Review: Mesm Tokyo, Autograph Collection Hotel

For my two nights in Tokyo, I decided to stay at the Mesm Tokyo, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. This cost 129,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, which I happily paid instead of the US$1,616 cash rate.

This property opened in April 2020, just as Japan closed its borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And given Japan’s relatively late reopening, it hasn’t received the same kind of coverage as other Marriott properties in Tokyo, despite being five years old.

But I’m so glad I decided to check it out, because the Mesm is now among my favourite hotels and I can’t wait to return. 

Mesm Tokyo: Arrival and check-in

The Mesm Tokyo is located by the waterfront in the WATERS Takeshiba complex in Minato City. It’s just a couple of minutes’ walk to the Takeshiba Station and Takeshiba Ship Terminal (where cruises depart), but I wouldn’t necessarily call it an ideal location for those hoping to visit Tokyo’s most popular sights. 

It’s about a 12-minute walk to the Daimon subway station and Hamamatsucho JR line, and the closest attraction of note is the Hamarikyu Gardens. From Tokyo Haneda, the hotel can be reached in about 45 minutes via the Keikyu Airport Line, and from Tokyo Narita in 90 minutes via the Keisei Narita Skyaccess. The Airport Limousine Bus also picks up passengers directly from the hotel driveway, offering a convenient (if slightly pricey) way of getting to Narita. 

I was warmly greeted on arrival by the bellhops, who took my bags and directed me to the elevators where I headed up to the 16th floor for check-in.

The lobby boasts stunning design, with soaring ceilings and full-height windows really accentuating the sense of space. From here you can drink in the views of the surrounding neighbourhood, equally impressive by day as by night.

At check-in, the staff confirmed my Marriott Bonvoy Platinum benefits, including complimentary breakfast and a guaranteed 4 p.m check-out. There was no upgrade for me, but I did appreciate that there was a room ready when I arrived at 10.20 a.m.

Mesm Tokyo: Chapter 1 room

Mesm Tokyo has a total of 265 rooms, spread across the 17th to 26th floors and split into the following categories. 

The names aren’t very intuitive, but all you need to know is the higher the number, the bigger the room. Chapter 3/4 are suites, and with only eight of them available, the best upgrade you can realistically hope for as a Marriott elite is to Chapter 2.

My booking was for a Chapter 1 room, the base category measuring in at 40 sqm. That’s very spacious by Tokyo standards, mind you, and a welcome relief from shoebox-sized rooms where opening your luggage significantly reduces the livable space.

The room felt new and fresh, with much of the furniture and fittings in mint condition despite the hotel being five years old.

Spacious though the room may be, it’s worth noting that it lacks a proper work desk. The closest thing you’ll get is the two-seater couch with round coffee table and ottoman. This had a power outlet and Type-A USB port built into the side, but it’s ultimately not a very ergonomic setup for work. 

The room’s Wi-Fi network clocked in at 45 Mbps down and 47 Mbps up, more than enough for 4K movie streaming, video calls and other bandwidth-intensive applications. 

You’ve probably noticed the keyboard by now. All rooms at the Mesm Tokyo come with a “Privia” digital piano from Casio It’s a cute little gimmick, and doubles as a Bluetooth speaker too. I did have concerns that certain guests might decide to put on an ill-advised concert at ungodly hours, but thankfully that didn’t materialise.

The room had a 55″ flat screen TV with a built-in Chromecast that supported video streaming. 

The king-sized bed was extremely comfortable, with high thread count sheets and a padded headboard.

Each bedside had a power outlet and USB-A port for charging. One side had light buttons, the other a tablet which could control all that and much more. The tablet also contains information on how to make tea and coffee, as well as the various features of the piano. There’s even a notepad with a fudepen, another nod to the local culture.

The room’s mini-bar was entirely complimentary, and included pour-over coffee from Sarutahiko Coffee, matcha green tea from Maikonocha Honpo, Spring Valley Japan Ale, juice and a 1-litre carton of water. 

Clothes and luggage could be stored in the closet, which was well stocked with hangers. 

The bathroom was clad in high-gloss marble, with a single vanity and adjacent dressing table. 

On the dressing table was what looked like a spell book, which turned out to be a creative little way of storing all the disposable amenities like dental kits and shower caps. The printing on the packaging formed a mosaic of a galleon, what I assume is a homage to the area’s nautical history. 

