HOTEL TEITO

Hotel Teito, the first hotel to occupy the prestigious address 1-1-1 Marunouchi where
Palace Hotel Tokyo now stands, opened in 1947 as a nationally owned and operated hotel
under the orders of the General Headquarters of the Allied Forces.
The western-inspired structure had originally been built as the Forestry Office of the
Imperial Household before being converted into a hotel due to the high demand for
accommodations in post-war Tokyo for the many buying agents and diplomats arriving
overseas to re-establish ties with Japan and help the country rebuild.

THE BIRTH OF PALACE HOTEL

The land and building of Hotel Teito were sold to the private sector in 1959, and
Palace Hotel was constructed anew in its place – a modern hotel for the modern era.
Officially opened on 1 October 1961 and celebrated with a gala reception attended
by 5,000 prominent figures from throughout Japan and overseas, the privately owned
and managed hotel was the first in Tokyo to share premises with an office building.
Situated on a site covering 10,430 square meters, the total floor area of the building was
65,740 square meters. The most contemporary of its time, the 450-room hotel featured
extensive facilities, the latest in modern travel comforts and very distinctive architecture.

Its outer walls were clad with approximately 1.6 million shigaraki tiles from Shiga Prefecture with the aim of achieving harmony with the natural environment in the vicinity. This unprecedented use of traditional materials blending modern architectural style with the Japanese aesthetic earned the hotel an Architectural Industry Association Prize in 1963.

NEW BEGINNINGS

In 2009, after having serviced travelers for nearly half a century, Palace Hotel closed
its doors in preparation for its reincarnation.
Debuting as Palace Hotel Tokyo three years later following a rebuild completely from
the ground-up, the much talked about new addition to the city’s luxury scene has
redefined hospitality with its continued commitment to delivering the finest homegrown
hospitality.
Though wholly contemporary, the new icon maintains strong ties with its strongly rooted
history. With its reconstruction, the shigaraki tiles were repurposed,
the original bar counter from Royal Bar designed by longtime bartender ‘Mr. Martini’
was lovingly restored and the traditional ink wash painting that once hung in the old
Chiyoda Suite now graces the entrance of the new one.

Go to Palace Hotel Tokyo website