsified quake resistance data.
Aneha admitted to the falsification late last week, saying:
“I didn’t feel I was doing something wrong. I was too busy to feel that way.”
Aneha’s admission has raised questions about a number of other buildings the architect has worked on in recent years.
The 260 room hotel near the Tokyo Stock Exchange has been consistently full during the business week. The buildings owners plan to re-open the hotel should it pass additional earthquake inspections.
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