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Goodnight, Kitty: We stay in a hotel room dedicated to the queen of kawaii【Photos】

Jessica Oct 3, 2017
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Hello, Kitty. And hello, crossover branding!

We’ve written before about the Hello Kitty hotel room in Osaka, but did you know that Tokyo, home of Sanrio, has its own Kitty-chan rooms at the fancy Keio Plaza Hotel? Recently, we were lucky enough to be invited to stay at one of them and have brought you back this photo-packed report.

We stayed in a Princess Kitty room at the Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku; a frilly, pretty-in-pink confection that somehow has a grown-up feel despite its fairy tale imagery. It’s one of two Kitty-themed rooms they offer. The other is called the Kitty Town room and is also available at the Tama location, next to Sanrio’s Puroland theme park. Kitty Town embraces a bright colored pop esthetic and has a larger-than-life-sized stuffed Kitty kids are sure to love.

Image: Keio Plaza Hotel

Arriving at the hotel, I got to check in via the dedicated express check-in desk, which was a nice touch. In moments, a bellhop was taking me up to my room, easily identifiable from the other rooms by the Hello Kitty bow on the door. The eight Kitty rooms are located on corners of the building, giving them a slightly larger floor plan than the standard rooms.

The first thing you notice in the Princess Kitty room, other than the giant 3D Kitty-chan looming over the beds, is the high-heel lounge chair and bow-shaped couch.

▼ Surprisingly comfortable for a piece of furniture shaped like a foot torture device.

▼ Even the water bottles are sporting that famous bow.

In fact, there is very little in the room that isn’t Hello Kitty branded or related to the character in some way. The attention to detail is honestly impressive. About the only thing without Kitty-chan’s face on it is the carpet, which the PR person tells me later is because they thought guests would feel bad about putting their dirty feet on her cute mug.

▼ Hello Kitty appliances in the room included the hot water pot, the hairdryer, the bathroom scale and this funny little humidifier.

▼ Some tart signed the bathroom mirror in lipstick!

Although I am not a huge fan of Kitty myself, I can’t deny that this room is working some magic on me. It does feel fun and fancy, and I’ve laughed out loud a few times, having found those little button eyes peeping out at me from unexpected places.

▼ Hello Housekeeping

Another perk of this room is a bundle of limited edition goods that you are encouraged to take home with you, including a very cute doll. The PR rep tells me that the Keio Kitties are the only ones in the world with those cute cheek blushes and eyelashes. At various times, the outfits on the dolls change to match holidays or promotions. I also got one wearing a Keio bellhop uniform.

▼Is there any job Kitty hasn’t tried?

Image: Keio Plaza Hotel

▼ The stationery set. When was the last time you absolutely had to take one of these home from a hotel room?

There was also a lot of stuff for primping princesses and princes, including a large vanity area outside of the bathroom and a well-stocked amenity box. Considering this and the adult ambiance, I can see this room being more popular with young women on a girls’ weekend than a family with kids, for example.

Additionally, since the hotel is located right next to Shinjuku Station, it’s an ideal place for exploring Tokyo and the nearby nightlife district of Kabukicho. Or for something a little fancier, the hotel has the Aurora Sky Lounge on the 45th floor, where all the seats face out towards the killer night view of Tokyo. That’s where I ended up on the night of my stay, enjoying the view despite some drizzly rain.

Image: Keio Plaza Hotel

Finally, each plan associated with these themed rooms has some special food and beverage treat included, like a Kitty-shaped cake, special cocktails only available for guests in these rooms, or a posh room-service breakfast. We opted for the last one, having found out about the Kitty cocktails a little too late.

▼ Despite her youthful image, since Kitty White was created in 1974, she is actually old enough to drink.

Here again, the attention to detail is impressive. There was the cute tablecloth, of course, but every dish had also been Kitty-fied in some way. The brand on the omelet and the bread on the sandwich stand out, but the vegetables in the salad and the crouton for the corn pottage had also been cut in the shape of Kitty-chan’s face and the fruit and yogurt had been topped with a pink chocolate bow.

▼ Treading on Kitty’s face is a no go but eating it is fine, apparently.

It also bears mentioning that the breakfast was really good! The orange juice was freshly squeezed, the coffee was thick and plentiful, and it was all still piping hot when it arrived in my room. Lounging around in my pajamas, enjoying the view from my room and my third cuppa, I was feeling very royal indeed. Guests in the Kitty rooms can also go to the restaurant for the standard breakfast buffet if they prefer, but it would be a real shame to miss this fun experience.

I had initially been a little dubious about staying in a Kitty room, thinking it was too childish for me, but as I was getting ready to check out, I found myself feeling a bit sad to be going back to the “real world.” It’s probably a rare hotel room that can foster that sense of attachment so quickly, so whether you are a Kitty fan or just looking for a unique experience during your stay in Tokyo, I can definitely recommend a night with Kitty White at the Keio Plaza.

Coming from Taiwan? You can fly here on a Kitty-branded jet!