Where to Stay in Tokyo: Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi

Day 1: Landing in Japan - REVIEW OF HOTEL VILLA FONTAINE ROPPONGI, TOKYO - Expedia Office Meet.

Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi, Tokyo: A Review

One of the major deciding factors to answering the question, How was your travel trip? largely depends on the hotel that you choose to stay, I am sure you all agree. It is one thing that can make or mar your trip, polish it or blur it towards oblivion. Which is why I was so eagerly looking forward to the Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi in Japan booked for me by the travel company, Expedia!

Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi, Japan - EntranceHotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi, Japan - Back view
Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi, Japan - Night view
Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi, Tokyo

And I don’t know if I am doing it right in disclosing this beforehand, but Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi did score excellently well on my scorecard.

First Glance - Entrance

At first glance itself, the hotel spelt luxury. The lobby was spacious, well lit up with a pleasant and an obliging English speaking front desk.

Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi, Japan - Lobby Area
The Lobby area after entrance -
the reception on the left and the breakfast area to the right of the picture.

Complimentary Breakfast

In one part of the reception area, there was a complimentary buffet style breakfast to start the day that came along with our room price.

Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi, Japan - Breakfast Area
Guests dining at the breakfast seating area in the lobby

Quite elaborate with a wide range of exotic items like miso soup, rice, yoghurt, salad, different types of bread, milk, orange juice, tea, coffee; the lavish spread was an absolute treat to the senses.

Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi, Japan - Salad breakfast
Cabbage Salad and chopsticks in the foreground

Miso soup - This is non vegetarian

Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi, Japan - tea and coffee in breakfast
Green and Black tea, kept on a burner

Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi, Japan - Bread breakfast
Milk bread buns - similar to the Indian bun paav

... And this was my favorite -

Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi, Japan - fresh orange juice in breakfast
The Chilled Orange juice!

My Plate: Vegetarian Options

While pure veggies don’t have much of a choice but for us the combination of milk-bread, butter and the orange juice worked wonders and ensured that our day started on a healthy and a filling note.

Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi, Japan - my breakfast plate

My Plate looked the same on all the three days
consisting of milk bread, butter and juice.

My Room

My room had a cozy and a warm set up that came along with a special queen bed. I flopped on it, tired and weary every night and this made it quite hard for me to leave it the next morning. The room was big enough for two people to fit in comfortably and clean enough for a homely stay. They weren’t anything elaborate, just simple and comfortable. The allure of this room, for me, simply lied in its uncluttered details.

Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi, Japan - My Room

My Queen Bed!

Amenities and Facilities

The amenities in the room integrated a small refrigerator with slip-ons and night pyjamas included.

Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi, Japan - night pyjamas

The night pyjamas made for a pretty picture of amusement..
And no, I did not use them! :-)

The Bathroom

But what absolutely caught my fancy was the bathroom. The tap water was filtered and good to drink, toiletries provided were fragrant with a delicate scent - refurnished as soon as we used them and the toilet seat looked more like a toy with buttons and lights! (More on that in a later post though)

Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi, Japan - filtered tap water

I drank this water everyday.
The Mineral water bottle was too costly,
and this proved to be a pretty safe bet instead!

Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi, Japan - stocked up toiletries
The other freebies - toothbrush, paste et al

Free Wi Fi and Internet Access

Apart from this, the hotel also offered the usual amenities like free wifi access in all the rooms that are the hallmark of every luxury hotel today.

Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi, Japan - free internet
The Business center at the ground floor with two PC's
-- this was my temporary work area too.

The language was set Japanese and could not be changed
but thankfully, Gmail was an exception!

And... to cap all of the above,

Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi, Japan - sunrise view

These were the views to which I opened my eyes every morning...

[This picture was taken somewhere around as early as 4.15 am...
Yes, the sun rises that early in Japan.]


So, Should you stay in Hotel Villa Fontaine?

YES

Simply because, the 3 days that we spent in the hotel in many ways set up our trip in Tokyo, not only because of its ambiance but because of its courteous staff as well. Voluntarily offering to keep our luggage at the reception area, personally attending us with the subway map route and sight seeing options when asked for and helping us track the veggie options from the breakfast buffet are just some of the things that will ensure that I come back to this hotel, the next time we come to this beautiful city and recommend it to you as well.

Facts and Tips for Travelers:


1. One thing that you need to be careful of is the check in time. They are quite firm about it and wont allow you in before their predefined point. However, the good side to it is that in case you happen to drop in before time like we did, the staff is helping enough to safely shelter your luggage till you secure your room later. That’s it though, they dont entertain any more requests in this regard, no matter how long your travel has been or how tired you are, and you are left to take care of yourself.

