Sunset, as seen from the glass-enclosed pool at Aman Tokyo.

A weekly series featuring luxury hotel expert Mary Gostelow’s hotel pick of the week. 

Everyone who has ever stayed in an Aman thinks horizontal, with one- or at the most two-, floor buildings stretching over endless grounds. Aman Tokyo, which has its official launch party Tuesday March 17th, 2015, is not only the company’s only city hotel but it is vertical, occupying the top six floors of the 38-story Otemachi Tower. It is indeed a unique property. This is also the only Aman to have elevators – take one up to the 33rd floor lobby and you think you are in a four-floor-high paper balloon.

The lobby is like a four-floor-high paper balloon.

Around you at floor level and lower walls you have smooth woods and black basalt; above is a washi paper balloon. Kerry Hill’s design is truly awesome. In fact, the entire 84-room hotel is color free. Bedrooms are soft pine and grey, with floor to ceiling windows for sensational views, and bathrooms are entirely basalt. Staff wear softest sage and light charcoal and guests seem to be inspired by the design, leaving color behind too!

The all-day restaurant with open kitchen.

You can, though, find color in the food. Try the caprese, with five colors of oh-so-tasty local tomatoes, or the bouillabaise, in a light tomato broth. As well as leaving your Florida-bright gear at home, here are two other tips. Book a rickshaw, which comes with a colorful warm wrap, for a local sightseeing trip, ideally with hotel GM Jeffrey Seward. And make sure you are at the 100-foot pool at sunset time. As the sun goes down behind Mount Fuji it honestly seems to turn the water pink!

Mary, with GM Jeffrey Seward, gets ready for a trip.

Check out last week’s Hotel of the Week.