Inside Hilton Yokohama: What Travelers Need To Know [Review]

Yokohama, Japan’s second-largest city, is relatively close to Tokyo yet often overlooked by tourists. The city is known for its historical port and futuristic waterfront district and is home to Japan’s largest Chinatown.

Instead of taking a long day trip from Tokyo, my wife and I planned to spend the night to really enjoy ourselves. After narrowing down potential hotels, we selected the Hilton Yokohama for its ideal location in the city center, which looked to be near many of the main tourist attractions.

Read on for my full review of the property and decide whether this property is worth considering if you travel to Yokohama.

Booking Hilton Yokohama

Although I do not stay at Hilton hotels very often, I still have top-tier Hilton Honors Diamond status, as I hold the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card* in my wallet. The Hilton Aspire card is a premium Hilton card with several benefits, including an annual free night certificate, up to $400 annual Hilton resort credits (up to $200 in statement credits semi-annually), and cell phone protection.

*The information regarding the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

However, I did intend to stay at a few Hilton properties on this 3-month trip to Asia with my wife. I began searching for hotels in Yokohama and was surprised to learn there was only 1 Hilton option: Hilton Yokohama. However, since the property was incredibly close to Yokohama Station (or so I thought), it seemed to be an excellent place to spend a night.

For the cheapest room, cash rates for the March 2025 night I was looking to book were around ¥23,500 (around $160). Although I wanted a base room with a king-size bed, unfortunately, none were available. I ended up booking a Twin Deluxe Room, hoping to be upgraded to a room with a king-size bed upon check-in.

The room for this stay came out to ¥23,885 ($160), including taxes and fees. As with all of my Hilton stays, I paid with my Hilton Aspire card, as it earns 14x points spent at hotels in the Hilton portfolio.

Hot Tip:

It’s important to use the right rewards card to maximize your earnings. Consider booking your Hilton stay with one of our top recommended credit cards for Hilton loyalists.

Hilton Yokohama Location

The Hilton Yokohama is in the Minatomirai area of Nishi Ward in Yokohama. The property is less than a 10-minute walk from Shin-Takashima train station and less than 14 minutes from Yokohama Station, one of Japan’s busiest stations.

Although the property is quite central and relatively close to Yokohama Station, it is about a 20-to-30-minute journey by foot to many of Yokohama’s tourist attractions, including the Cup Noodles Museum, Red Brick Warehouse, and the Nogeyama Zoological Gardens.

Getting There

From Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) Terminal 2, you can take the Airport Limousine Bus to Yokohama Eki Kaisatsuguchi mae Station. The Hilton Yokohama is a 10-minute walk from the station. The journey takes about 50 minutes and costs ¥650 (around $4.50).

You can also catch the Airport Limousine Bus from Tokyo’s other international airport, Tokyo-Narita International Airport (NRT). However, that journey takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Additionally, the closest stop to the Hilton Yokohama requires a 15-minute walk.

Although the property seems relatively close to both Yokohama and Shin-Takashima stations, it is located near the bay, which requires walking through several buildings to reach the stations.

My wife and I arrived via train after a wonderful few days in Tokyo. With our bags, it took us nearly 18 minutes to walk from Yokohama Station to the property. The journey required using several escalators and elevators to reach the hotel.

Checking In at Hilton Yokohama

It is easy to spot the property, as it is one of the tallest buildings in Yokohama.

After walking from the station, we arrived at the hotel at around 11 a.m. A friendly bellman welcomed us to the property, and I mentioned that I was there to check in.

The bellman politely took our bags and guided us past an intricate staircase and art piece to the elevators that would take us to the hotel lobby on the third floor.

After getting off the elevators, I proceeded straight to the check-in counters to the left. I immediately noticed the black and gold theme across the lobby, which created a luxurious and elegant feel.

A front desk representative greeted me and thanked me for my Hilton Honors loyalty. She mentioned I could head to the Executive Lounge on the fifth floor to complete the check-in process there instead.

I agreed, and a hotel representative guided us to the elevators to the Executive Lounge.

After arriving at the Executive Lounge, we were greeted by a different representative who welcomed us to the property and thanked us for our loyalty. He collected our bags and said that they would be sent directly to our room upon check-in.

I mentioned to the agent that I would like to request a room with a king bed if one were available. Unfortunately, he noted a king bed would not be available for at least another 2 hours.

However, he mentioned that several rooms were available, including rooms with 2 twin beds placed relatively close together. Since my wife and I preferred to get a room as early as possible, we said OK to that.