Timings: Check-In: 15:00 Check-Out: 11:00.

2. Conveniently located right adjacent to the Roppongi-itchome station, Hotel Villa Fontaine gives you easy access to the subway train network that connects you to the rest of Tokyo.

3. I am not too sure what use addresses serve when trying to reach a place in Japan. My personal experience says that people hardly identify places by their exact addresses. Its better to know the nearest station to your hotel beforehand, well in advance and then ask for the place after alighting at the correct station.

4. Do a thorough research on the web for places to stay before deciding on one especially if you are travelling solo and on a budget - you can find some really cool best hostels to stay for solo travellers in Tokyo. 

Basic information:

Address: 1-6-2 Roppongi, Minato-ku,Tokyo - 1060032 

- 0 min. from Roppongi Itchome station. The station gives direct access to the hotel! (Namboku Line)
- 8 min. walk from Kamiyacho station.
- 8 min. walk from Tameiko Sanno station.
- 12 min. walk from Roppongi station.

Telephone no.: 03-3560-1110 (direct), 03-5339-1200 (reservation desk)

Tariff: Around 20,000 Yen.

For more details, please visit: http://www.hvf.jp/eng/roppongi.php/

Previous Posts from the Japan Trip -

1. Planning for Japan: Visa, Flight Bookings, Hotel Reservations, etc.

Post a Comment

74 Comments

  1. Very interesting and informative. The hotel looks like a wonderful place to stay. Looking forward for the next post in this series.

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  2. What a terrific hotel, Arti, and what a great, informative post -- as always! I would love to visit there! I worked for a Japanese company in Oregon until I retired and I have many friends in Japan! Enjoy and have a great weekend!

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  3. interesting :)

    http://sushmita-smile.blogspot.in

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  4. wow, very informative post, Arti, love the information you shared and also your selection of food.

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  5. Amazing pictures. The hotel seems very spacious for Tokyo standards. The milk bread looks inviting:P

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  6. Look nice place to stay arti.

    But see the breakfast menu seemed too bland for me, how you can survive "spice lovers"?

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  7. This looks like a good stay, but I have to say that your meal choices, as a vegetarian, were not so good! Otherwise it looks like a nice place.

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  8. @Arti Good morning. Thanks for another beautiful post from Japan. Great to read. Love the photographs.

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  9. Thats a lovely review. The hotel and its failities look great.

    http://rajniranjandas.blogspot.in/2012/07/nh-17.html

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  10. That looks like a very nice hotel, and I am glad you liked the tap water. When we stayed in Tokyo in 2008, we found that the queen bed was too small for us.

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  11. Thank you everyone for your visits and comments. Glad to see all of you here and highly appreciate your feedback. :-)

    @Michelle @Mareta

    Agree. Vegetarian food was hard to find in Japan and since people are not very familiar with the word - pure vegetarian - it made things all the more difficult for us.

    The vegetarian platter in the buffet didn't have too many options to pick from but still we felt quite lucky to have something at least as against to nothing and whatever little was on offer was also quite good to have.

    @gigihawaii

    The tap water in Japan is generally safe, especially when they themselves claim it to be.

    About the queen bed, that is interesting to know. Ours was big and wide enough for 2 people to fit in comfortably... Do you remember the hotel where you'd stayed? How was your overall experience with it?

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  12. I have visited many places of US
    and Europe and stayed in different
    hotels.But,the way you describe about your hotel is superb.

    Arti,your post is very well advertising the Hotel you stayed.
    Hotel authorities must see to it,
    and award you another trip to
    Japan or any other country of your
    choice.

    What about fruits,cornflakes in breakfast? These are generally
    available in all good hotels.

    You should give your suggestion
    to hotel authorities.

    Again thanks for a nice informative
    and interesting post.

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  13. I’m proud that Japan’s public transportation system is very efficient, convenient, and punctual. However, I get so confused in Tokyo with Tokyo Metro, Metropolitan Subway, JR... and whatever. I think you know now more station names than I. I’m relieved the hotel staff was a great help.

    Yoko

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  14. Wow Arti...It seems that u had a wonderful time there... very interesting post...

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  15. Everything is so neat and clean.

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  16. totally enjoying your post...

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  17. Thank you @Rakesh Kumar ji. There were no fruits, cornflakes or the like only bread, plain rice (with no curry), salad and beverages available for pure vegetarians in the breakfast buffet.

