Mission Adventure: Hoshinoya Tokyo with Luca & Nico

Inspired by our actual adventures, interactions, and discoveries in Japan with kids — dreaming of our next unforgettable stay at Hoshinoya Tokyo — crafted into a story you’ll enjoy!

We were sitting around the table after dinner, half-planning our next weekend adventure, when Papa said something that changed everything.

“Since we live in Kyushu now, I wonder if there are any Hoshinoya hotels nearby we could visit on an upcoming trip.”

My chopsticks froze mid-air.

I blinked.

And then it hit me like a memory lightning bolt.

“Wait… we’ve been to a Hoshinoya before!” I said, jumping up so fast I knocked over my cup of tea. “The one in Tokyo! That hotel was incredible! We have to go back!”

Everyone turned to look at me.

Mama smiled. “You still remember that?”

“I don’t just remember it,” I said. “I still dream about it.”

Nico squinted at me. “What’s so special about a hotel?”

I whipped around dramatically. “It’s not just a hotel. It’s the hotel where you take off your shoes at the door, walk on clouds made of tatami, wear pajamas all day, and soak in an onsen on the roof!”

Nico looked suspicious. “Okay… but was there food?”

“There was a snack lounge. Open. All. The. Time.”

That was it. I saw it happen. Nico’s eyes widened just a little.

This wasn’t just going to be a family trip.

It was about to become our newest mission.

Operation: Get the Family Back to Hoshinoya Tokyo.

Step One: Convince Nico

The tricky part? Nico had never been.

When I stayed at Hoshinoya Tokyo, I was just two, but somehow, it stuck with me. The cozy yukata. The soft hallways that smelled like tea leaves. The silence so deep it felt like the walls were whispering stories. I didn’t know a hotel could feel like a secret.

But Nico didn’t have those memories. So if we were going to pull this off, I had to bring the place to life.

“The hallways,” I began dramatically, “are completely quiet. Like, ninja-training-academy quiet. And the staff? You never see them. But your bed magically gets made, your snacks get restocked, and your yukata is always folded perfectly.”

Nico tilted his head. “So… it’s like a ghost hotel?”

“No,” I said, “it’s like the staff are ninjas. I even called them the Ninja Patrol.”

He squinted. “You actually saw one?”

“Not once,” I said proudly. “Which is how I know they’re real.”

He looked intrigued but wasn’t fully sold.

So I brought out the big ones.

“Every floor has a lounge,” I said, lowering my voice, “stocked with cookies, Japanese treats, juice boxes, and tea. All day. All night. I called it… the Treasure Room.”

His eyes widened. “You’re making that up.”

I shook my head slowly. “Ask Mama. Ask Papa. It’s real. And the cookies, Nico, I still think about those cookies.”

He tried to keep a straight face, but his brain was clearly busy calculating how many cookies he could hypothetically eat in one night.

“There’s also a rooftop onsen,” I added casually. “You can float in warm water while watching the Tokyo skyline sparkle. At night.”

Now I had him.

He crossed his arms, but there was a grin sneaking onto his face. “Okay. I’m in. But if we go, I get first pick in the Treasure Room.”

I nodded. “Deal.”

Mission Part One: Complete.

Step Two: Convince Mama and Papa

(a.k.a. The Great Presentation)

With Nico officially on board, we launched the next phase of the mission: convincing the grown-ups.

Now, we couldn’t just ask. That’s too easy. Too ordinary. We needed a plan, a presentation. One that tugged at their memories and made them laugh. Basically, a full-on strategy session disguised as adorable sibling teamwork.

We got to work right away.

I drew a floor map of the hotel from memory, labeling key landmarks:

• Tatami Forest (a.k.a. the hallway)
• Treasure Room of Eternal Snacks
• Starry Sky Soak Zone (the rooftop onsen)
• Ninja Patrol Zone: Proceed with Caution
  

Nico added illustrations, one of me sneaking around in a yukata holding binoculars, and one of him dramatically collapsing from “too many rice crackers” (which he says is a real medical issue and should be treated seriously).

Then we built our pitch.

“We know Tokyo is busy,” I started when the moment came, “but inside Hoshinoya, it feels like a different world.”

“It’s so calm Mama won’t even want to look at her phone,” Nico added helpfully.

“There’s an onsen. On. The. Roof,” I said, pointing to my drawing like I was revealing a hidden level in a video game.

“And the Treasure Room is stocked with snacks, tea, and… Papa, they had sake,” I whispered dramatically. “You said it was ‘delicately complex.’”

He chuckled. “I remember that.”

“We’ll be calm. Respectful. No running, no splashing,” I said, holding up our handwritten promise list like a contract.

Nico nodded solemnly. “I’ll even walk silently. Like… monk-level silent.”

Mama smiled. “That would be something.”

We held our breath. Papa raised an eyebrow.

And then…

“Well,” he said, “you did put together quite the case.”

“Strong use of glitter stickers,” Mama added.

Was that a yes? Not exactly.

But it wasn’t a no.

Which meant the mission wasn’t over.

It was just getting exciting.

Flashback Files: What I Remember Most

I was only two years old when we stayed at Hoshinoya Tokyo.

But somehow, I remember it.

Not in full movie scenes or exact quotes. More like little puzzle pieces that stuck, soft and warm and glowing.

I remember waddling down the hallway in a too-big yukata, the kind that made me feel like I was wearing superhero robes. I remember the floor, it was soft, like walking on woven clouds. I didn’t know what tatami was, but I knew I wanted it under my feet forever.