Since no suite upgrade was offered, I politely requested one. The representative said that the Hilton Yokohama does not offer complimentary suite upgrades.

The agent upgraded us to a Twin Premium High Floor room on the 24th floor. He also provided us with room key cards, a premium Wi-Fi access card, and 2 breakfast vouchers.

He explained that I could have breakfast at either the Parade restaurant or in the Hilton Executive Lounge, but he suggested going to the restaurant because it had a wider selection of food.

The agent asked if I wanted a later 2 p.m. checkout, a benefit of Hilton Diamond status, to be placed in the system, to which I, of course, said yes. I thanked him and was ready to head to our room.

Elite Benefits

As a Hilton Honors Diamond member, I was entitled to several benefits. These included:

• 2 p.m. late checkout
• 2 complimentary bottles of water
• Space-available room upgrade
• Complimentary breakfast for 2
• Executive Lounge access

Twin Premium High Floor Guest Room

As we got off the elevator on the 24th floor, we walked down a nicely lit hallway to our room.

As I entered the room, I was greeted by a narrow foyer with a hallway leading to the main living area.

Our bags were neatly placed in the storage compartment and closet directly to the left.

The closet’s furthest left compartment contained the room’s safe, which had additional drawers beneath it.

Between the 2 closets was a small counter space that featured a coffee machine.

The right compartment contained glassware, the room’s relatively small minifridge, an ice maker, and an electric kettle.

We then walked into the main living area of the room. The room’s 2 twin-size beds were against the right wall and closer together than I expected, which was a nice surprise.

The beds each featured 2 comfortable pillows and thick bedding. The massive and plush headboard had integrated light controls and reading lamps.

The room’s wall-mounted flat-screen television was directly across from the bed. Below the television was a small storage nook.

The room’s lounging area was directly to the left of the bed. It featured 2 armchairs and a small table in between them. One of the armchairs also had an ottoman.

The hotel provided us with a welcome card and a small box of wafer cookies. Although it was an extremely thoughtful gesture, the cookies were not tasty.

The room’s workstation was to the left of the lounging area and next to the television. The room’s telephone was discreetly placed on the side of the desk.

The provided chair was quite simple and uncomfortable. It would have been nice if the hotel had a more ergonomic seat.

There was a sizable floor-to-ceiling mirror next to the workstation.

The room’s window offered lovely views of Yokohama Station, apartment buildings, and corporate offices.

You could also see Yokohama Pier and Yokohama Central Wholesale Market.

Bottom Line:

Overall, the room was incredibly basic. Honestly, I could not tell the difference between a Twin Deluxe room and this upgraded room. However, it was clean and met all of our needs, and I enjoyed the view from the room. Although the 2 beds were relatively close together, there was still a small gap, which was not ideal as it did not replace the comfort of a single king bed.

Bathroom

The bathroom entrance was near the room entrance. It featured pocket doors and was divided into 3 sections.

The main section of the bathroom had a vanity. Beneath the vanity were towels and a hair dryer.

The hotel provided complimentary toiletries, including shower caps, hairbrushes, mouthwash, and dental kits.

The room’s toilet was to the left, and it featured its own private door. It was a standard Japanese toilet with a Toto bidet system. Thanks to this ingenious system, I am a huge fan of Japanese toilets.

The shower had its own door on the far right of the bathroom. It featured a walk-in shower with a handheld, retractable showerhead and a rainfall showerhead.

The hotel also provided wall-mounted reusable bottles of Crabtree shower amenities, including shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.

The shower also contained a soaking tub, though we did not use it.

Amenities

As expected from a massive property, the Hilton Yokohama had many guest amenities.

Fitness Center

The property boasted a fully equipped fitness center that was open 24 hours a day and offered a variety of cardio equipment, including several treadmills.

Next to the treadmills, there was also an elliptical and a stationary bike for those wanting variety.

Opposite the cardio machines was a rack that contained equipment, including medicine balls and kettlebells.

The gym had a good selection of strength equipment, including an FTS Glide machine and free weights.

Hotel Shop Oasis

Hotel Shop Oasis was past the lobby before reaching the guest floor elevators and sold snacks and souvenirs.

There was a great selection of chocolate and baked goods.

Parking

Self-parking was available for ¥3,000 ($20) per day.