    @stardust I am so happy to hear from you, Yoko :)

    Japan's transportation is really very convenient and I cant stop admiring its efficiency. I myself don't know much of the different train lines but I did manage to get a bit of hang on the subway train route map of Tokyo from second day onwards and enjoyed traveling in the trains after that.

    Thank you for your visits and comments. :)

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  18. What a great hotel! Love the bathroom.

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  19. Wishing I was there, this looks wonderful.

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  20. Very detail post:)...I agree the right hotel delight one's travel experience:)..I normally will stay in Shinjuku in Japan, but maybe next time I will try:)

    Like your blog with many GREAT photos:)..haha...sorry, I always like to check out other's photos..esp they looks great:) Will come back from time to time:)

    Cheers:)

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  21. Hi Arti,
    That Roppongi Hotel must be pleased to get a good word of mouth from you. I'm glad you were quite satisfied with its location, amenities, friendly staff...

    The public transportation system is so efficient in Tokyo but I hear the rush-hour is a nightmare, though I remember your talking about how overcrowded the train in Mumbai is!
    Anyway it's good that you have a good sense of direction to move around for yourself using maps. Looking forward to your next report.
    Cosmos Keiko

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  22. Hello Arti,
    Wow, Roppongi is one of the most posh areas in Tokyo, but taking a close look at the town, it still has kept a local, traditional atmosphere.
    I am very glad to know your travel in Tokyo was quite satisfactory!
    I have a very bad sense of direction. In Osaka or Kyoto, even Nara, I get lost many times. But when it comes to public transportation in Tokyo, they are superb and easier to take a transfer, comparing with public transportation of Osaka or Kyoto. I got lost less in Tokyo.
    Arti, wasn't you surprised to find how deep in the ground the subway stations are located?
    I am sorry, I missed your former blogs.
    I enjoyed reading all.
    Have a great weekend!
    keiko

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  23. Good to see that hotel is keeping a computer as well.. usually hotels provide only wifi and expect guests to use it on their own systems

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  24. Your hotel looks awesome.

    I dream of going to Japan. Thank you for bringing us here through your wonderful photos & stories.

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  25. Looks like a nice,neat,elegant and comfortable place.

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  26. ¸❤✿•.¸
    ♥ Bom fim de semana!
    ♡ Beijinhos.
    Brasil

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  27. A luxurious hotel and amenities. Thank you for sharing Arti! xo

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  28. Oh I love the look of the room - sparse and simple yet with a touch of elegance. You've done a masterful job of relaying your experience and review.
    I'm thinking I would have a difficult time with the food - I'm not only vegetarian but also I must eat gluten-free food and it seems that would be difficult to find - gluten-free.
    Thanks for a wonderful tour of the hotel! Happy day to you.

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  29. Arti, we stayed at the Hotel Pacific in Shinagawa. It was a very nice hotel. I was told later that beds in Japan tend to be smaller than beds in the USA, perhaps because the people are smaller. David is a big man and requires a king size (American) bed. But, we both enjoyed the elegant restaurants in the hotel. The breakfast buffet was outstanding.

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  30. Definitely a luxurious hotel, Arti. I've never been to one that provides night clothes.

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  31. They did a great job finding your hotel Arti! Looks like it had everything a world traveler could desire! (And I love a breakfast buffet!)

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  32. Another wonderful travel log. You make traveling sound so easy. I wish I could just up and go sometimes. If I did I would have to come to one of your blogs and take all your travel advice. I so have to know exactly where I am staying and what I will be doing. So until then I live my travels through people like you. Thanks for sharing. Hugs Carrie

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  33. What a detailed information Arti! The hotel looks very decent and should've felt good like home after the tiresome day of sightseeing!

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  34. Wow , everything looks perfect !Smiling at the pajamas.We vegeterians have very limited meal choices when travelling abroad.

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  35. I love when a really nice breakfast is included. That makes me feel like I'm getting something for my money. And those pajamas are cute.

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  36. Super luxurious, I will stay there if I ever get a chance to visit Japan. Thanks for sharing Arti!

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  37. @snowwhite Along with the station depth, the intricate detailing in which they have laid out the entire route is amazing! And please don't worry about the misses.. read them at your own leisure. :-)

    @Shrinidhi Hande Free internet usage was included in our room tariff and it was unlimited to use.

    @gigihawaii That was interesting to know. Many thanks for sharing.

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  38. Lovely luxurious hotel indeed!