I remember the hush.

Tokyo is loud. Busy. Always moving. But inside Hoshinoya? It was so quiet, I could hear the teacups clink gently and the sound of Papa’s slippers slide across the floor like he was pretending to be a monk (I’m 95% sure he was).

I remember the onsen.

It wasn’t like a bath. It was like being inside a warm sky. I floated, looking up at the stars, with the sounds of the city far, far below. I didn’t say anything because it felt like even talking too loud would break the magic.

And I remember a tiny square dessert from the lounge.

It was the size of my thumb, wrapped in gold paper, and it looked too pretty to eat. I ate it anyway. And even though I had no idea what it was, it tasted like a secret.

Back then, I didn’t know why the hotel felt so special.

But now I do.

It was peaceful. Thoughtful. Magical in the kind of way you don’t notice until you’re back home, and you realize… you miss how it made you feel.

And now that I’m older, I want to go back, with Nico.

So he can see it. Feel it. Float in it.

And so I can see it again, through his eyes this time.

Parent Insight: Sometimes, the most lasting impressions for kids aren’t about what a place had, but how it felt. Thoughtful, quiet, and culturally rich environments like Hoshinoya Tokyo can help children form powerful emotional memories even at a young age. You might be surprised what they hold onto, and what they’re eager to return to years later.

The Plan for When We Return

(Yes, we already made one)

We haven’t booked anything yet. But that hasn’t stopped us from making a fully detailed, top-secret return plan.

Okay, it’s not that secret.

We’ve talked about it at breakfast. We’ve drawn maps. Nico even built a prototype of the Treasure Room out of pillow forts and cracker boxes.

Here’s what we’re most excited to do when we finally walk back through those silent, magical sliding doors:

Ninja Patrol Recon

We’ll take turns tiptoeing through the hallways in our yukatas, trying to spot a staff member before they vanish like shadows. So far, our success rate is zero. This time? We’re determined.

Treasure Room Snack Sampling Chart

Our official mission: try every cookie, juice box, and rice cracker at least once, and rank them on a scale from “Hmm” to “Legendary.” Bonus points if we can figure out which ones Papa tries to sneak without us noticing.

Sky Soak Challenge

We’ll float silently in the rooftop onsen, trying to name as many Tokyo buildings as we can spot in the distance. Loser has to bring the other person’s slippers next time. (Spoiler: It’s probably Nico.)

Tatami Bounce Test

One bounce on the bed. One roll across the floor. And a very scientific test to see if you can fall asleep faster when wrapped in a futon like a sleepy sushi roll.

Memory Checkpoints

We’ll visit each place I remember and see if it still feels the same, or even better. And this time, we’ll make brand-new memories together.

Why Hoshinoya Tokyo Is Perfect for Families (According to Us)

Not every hotel feels like it was built for kids and grown-ups at the same time. But this one? It just gets families.

Here’s what makes it awesome (and why we think every traveling family deserves at least one stay here):

Tatami = Built-In Play Zone

The entire room is covered in soft tatami mats, like nature’s best carpet. It’s clean, comfy, and perfect for playing cards, stretching out, or building a blanket fort after dinner. You can roll, wiggle, crawl, and nap anywhere. Bonus: you never have to say “take off your shoes!” because you already did that at the door.

The Rooftop Onsen = Sky Spa Mode

It’s warm. It’s quiet. It’s outside. And somehow, even though you’re in the middle of Tokyo, it feels like you’re floating above it all. For parents, it’s like pressing the reset button. For kids, it’s the world’s fanciest bath. And if you go at night? The skyline sparkles while steam curls into the stars.

The Treasure Room = Ultimate Snack Station

Each floor has its own lounge. That means juice boxes, cookies, fancy rice crackers, and tea (with tiny trays that make it feel like a tea ceremony). You can visit in your yukata. You can visit in your slippers. You can even visit three times in one hour, we tested it.

Quiet Hallways = Ninja Vibes

There are no loud carts or clanking ice machines. Just the soft shhh of sliding doors and the mysterious calm of the Ninja Patrol (a.k.a. the staff, who somehow make everything happen without ever being seen). It’s the kind of quiet that makes you want to whisper. Even Nico agreed.

The Location = Right Where You Want to Be

It’s tucked inside the heart of Tokyo, close to everything but never loud or chaotic. You’re minutes from Ueno Zoo, the Imperial Palace grounds (a.k.a. “the ancient samurai ninja field”), and train stations that take you anywhere.

Parent Tip: Hoshinoya Tokyo offers private onsen access and a calm, slow-paced setting that’s ideal for families with young children. Request a lower floor for quicker lounge access with kids, and if you’re traveling with toddlers, note that the tatami rooms are naturally baby-friendly, no sharp corners, no shoes, and no cold floors!

Until Next Time…

We haven’t made it back to Hoshinoya Tokyo… yet.

But every time someone says “onsen” or we walk across a squeaky hotel floor, I remember the quiet hallways. The warm steam. The treasure of snacks waiting behind a paper screen.

And now that Nico knows the story, we’re ready to write a new one together.

Maybe it’ll be just like I remember.
Maybe it’ll be completely different.
But one thing’s for sure, we’ll be wearing our yukatas, walking slow like ninjas, and heading straight for the Treasure Room.

So if you’re heading to Tokyo with your family, don’t just stay somewhere.

Stay somewhere unforgettable.

And if you spot a cookie that’s shaped like a tiny mountain… save one for us.

Stay curious, stay adventurous, and keep dreaming!
~ The LuNi Travels Family ~