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Review of The Prince Sakura Tower in Tokyo, Japan
- andrewsco3
- 4 days ago
- 10 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Finding a Tokyo hotel that works well for a family isn’t always straightforward.
In this review, we share our experience from our five night stay at the Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo, - including our thoughts on the room, amenities, and location - to help you decide whether it’s the right fit for your family trip.
The Prince Sakura Tower was the first hotel on our 100‑day family sabbatical, and it turned out to be an excellent base for our first few days in Japan.
After the 10‑hour flight from Canada, dealing with jet lag, and navigating our way through the airport and the Japanese train system with kids and luggage, settling into a clean and comfortable hotel room was exactly what we needed.
There were so many things we genuinely loved about this hotel.
The service we received from the staff was among the best we’ve experienced at any Marriott property - truly first class.
The location near Shinagawa Station made it very easy to get around the city. While the hotel is located outside the centre of the city, the excellent train connections meant we could reach anywhere in Tokyo quickly and without hassle.
We also loved that the hotel had its own beautiful Japanese garden right beside it, which was an added bonus, and a peaceful place to unwind each evening.
If you’re already considering staying here, you can check availability and prices on Booking.com and read guest reviews on TripAdvisor.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend hotels we genuinely love and use ourselves.
How to Get to the Prince Sakura Tower in Tokyo?
Getting to the Prince Sakura Tower from the Tokyo airports is straightforward, even for those that don't have any experience navigating the Japanese train system (like us)!
If you’re flying into Haneda Airport, take the Keikyu Line directly to Shinagawa Station, which takes around 20 minutes. From there, it’s only a 5-minute walk to the hotel (use the Takanawa Exit).
If you’re arriving at Narita Airport, the easiest option is the Narita Express, which goes straight to Shinagawa Station in about 70 minutes.
If you prefer, you can also take a taxi directly to the hotel, though it’s a much more expensive option (and with Tokyo traffic, not necessarily quicker). A fare is around ¥25,000 (~$235 CAD) from Narita (60–90 minutes depending on traffic) and about ¥6,000 (~$55 CAD) from Haneda (20–30 minutes).
For most people, the train is going to be the best option.
The Prince Sakura Tower is a bit further from central Tokyo and its main attractions, but with Shinagawa Station just a few minutes’ walk away, we found getting around very easy.
In fact, we appreciated being able to escape the busy crowds at the end of the day, and loved having the hotel’s Japanese Garden to walk around after dinner in the evening.
To take the stress out of getting around Tokyo, use a Suica card, either physical or on your phone. Just tap to enter the station and hop on a JR line to reach nearly anywhere in the city quickly and easily.
How Much Does a Stay at the Hotel Cost?
The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo is part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, and it’s one of the brand’s higher‑end options in the city.
As with most hotels in Tokyo, rates vary significantly depending on the season, overall demand, and whether you’re visiting during major holidays or events (such as cherry blossom season).
During our stay at the end of September and beginning of October, cash rates were around ¥50,000 per night (approximately $450 CAD) for a standard Deluxe King or Deluxe Double room.
For comparison, a dummy booking for the end of March (i.e peak cherry blossom season) showed rates closer to ¥90,000 per night (about $840 CAD).
As with most hotel bookings, the earlier you book, the better pricing you tend to get.
Utilizing Hotel Points
As a Marriott property, The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo can also be booked using Marriott Bonvoy points. Award redemptions typically range from around 40,000 points on off‑peak dates to 65,000 points or more during high‑demand periods.
For our stay in late September, we redeemed 224,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for a 5‑night booking. While this may not have been the absolute best point‑per‑dollar value, it allowed us to enjoy a stay that would have cost roughly $2,500 CAD - completely free. For us, that made it more than worthwhile.
If you hold a Marriott Bonvoy American Express credit card, you can use your annual free night certificate (worth up to 35,000 points, or 50,000 points if you top it up with additional points) toward a stay here, if nights are priced at 50,000 or below.
I strongly recommend exploring how credit card rewards can help offset the cost of travel. This strategy has allowed us to stay in 5‑star hotels and even fly in business class, which are experiences that simply wouldn’t have been possible for us if we were paying full price.
Check in Experience
Check‑in at The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo was smooth, professional, and extremely welcoming. The staff recognized our Marriott Bonvoy gold status, and arranged for an upgraded room for us, which was appreciated after a long travel day.
The lobby area is a spacious, modern Japanese‑style room, with vertical wood accents on the walls that have an authentic, but modern feel.
As we arrived at check-in, we were offered a welcome drink and refreshing cold towels, which felt amazing after our twenty‑minute walk from the station with all our bags in the heat!
While I was checking in, the girls relaxed in the lobby, and the staff went ahead and took our luggage straight to our room. Everything was handled very efficiently
The reception staff spoke excellent English and were happy to point us toward the nearest 7‑11 so we could grab a quick snack before bed.
Overall, it was an efficient and professional experience and exactly what you’d hope for from a higher‑end Marriott property.
The 2 Queen Bedroom
One of the biggest challenges we ran into while planning our accommodation in Japan (and Asia in general) was finding a hotel room that could accommodate all four of us.
In Canada, it’s pretty common for families with children to share beds in a two double bed room, but in Japan the posted maximum occupancy is often capped at three people, so it's best to contact the hotel ahead of time to make sure that it's ok.
Thankfully, after emailing the hotel, they confirmed that we could all stay together as long as we shared the existing bedding.
The room itself was nicely decorated without being extravagant. One detail I liked was the carpet, which was patterned with sakura blossoms, in a nod to the hotel’s name.
The hotel provided complimentary bottled water and a Keurig coffee maker and pods were provided and refreshed daily. There was a small fridge, which was perfect for storing our 7-11 snacks!