The wet area of the bathroom had a large overhead rain shower paired with a hand shower. Water pressure was excellent, and I appreciated the wall-mounted mirror which made it easy to shave and brush your teeth in the shower. Shampoo, conditioner and body wash from Mesm’s own in-house brand The Blend was mounted on the wall in bulk-sized bottles.

One nifty feature of the bathtub was the “bath spout timer”, which activated the water for exactly 11 minutes. This allowed you to turn on the tap, leave the room to attend to other matters, and return to a hot bath (and not a flooded room).

Hanging on the wall was a KIMONO Robe, a combination bathrobe/pajama made of a special yarn that’s lightweight and highly absorbent. The towel quality was great too, the result of yet another collaboration with Asano Nenshi.

The toilet (and supplementary mini-sink) was housed in a separate room, which is actually a good arrangement if you think about it. I mean, I can imagine there are things you don’t want your roommate doing while you brush your teeth. 

On the whole I really liked the room, not just for the spaciousness or design, but also for all the opportunities they took to showcase various Japanese brands with the coffee, the tea, the bathrobes, the towels, even the piano. I mean, there’s even a Bearbrick x Tokyo Waves collab waiting at the entrance, just because. 

Mesm Tokyo: Facilities

If there’s one area where the Mesm Tokyo falls short, it’s the facilities. The hotel has no kids’ club, swimming pool or spa, so those who want these will need to look elsewhere. 

The only facility of note is the gym.

Gym

The mesm Tokyo’s gym is located on the 17th floor, and is open 24 hours a day. It’s a fairly small facility at just 106 sqm, but has a decent range of Technogym machines for a workout. The hotel does not provide rental shoes or clothes. 

Mesm Tokyo: Breakfast

Breakfast is served at Chef’s Theatre every morning from 6.30 a.m to 11 a.m (with the last seating at 10 a.m), and is complimentary for Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Titanium and Ambassador members. If breakfast is not included in your rate, the charge is 5,700 JPY (~S$52) per adult.

If you arrive early enough, try to get a seat by the windows, which offer a great view of Tokyo.

Breakfast is served buffet style, and the quality is fantastic. I don’t think I’ve ever had such a great breakfast in all my stays in Tokyo

To start off, there’s freshly-squeezed juice, “5 Senses” shots (meant to stimulate the five senses- try the Hearing one, it’s like Yakult), tea and coffee (they have barista coffee too in addition to the machines, thankfully), granola and breakfast cereals

Then there’s a wide variety of pastries and baked goods, pancakes and waffles. 

Next up is the fruit section, and unlike most hotels where this is an afterthought, here you could get all the Japanese musk melon you wanted. Each piece was divine, and I couldn’t believe it was all-you-can-eat. The staff refilled the platter as quickly as I emptied it.

Elsewhere were staples like steamed Japanese rice, assorted pickles, miso soup, congee, delicious house-cured salmon, and something called a Signifiant (not “significant”, as I first saw) Sandwich, so named for the Signifiant Signifie bakery of Katsuei Shiga, a pioneer of low-temperature, slow fermentation. 

The hot food section had everything you could possibly want: bacon, sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms, crispy potatoes, roast pork, Gyoza balls, even ratatouille because why not.

But the star attraction was no doubt the snow crab omelette, made using Echire butter and cage-free eggs. I cannot emphasise enough how good this was, with a runny interior and drizzle of crab bisque to finish. I always had at least two with every breakfast.

In addition to that, there was also a hot ramen option that rotated daily.

What more can I say about breakfast? This was easily the highlight of the stay, and I’d return in a heartbeat just for this. 

Mesm Tokyo: Ginza Miyachiku

Ginza Miyachiku is the hotel’s teppanyaki restaurant, located on the 4th floor of the hotel. 

I had a set lunch here on the last day, which cost JPY 6,500 per person and featured an appetizer, salad, 100g of Miyazaki beef, and dessert. 

It was…just OK. I know that you can’t get the amazing stuff at this price point, but I was still surprised to find the beef very sinewy and not all that great to chew. I thought you couldn’t get mediocre beef in Japan- first time for everything I guess. 

Conclusion

Despite its somewhat out of the way location and lack of full hotel amenities, I really enjoyed my stay at the Mesm Tokyo. It felt fresh and modern, and I loved all the little collaborations that showed the kind of thought that’d been put into the stay experience.

The breakfast, of course, was stellar, though I would probably go somewhere else for teppanyaki.

All in all, a hearty recommendation from me.