Fraser Suites Akasaka Tokyo: complimentary 3D2N stay with AMEX
With Japan opening up – my family and I were definitely excited with the ease of travel to the land of the rising sun again. Pre-pandemic, we typically travelled to Japan at least once a year, so it’s something we sorely missed. For this trip to Tokyo, we stayed at this place as well as at the Conrad Tokyo.
Here’s the backstory of how I got a complimentary stay at Fraser Suites Akasaka Tokyo.
Fraser Suites Akasaka Tokyo
It’s thanks to the American Express Platinum Charge card.
The card’s lifestyle benefits are practically unrivalled: hotel and travel perks (complimentary hotel stay, Elite statuses in 4 Hotel Rewards programmes, unlimited airport lounge visitations), dining privileges (see love dining hotel guide and restaurant guide), and other perks (e.g. spa discounts) – it’s worth the hefty annual fees of S$1712
One of the lesser-known card benefits: Platinum charge card holders do NOT have to pay the annual fees of other American Express cards that they own.
Personally, I also hold the American Express Platinum Reserve card (not to be confused with the Platinum Charge card), and the Krisflyer Ascend Credit card – and both annual fees of $535 and $337.05 respectively are waived.
The Platinum Reserve card is a cheaper and inferior version of the Platinum charge card, but just by virtue of owning it, card holders enjoy additional benefits in the form of vouchers (e.g. complimentary wine, special hotel stay rates).
Image Source: courtesy of American Express
Voucher: Complimentary 3D2N stay at partcipating Fraser properties worldwide
But now, with travel actually being feasible, this voucher would be as relevant as pre-pandemic times.
Want to apply for an American Express credit card? Apply through one of my referral links and receive either bonus Membership Rewards points, vouchers and / or Krisflyer miles:
- The Platinum Charge Card: Use this referral link and receive up to S$900 statement credits and Samsonite Choca Spinner 68/25 (worth S$700) when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
- The American Express Platinum Card: Use this referral link and receive up to S$350 statement credits when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
- American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card: Use this referral link and receive up to 38, 000 Krisflyer miles and S$50 statement credits when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
Welcome to Fraser Suites Akasaka Tokyo
The family (consisting of myself, husband, and two small children), after arriving in Tokyo made our way to the hotel.
Fraser Suites Akasaka Tokyo had opened in August 2020 and is rather new.
Check-in counters
Aesthetically pleasing wall area by the lobby
Waiting Area
Moss Cafe
Moss Cafe
Peaceful and Serene
And then, we made our way to the rooms
Deluxe Room
The complimentary room type for our 3D2N stay at Fraser Suites Akasaka Tokyo is the Deluxe Room.
Entrance – bathroom door on left, wardrobe and washing machine on right
Wardrobe by the entrance
King sized bed
Deluxe Room
Baby Cot
It’s so thoughtful and things like these make parents so happy; throwing out soiled diapers without worrying about the room smelling like diapers / needing to find a separate plastic bag for it? YESSSSSS.
Diaper disposal bin
Sofa and desk area
lamp by the workdesk
Hidden power socket. Slide to open and close.
For the kids
View of Tokyo from the room
Television mounted on the wall
Separated coffee and tea making area
Counter area
Mini Fridge
Washing Machine
A really cool feature in the Deluxe Room at Fraser Suites Akasaka Tokyo: there’s a washing machine.
Located by the entrance
Washing Machine
Laundry detergent – see the little plastic box on the shelf?
Again, not an issue for us (husband is a Japanese, and I understand it fluently enough) and we managed to use the washer and dryer functions easily. It’s only much later in our stay, that we realised the room’s guestbook had English instructions on how to operate the machine in English. Haha!
Everything is in Japanese
Bathroom
The bathroom was also well-designed. I was really awed at how they save space here – see the shelving compartments for toilet paper, weighing scale, and towels?
World’s most complex toilet configuration
Sliding drawer of bathroom amenities
Shower area
Bathroom Amenities by Malin + Goetzi
Gym and Sauna
I’ll say this upfront: there is no swimming pool at Fraser Suites Akasaka Tokyo.
There is a gym and sauna, and these are basic but adequate.
Gym
Empty most of the time
Locker Area
Simple shower and sauna area
Tiny sauna
Hand washing area
Overall thoughts: Fraser Suites Akasaka Tokyo
At the time of staying, (taking into account the weak Japanese yen around the later part of 2022), the regular room rate works out to be about SGD 150 to SGD 200 for most nights. For that price in Japan, the room is a reasonable size. It’s hard to comment if the pricing is as such because of the pandemic or the economic situation in Japan – I can only say it is what it is.
But we did love the room. There was ample space for our two small children, the bed was comfortable, and we had no complaints.
It was wonderful that we managed to stay complimentary for the 3D2N duration. In Japan, accomodation is generally not very cheap, so considering everything we’ve got, it was overall a very excellent stay.
Final Note:
At the time of writing, this property is has announced a temporary closure until July 2023. As such, in the interim, this property is not available for redemption of complimentary 3D2N stay with the American Express voucher. The other Japan property would be Fraser Residence Nankai in Osaka.
For the list of other participating properties globally, please check out this link right here.
Update late 2023:
There is no more news regarding the reopening of Fraser Suites Akasaka Tokyo (not that I could find, at least). Currently, it is unclear if the property will ever reopen, or whether it has been permantly closed. Readers are advised to check hotel availability carefully before making any travel or stay-related decisions.
Apply for an American Express credit card
American Express Platinum Charge Card (Image source: American Express)
Inspired by this post and want to apply for an American Express credit card? Apply through one of my referral links and receive either bonus Membership Rewards points or statement credit:
- The Platinum Charge Card: Use this referral link and receive up to S$900 statement credits and Samsonite Choca Spinner 68/25 (worth S$700) when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
- The American Express Platinum Card: Use this referral link and receive up to S$350 statement credits when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
- American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card: Use this referral link and receive up to 38, 000 Krisflyer miles and S$50 statement credits when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed on this page are that of Happy High Life and may not necessarily reflect the position of American Express. Happy High Life is not responsible for any decisions made by readers. The terms and conditions for each credit card's application and usage may be subject to change by American Express. Therefore, readers are recommended to check any matters with American Express or its partners; the list of all benefits of the Platinum Charge Card can be found here.
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