There are seasonal ikebana arrangements, tatami-mat flooring, kimono-style outfits for guests and a steaming hot onsen spring water bath.
So far, so ryokan, the traditional-style Japanese inns that dot the country. Until a screen slides open in one of the guestrooms, and 11th-floor views of office towers come into focus, confirming we are in Tokyo's Otemachi business district.
These days, "Tokyo" and "ryokan" are words that don't often appear in the same sentence, with the capital more famous for its five-star skyscraper hotels than traditional inns. One establishment, however, is determined to change this: Hoshinoya Tokyo, which recently opened its doors as the city's first "luxury high-rise ryokan hotel."
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