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  39. Hi Arti,

    Wonderful post and I enjoyed reading about the Hotel you stayed in.
    Looks like a very comfortable room
    Thanks for sharing and I look forward to seeing more of your trip.

    Happy new week
    Carolyn

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  40. What makes your travel posts special is that conversational style of writing and the incredible detail you provide, Arti! Keep it going

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  41. Hi Arti

    Very nice pictures and very informative....I love these buffet breakfasts at hotels...The sight of the lavish lay out really perks you up ...And unfortunately in many of them, vegetarians can have only bread and juice :) And 'Good To Drink' Tap water? Wow!! :)

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  42. I promise to stay there as and when I get to go to Japan :)..

    Thanks for a lovely review , looks veyr very impressive

    Open letter to all -Bikram's

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  43. The place looks amazing from both inside and outside. The food looks amazing as well.

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  44. Arti,

    Who doesn't love a nice comfy armchair tour?? Jaw dropping Japan!!
    No wonder, blogging is amazing for expanding the visual horizons, isn't it?
    Thanks for all the details....

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  45. I am so glad with your yatra diary new posts.. I am loving it.
    Not to say I did not enjoy the older classic posts of yours, but this is entertaining too.

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  46. I can see how much you enjoyed your tour of Japan which you very well deserved :)

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  47. You are right Arti. Hotels do matter a lot! And more often than not, it decides our overall experience..

    I should not have read this post after having lunch. Damn hungry again!! :P

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  48. Nice review with a very informative post. Hotel looks like a luxury hotel. Looking forward for more posts of this trip.

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  49. i always choose hotels that are close to the train station, too. that way i can roam around the city easily.

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  50. Very thorough! Can't wait to read more.

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  51. WOW! Arti, what a wonderful visual experience reading your posts, as always. You don't leave any stone unturned, do you? Each and every detail is so accurate and to the point. The hotel looks lovely. :)

    PS: I am also a vegetarian, and I am happy to see you go through lengths to find veggie food. :)

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  52. A detailed account and nicely written. Interesting images as well. Since I am planning to go to Tokyo in October, this is of added interest to me.
    Sabyasachi

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  53. This hotel looks real nice place to stay.

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  54. nice place to be ... Japan..good pics taken!

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  55. photos are awesome... facilities r too good... the stay must have been unforgettable...

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  56. Ah, Japan..! Did you buy any Japanese doll?

    Enjoyed your narration as much as pictures :)

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  57. Great post ! Considering that this was a contest win ( Wasn't it ? ), I am sure, it would have been even more pleasant !

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  58. Inexplicable happiness you have gathered through your lenses.

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  59. Wow!!! This looks so interesting. The Hotel looks good and neat too.

    Vegertarian food is indeed a problem there.

    Now going to read the rest of your Japan posts :-)

    Have a lovely day, dear Arti :-)

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  60. Hi Arti, Thanks a ton for your encouraging words about my blog. You have a wonderful wonderful blog and I have not even covered half of it, it seems like a treasure trove. Your Japan pictures are awesome, and yes I am your next follower and regular reader .. sooo glad to meet you... take care..

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  61. i wish i could ever say .. that noted this blog for my future plans to visit Japan :-(

    but only in my dreams !

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  62. Seems somebody is enjoying :)
    Informative and tempting :P... Way to go!! :)

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  63. I love your blog and how descriptive it is! All the pictures and information are really helpful. Thanks and happy travels!!

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  64. You know, I just love that there are people who writes good stuff.
    That hotel looks amazing within the way to describe it.
    Nice picture through!

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  65. Liked the hospitality and amenities of this hotel in my Japan trip :-P
    BTW what's INR equivalence of an yen?

    Regards,
    Anunoy Samanta
    -------------------------------
    http://just4suzan.blogspot.com

    http://imakemytrip.blogspot.com

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  66. @Anunoy Samanta 100 INR ~= 150 JPYen and yes, the hospitality is indeed amazing!

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  67. Looks like a lovely hotel! And Miso soup for breakfast?? LOL! I love the cute little sign on the water tap, and the pyjamas, what a sweet little touch! I love hotels that add little nitbits like that. Needless to say, you had a fabulous time, didn't you?

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  68. This looks like a very simple, clean hotel which I often prefer. But, cabbage and miso soup for breakfast?? Not exactly very heartyto start your day, eh lol?? Thank you for all of the detailed pictures! Good post :)

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Delighted you stopped by... Your suggestions, feedback are really appreciated. Thanks a lot :) Hope you visit again!

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