Bino

Far East Organization formally opened Far East Village Hotel Tokyo Asakusa in April 2023 with a location that is about 5 minutes walk away from Tawaramachi Station and near the traditional Asakusa district surrounding the iconic Sensoji Temple. This is Far East Organization’s 3rd hotel in Japan.

The property itself is rebranded from what used to be Red Planet Asakusa. With the Far East Organization acquisition, certain changes were made to some furnishings, amenities and aesthetic fit the color scheme of the brand.

With 135 rooms, this is a mid-sized hotel with just 12 floors. The lobby plays a focal point in the hotel stay as some room amenities are kept here. Aside from check-in/check-out formalities, bathroom amenities such as shaving kit, cotton buds, etc are also placed here for guest to bring back to the room.

There is also free-flow coffee from the lobby’s Nespresso machine, with 4 different types of coffee capsules to choose from. 

To differentiate itself from local hotels, the property also has a “Live Like a Local” booklet containing various recommendations around the neighborhood. This includes places to eat as well as tourist attractions in the vicinity. 

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Conveniently located just opposite the Guggenheim, the Gran Hotel Domine Bilbao opened in 2002 as what was then (and still is) one of the poshest hotels in the largest city in the Basque Country.

The luxury property, which has 145 rooms, seems to be a much larger hotel than what its capacity suggests. It has at least 3 dining outlets including a rooftop terrace, a gym, spa and sauna. At the time of this writing, there is even a fine-dining restaurant under development. It is pretty much a full-service property by any sense of the word. 

Tip: Although it’s a standalone hotel, Gran Hotel Domine Bilbao is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts – a group of over 650 independent properties around the world. Preferred Hotels & Resorts has its own loyalty programme – I-Preferred. If you decide to stay at this property, you can earn points from the stay and enjoy additional benefits by booking the I-Preferred member rate. You can get more information here

You can’t expect a hotel located just next to the Guggenheim to be cookie-cutter and in that respect, the Gran Hotel Domine Bilbao is almost like an art gallery in itself with unique pieces peppered throughout the public areas. The artworks are from Javier Mariscal who designed the hotel when it first opened.

The art pieces in the hotel are not just mere paintings. Of note is the tall bag of rocks soaring above the hotel’s distinctive curving atrium as well as the mini-clocks at the lobby that form to tell the time. Even the lift lobbies on the individual floors have some sort of art work displayed.

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