tl;dr – More luxury points hotels in Japan are always fun, and Hilton will add a historic one.
Hilton’s luxury soft brand, LXR Hotels & Resorts, continues to grow. Recently, it was announced that the newest addition to the LXR portfolio will be in Tokyo, Japan. Hilton will transition the famed Hotel Gajoen in Meguro City over to an LXR Hotel & Resort in 2027.
This is a pretty interesting addition for Hilton as the property has some history and a strong local following. Known as the ‘museum hotel’, the property opened in 1928 as one of Japan’s first luxury properties (it actually first started out as a restaurant). Famous for its “Hyakudan Kaidan” (Hundred Stairs), the hotel is filled with hundreds of traditional and modern Japanese art pieces.
Over time, it became Japan’s first-ever integrated hotel and wedding resort – one of the leading choices for couples looking to secure those nuptials. Which bleeds into why this ‘rebirth’ comes at a good time for the property. The hotel mysteriously cancelled 180 weddings late last year as it seems to have been ‘sorting itself’ out. Now with plans to undergo renovations before reopening later in 2026 (and then formally rebranding as Gajoen Tokyo, LXR Hotels & Resorts in early 2027) things appear to be on the upswing.
Located next to the Megoru River, in its current shape, the Hotel Gajoen’s 60 large suites (all over 80m²) are designed as tea rooms and come equipped with private saunas and jetted tubs.
There are seven on-site restaurants, a bar, and a fitness center. The hotel Gajoen’s spa has both a sauna and a Turkish bath, and a hair salon. Guests can also enjoy yoga classes.
Hilton’s only other (core portfolio) luxury property in Tokyo is the Conrad Tokyo, so adding the Hotel Gajeon will raise the chain’s luxury offerings in “The Big Mikan.”
This LXR project is one of several Hilton’s planning around the world – there are ~40 projects in the pipeline in places like Morocco, Turks and Caicos, Santorini, and Australia’s Gold Coast.