Limousine Bus to Haneda Airport

The Hilton Yokohama also offers 3 scheduled daily departures to Haneda Airport. Tickets cost ¥1,000 ($6.70) for adults and ¥500 ($3.35) for children.

Food and Beverages

Hilton Yokohama had several on-site restaurants, ranging from the Hilton Executive Lounge to high-end Japanese and seafood restaurants.

Executive Lounge

As with many Hilton hotels worldwide, there was a Hilton Executive Lounge. The lounge was on the fifth floor and could be reached from the elevators in the lobby.

Hilton Diamond members and those booked in Executive rooms get complimentary access to the lounge, which is open daily between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Guests with access can have breakfast here daily between 7 and 9:30 a.m.

The lounge featured a large seating area with tables for 2 running the length of the walls and tables for 4 in the center.

Throughout the day, guests could have snacks and drinks at the lounge. It had a nice selection of sweets, including cookies, crackers, doughnuts, and individually wrapped gummy bear packets.

The beverage selection was also fantastic. Guests could select from distilled or sparkling water, fruit juices, lemonade, and San Pellegrino sparkling drinks.

Additional food and alcoholic drinks were served during the lounge’s cocktail hour daily between 5 and 7 p.m. This included a wide selection of dried fruits and nuts as a starter.

However, the cocktail hour’s defining food was the fish and chips, with condiments including ketchup and tartar sauce.

The fish and chips were amazing and offered a refreshing break from all the Japanese food we had been eating.

Parade

Parade is the hotel’s main all-day dining restaurant on the third floor. It is a massive, buffet-style restaurant with 4 separate meal services: breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner.

Hilton Diamond members could have their complimentary breakfast at Parade, which is what we did.

Upon entering the massive restaurant, I was pleased to see the variety of food offered for the breakfast buffet, divided into separate sections. First, there was a section with fried fish cake, Japanese meat-and-potato stew, simmered chicken and vegetables, and grilled salmon and mackerel.

Next was a hot food station with steamed vegetables, gratin dauphinois, baked beans, and ratatouille.

The bakery section had a wide selection of breads and pastries, including muffins, danishes, lattice pastries, and rolls.

A baked bread section had croissants and quiche Lorraine.

Next, there were fresh waffles, French toast, and pancakes.

There was also a good selection of beverages, including milk, teas, juices, and mineral and infused water.

After looking through the endless food choices, I grabbed a full breakfast plate and headed to my seat. I had grilled fish, a healthy amount of French toast, and pancakes with various toppings, including fresh mango, mixed berries, maple syrup, and whipped cream.

Bottom Line:

The breakfast buffet at Parade offered a great selection of food. The staff did an excellent job of restocking the food as it was being consumed.

Ocean Milano

Ocean Milano, which specializes in seafood and roast beef, is on the second floor and accessible via the stairs near the hotel lobby. It is open daily between 5:30 and 9:30 p.m.

Ocean Milano boasted a comprehensive menu featuring both a course set and an à la carte menu.

It also showcased a visually appealing bar, with various bottles of liquor displayed on a glass shelf suspended from the ceiling, giving the illusion that they were floating.

Melody

Lastly, the hotel also features a bar and lounge, Melody, near the elevators leading to the lobby. The bar and lounge featured a menu with cocktails and a selection of appetizers and sandwiches.

Melody is open daily between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m.

Service

Although I didn’t interact with the hotel staff often, I was impressed by the exceptional level of service provided. As expected in Japan, the staff was incredibly welcoming, constantly smiling, and seemed to enjoy their jobs. It was evident that the staff took pride in providing excellent Japanese hospitality to hotel guests.

The staff in the Executive Lounge was fantastic. They consistently checked in on my wife and me to make sure we had anything we needed. Upon seeing my Sony camera, one of the Executive Lounge members even recommended great photography spots around Yokohama.

Final Thoughts

The Hilton Yokohama is a solid property near Yokohama Station. Although it is conveniently near the city’s biggest transportation hub, I did not enjoy the hotel’s location. Many of Yokohama’s biggest tourist attractions were quite a walk away.

Although I have Hilton Honors Diamond elite status, I was surprised that the hotel did not provide complimentary suite upgrades. The Twin Premium room was quite basic, although it did offer nice views.

The staff was welcoming and helpful, which always improves hotel experiences. The food in the Executive Lounge and breakfast were also enjoyable.

Still, I would not stay at the property again, primarily because of the hotel’s location. There are many more cost-effective hotels in better locations across Yokohama.

For the cell phone protection benefit of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.