There was a nightly turndown service, that came with pajamas, slippers, and chocolates, and housekeeping would always organise Evelyn's stuffies at the end of the bed, which she loved.
The bathroom setup was equally impressive. Everything felt clean, modern, and well‑maintained, and we loved having a proper bathtub for the kids. There was a great set of toiletries included too.
The toilet was located in a separate room, and yes, it was one of those wonderfully over‑engineered Japanese toilets with the jet function!
As fancy as it was, it wasn't as fancy as the toilet that automatically opened during our stay at the Osaka Station Hotel - we posted a video of it here.
I think that on the whole, the hotel managed to strike a good balance between luxury and practicality for families.
Other Amenities
The hotel’s basement level houses all the fitness and spa facilities. There is a gym, onsen, and relaxation lounge free of charge, or there is a spa, where you can book treatments like a facial or a traditional massage.
The gym is well-equipped, and has around 20 different types of machines, plus a great selection of weights. I got quite acquainted to the gym, as jet lag was playing havoc with my sleep, so I was a wide awake at 5am for the first couple of mornings! Luckily, the gym is open 24 hours a day!
The hotel also has a traditional Japanese onsen, which is essentially a large same-sex bath, where, in keeping with Japanese custom, bathing without swimwear is required. Let's just say that took a little getting used to!
Children are allowed in the onsen, though of course it can be a sensitive decision whether to take them or not. We decided that although it might be a little strange for them, we thought it was important to give it a try, as onsen are such an important part of Japanese culture.
It’s also worth noting that, as with most baths in Japan, guests with tattoos are not allowed to use the onsen.
The Japanese Garden
One of the unique aspects of the Prince Sakura Tower is the Japanese garden that is right next to the hotel. We visited in October so didn't get to experience it, but did you know that during cherry blossom season, the garden has over 200 cherry trees - it must be quite the experience!
Having direct access to the Japanese Garden from the lobby was something we really appreciated. The girls especially loved feeding the koi in the pond (500 yen), and discovering the small temples and shrines scattered throughout the garden.
Inside the hotel, there’s a helpful information board with a map and details about the temples and the various plants found throughout the garden.
At night the garden is perhaps even more spectacular, as the whole garden is beautifully illuminated, which makes for a wonderful place to take a quick walk before bed.
We kept a daily diary throughout our 100-day sabbatical and covered the hotel’s Japanese Garden in more detail here and here, if you’d like to read more and see extra photos.
Things to do in the Area
As mentioned above, the hotel is located a little way out of the centre of Tokyo, but the transport links are excellent. Shinagawa Station is just a 10–15 minute walk away and is well positioned to take you pretty much anywhere you might want to go in central Tokyo.
Inside Shinagawa Station, there are some fantastic cafés and plenty of grab‑and‑go options once you’ve cleared the gates.
There’s also a 7‑Eleven just a two‑minute walk down the road, which is perfect for a quick breakfast. Onigiri are the best!
Homecoming TAKA Experience
When I’m asked what our families favourite experience in Japan was, this is the one.
The Homecoming TAKA experience is a Japanese culture class where you’re welcomed into Taka and Keiko’s home and taught how to make sushi, homemade udon noodles, and tempura, as well as trying your hand at origami and calligraphy. What makes it truly special is how genuinely you feel like part of the TAKA family by the end of the day.
We wrote much more about the Homecoming TAKA experience here, but if you’re looking for a way to really immerse yourself in Japanese culture, I can't recommend this enough.
You can find out more, check available dates, and book the experience here.
Sengaku-ji Temple
One of our favourite experiences in Tokyo was visiting Sengaku‑ji Temple, which is just a 15‑minute walk from our hotel. Unlike many of the larger, more famous temples, Sengaku‑ji has a quiet and serene atmosphere that makes the visit feel genuinely peaceful and spiritual.
The temple is also rich in history and ritual. It’s home to the graves of the 47 rōnin, and you can place incense sticks as a sign of respect at the grave headstones. There’s also a small museum that tells the story of these legendary samurai.
One of the highlights for our family was the goshuin experience - the girls had to carefully copy a sutra before receiving their goshuin stamp, which is traditional and actually not something that we encountered at any of the other temples we visited in Tokyo.
If you’re curious about goshuin, how they work, and the etiquette around collecting them, we’ve put together a full guide you can read here.
Koyasan Tokyo Betsuin Temple
On the way back to the hotel from Sengaku‑ji, there’s another temple worth a quick stop: Koyasan Tokyo Betsuin, which is a small but beautiful Shingon Buddhist temple. We wrote a bit more about our time visiting both temples here.
From there, the walk back to the hotel takes you through quiet residential streets - a side of Tokyo that feels worlds away from the busy hubs. It was really interesting to wander past everyday neighbourhood life and to see a different side of the city.
Maxell Aqua Park Shinagawa
If you have extra time in your itinerary - especially if you’re travelling with kids - Maxell Aqua Park Shinagawa is another great option nearby. It’s an indoor aquarium known for its immersive light displays, dolphin shows, and interactive exhibits.
We ran out of time on this trip, but it’s definitely something we’d consider for a future visit.
Prince Sakura Tower Hotel Review
Summary
In summary, we hope you enjoyed reading our Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo review. We truly loved our stay here, thanks to the hotel's wonderful service, spacious and comfortable rooms, convenient location near Shinagawa Station, and the beautiful Japanese garden.
If you’re looking for a hotel that offers a calm, family‑friendly base while still making it easy to explore Tokyo, The Prince Sakura Tower is an excellent choice.
If you’re ready to book your stay, you can check availability and pricing or browse more guest reviews on TripAdvisor.
If you choose to book through our links, it helps support our site at no extra cost to you - thank you!
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