The Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo

The spacious interior of a premier grand room at Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo.

Rather as if one were a head of state: we were greeted by bowings and scrapings from a relay of liveried staff, whisked to a lift, asked if we enjoyed the flight - we did, Emirates did a fine job - then were taken to the 38th floor, invited to sign the slightest of forms, then escorted to our rooms. All done with the minimum of fuss and the maximum of style.

Chuo is one of 23 city wards that make up Tokyo. The hotel is close to Tokyo station and the shopping districts of Ginza and Tsukiji. You are a two-minute walk from Mitsukoshi, a department store of unparalleled elegance. On no account miss a chance to stroll through the food hall in the basement and peer at the row after row of packaged sweets and edibles. It makes Harrods appear parochial and poorly stocked. For the rest, it's a rather grey business area by day, but one that lights up at night and features a good range of food and drinking options in an area that has recently been rejuvenated.

The hotel occupies from the 30th to the 38th floors of a tower block. The design is all wood and stone and glass and metal, quite masculine in style but not overbearing. Think restrained, with the occasional bouquet of cherry blossom. The Michelin-starred restaurants Sense and Signature, serving Cantonese and French-inspired cuisine respectively; K'shiki, where you can eat breakfast and lunch and dinner; the dimly lit bar and other eating options mean that you don't really need to go anywhere else. At night the lighting is suitably dim - not a light in which to pick linens or marriage partners, but one in which most people look agreeably attractive.

We were lodged in what they call a "premier grand room", 60 square metres, so there was plenty of space. There were two queen-sized beds - who the other was for I was never quite sure - wooden floors, large flat-screen television, large window with a view of the city, and a bath, separate shower and toilet. Quite grand enough for me, although budget permitting I'd be happy to settle for a corner suite. There were a couple of good touches too. For example, every evening a small bottle of lavender oil was put by my bedside. Emptied into a small dish, it evaporated in the night to create a lovely atmosphere. There was also a brace of yoga mats in the cupboard. Obviously I did an hour's practice every morning and two hours' at night.

Without exception everybody I encountered was a gem. Never obsequious but unfailingly polite and helpful, the staff are the Japanese equivalent of Sebastian Beach, the butler in the PG Wodehouse stories of Blandings Castle. Of course, not all the staff members are Japanese, but each one combines the very traits that make Japan such a fine place to visit.

Buffet breakfasts rarely feature highly on my list of unmissable options. However, from the freshly-cut melon to the poached eggs, specially laid by soya-fed chickens up in the hills, to the green tea and toast, this was a breakfast worth getting up for and helping yourself to. Dinner at Signature restaurant was equally delightful, with a range of dishes from cooked foie gras to poached abalone that seemed to combine the best of France with a nod to Japan. No wonder Monsieur Michelin gave it a star; I give it a thumbs up.

The spa. After a full day's sightseeing and a good night's clubbing, the spa is the place to revive. The sauna has the finest view outside the Stockholm Archipelago. Instead of looking at a fat, sweaty man in a towel opposite you, you can gaze through the full glass window at the eastern side of Tokyo disappearing into the distance. Here you can see the new Sky Tower, slowly becoming the city's tallest building. Then you can soak in the vitality pool, lying on your back and gazing at clouds. Then you're ready for the massage. First your feet are washed, then a mixture of azuki beans, sea salt, sesame seed, patchouli, vetiver, ginger and geranium are rubbed into you, followed by an oil of your choice rubbed into parts of your body unnaturally stiffened by the journey.

Being told it was time to check out and leave.

If there is a better hotel in Tokyo, nay Asia, then I don't know it. This place has everything: style, glamour, great grub and good-looking staff. I am tempted to say that you could come to Tokyo for a week and you wouldn't need to leave the premises, but then you'd miss out on the National Museum - the world's finest collection of Japanese art - and that would be foolish. But I might be tempted to consider a long weekend in this tower dedicated to pleasure with no regrets about not stepping foot outside.

Premier grand rooms start from US$620 (Dh2,275) per night, excluding breakfast and taxes. Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo (www.mandarinoriental.com/tokyo; 0081 3 3270 8950).