Aman Tokyo: A piece of peace, high above the city

Floor-to-ceiling windows frame a view that sweeps from the Imperial Palace Gardens to the iconic cone of Mt Fuji on the horizon

Glass hurrah: a premier room with full-length windows

The word "Aman" is Sanskrit for peace, and from the moment you step out of the elevator on the 33rd floor of Tokyo's sleek new Otemachi Tower, it's clear this is a hotel that's been designed to inspire a Zen-like serenity.

The group's first urban retreat certainly has the wow factor, with a vast central hall that soars six storeys high. Designed by Kerry Hill Architects, and inspired by a Japanese paper lantern, the pared-down aesthetic features black basalt walls topped by translucent Washi paper, allowing light to filter down to the internal Japanese garden below, with its traditional ikebana (bare branches that sprout in spring) and calming water feature.

Floor-to-ceiling windows on one side frame a view that sweeps from the Imperial Palace Gardens far below to the iconic cone of Mt Fuji on the horizon, bathed in an orange glow at sunset. And then there's what has to be one of the world's most glamorous hotel pools: a dark ribbon of water, fringed by giant columns and located beneath another wall of windows.

The 27th property in Aman's portfolio opened at the end of December. Aman Tokyo is something of a departure for the group, which has traditionally focused on far-flung, off-the-beaten-track locations for its discreet, celebrity-favoured hideaways. From Thailand to Turks and Caicos, Montenegro to Morocco and India to Indonesia, each has, until now, been handpicked by the group's founder, Adrian Zecha.

Last year, a consortium of investors bought the group. They comprised Russian property developer (and Naomi Campbell's ex) Vladislav Doronin and American financier Omar Amanat, along with Zecha. After that, a highly publicised boardroom – and courtroom – battle broke out. Zecha was ousted as chairman and CEO of the company. Far-reaching expansion is now on the cards, including a second hotel in Japan later this year, along with more metropolitan openings.

What hasn't changed – "Amanjunkies" will breathe a sigh of relief – is the ethos. Each property is designed using local materials, reflects the local culture and aims to engage guests in authentic local experiences – the Aman Journeys. In Tokyo that translates into a library stacked with books on Japanese art and culture, a traditional onsen for communal bathing in the 2,500sq m spa and a shopping trip to the famous Tsukiji fish market with a local sushi chef.

We left our ivory tower in the company of Oba Tsutomu, owner of Sushi Kokoro, and found the frenetic grittiness of the fish market was a raw blast of salty air after the slightly sanitised sanctuary in the sky. Dinner in his tiny neighbourhood restaurant provided a snapshot of the city's vibrant dining scene.

I am no Amanjunkie. In fact, until this year, I was an Amanvirgin – but it's easy to see how quickly you could get hooked.

Location

The hotel is located in Otemachi, Tokyo's prestigious financial district, on the top six floors of the newly built 38-storey Otemachi Tower. Below the hotel is a Japanese bank, and below that you'll find Otemachi subway station, the largest in the city.

Comfort

Every room features floor-to-ceiling windows for that Lost in Translation moment: curled up on the window seat, wrapped in the softest chenille robe, I flicked through a glossy coffee table book on sushi, nursing a Nespresso and a bad case of insomnia, gazing out over Tokyo's flickering nightscape.

The 84 rooms and suites are the largest in the city. Even the bottom-rung standard split-level deluxe is a roomy 71sq metres. Design-wise, think a vision of blonde wood, straight lines and angles, elevating uncluttered to an art form. A button brings dark blinds down to block out that mesmerising view as you try to sleep, a crane far below evidence of the city's building boom in the run up to the 2020 Olympics, which will be hosted in the Japanese capital.

Through sliding doors, the bathroom, with its heated floor and heated toilet seat, is the pièce de résistance. As well as a tropical rain shower, there's also a huge square stone tub at the base of another floor-to-ceiling window, along with a small stool, bucket and low shower to wash yourself before bathing.

Travel essentials

Aman Tokyo, Otemachi Tower, Tokyo, Japan (00 81 3 5224 3333; amantokyo.com).

Rooms ****

Value ***

Service *****

Doubles from JPY90,750 (£479), room only.

ANA (020 8762 8977; ana.co.uk) has daily flights from Heathrow to Tokyo's Haneda airport from £839.