But there are also nods to Nippon. Panels of elm wood, typical of traditional Japanese homes, brighten the walls. Pointed arches, inspired by the bell-shaped “katomado” windows of Buddhist temples in Japan, frame the breathtaking Tokyo skyline that is visible all around the 40th floor. A fan pattern adorns the doors that welcome you at the reception area. The motif, used throughout the hotel, connects to the Bulgari Diva’s Dream jewellery collection, but it also resembles the stylised gingko leaf that serves as Tokyo’s official symbol.

“We can find a very strong connection in terms of aesthetics between Japanese and Italian design,” says Patricia Viel, CEO and co-founder of the architecture firm Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, which has designed every Bulgari hotel including the Tokyo outpost. “The sense of luxury that we deliver relies on the quality of the atmosphere—the sounds, the feelings, the tactile experiences that you have. It’s all very subtle. Everything is coordinated in harmony to give you a sense of being welcomed.”

Viel says that visitors should feel that they “are at home, not in a hotel” when they check into any one of Bulgari Hotel Tokyo’s 98 guest rooms, or the Bulgari Suite on the 44th floor. It’s easy to imagine anyone readily settling into the latter, a 416-square-metre expanse that, fitted with its own bar, a gym, a private office, a dining room and a vast living room with four stylish lounges, is among the biggest hotel rooms in Tokyo. And that’s even without the option of connecting it with the suite next door.

Still, if home is more humbly defined as an impeccably tasteful room that greets you with a showcase of Tokyo’s bustling cityscape from high in the sky, then Viel and Co have achieved their aim with flying colours, and quite literally.

On top of the use of elm wood, the design duo introduced a palette of rich, warm shades that makes Bulgari Hotel Tokyo much cosier than its predecessors. The Deluxe Room that I checked into is furnished with a saffron carpet that was as plush as the hotel slippers. Even more orange can be found on the walls, which were partly covered in a vivid geometric print fabric. I was also compelled to turn my back on the Tokyo skyline to marvel instead at the magnificent gold bedspread by the centuries-old Kyoto textiles producer Hosoo, which glimmered like a Bulgari jewel.

“The colour palette of Bulgari Hotel Tokyo is different because there is an amount of natural light in this project that is not common,” shares Viel. Tokyo’s spring season is especially generous with sunlight, which poured into my room each morning, waking me up for the delightful affair that is breakfast.

The room service menu will make many guests feel at home with four themed breakfast sets: Italian, Japanese, American and Chinese. You could make coffee or tea at the pantry in your room, which is also well stocked with Japanese spirits and bottles from the likes of Krug and Rémy Martin.

There is also a separate, 24-hour breakfast menu and a late night menu of comfort food like burgers, fries, udon and even caviar to satisfy any ill-timed cravings. Service comes with a smile at any time of the day, as I discovered after having my omelette order—made with fresh, organic eggs from Kurofuji Farm, no less—delivered to me after midnight. During my stay, I found that the hotel staff’s brand of hospitality is both Italian and Japanese—friendly and flawless in equal measure.

Beyond the room service menu, Bulgari Hotel Tokyo’s dining offerings tell a tale of two countries. Down on the 40th floor, guests can choose to let their taste buds go on a Roman holiday at Il Ristorante, helmed by three-Michelin-starred chef Niko Romito. Patrons of Bulgari hotels will be familiar with Romito’s deceptively simple, authentic Italian dishes, which include signatures like the handmade tortelli pasta with ricotta, and the Milanese-style cotoletta (or breaded veal cutlet). What’s new, however, is Romito’s take on potato gnocchi, prepared with green chard sauce and Asiago cheese. The chef has also introduced the cremoso di mandorle, an almond mousse with rhubarb and rosemary. The dessert is best enjoyed while dining al fresco, like a true Italian, on Il Ristorante’s airy terrace overlooking Tokyo.

For even more bragging rights, make a booking at Sushi Hōseki, located on the same floor. It’s the first sushi restaurant in a Bulgari hotel, and it seats only eight diners along its vast counter that’s crafted from a single piece of solid hinoki wood. It is upon this bar that Japanese sushi master Kenji Gyoten, who earned three Michelin stars through his restaurant Sushi Gyoten in Fukuoka, will take guests on an intimate and inimitable omakase experience that’s complemented by sake and rare Japanese whiskeys. The view at Sushi Hōseki is different too: instead of a modern city, you can contemplate the traditional Zen garden that sits outside the restaurant, illuminated by a lantern from Japan’s Edo period.

Collaborations with Michelin chefs aside, Ursini believes that it’s the little things that will make dining at Bulgari Hotel Tokyo an incomparable experience for guests. “We bring to Tokyo something that’s very distinctive, very Italian,” he says. “My dream is to have people come up to the rooftop terrace and have gelato in the summer.”

The terrace in question can be found outside the Bulgari Bar on the 45th floor. On the hotel’s opening night, the rooftop bar was graced by the likes of Hollywood star Anne Hathaway, fellow Bulgari ambassador Koki, and Japanese rock star Miyavi. But the space is a star of its own, and that much was clear when I saw the glass mosaic masterpiece that sits behind the bar counter. The glittering tiles, created by the renowned Italian company Bisazza, depict a vibrant garden filled with birds and trees.

Even more trees—real ones—can be found along the rooftop terraces that sit on both sides of the Bulgari Bar. It is out on these terraces that, on a clear day, you might spot Mount Fuji in the distance.

Still, you don’t have to look so hard. Mount Fuji is a recurring symbol within the hotel, given that the natural landmark inspired a Bulgari brooch from 1972 that was created for the Italian jeweller’s very first Japanese customer. And the tranquility that the sight of the mountain inspires can also be found in the Bulgari Spa, where visitors are pampered with onsen baths, saunas and exclusive treatments designed by the award-winning skincare brand Augustinus Bader. And then there is the swimming pool, which lets you float 40 floors above the city, while bathing in sunlight that streams in from the surrounding, ceiling-high windows. Just as tempting is the nearby vitality pool, which presents a majestic mosaic wall inspired by the Baths of Caracalla from ancient Rome.

Bulgari Hotel Tokyo certainly isn’t short of luxuries. For Viel, the ultimate luxury is silence—something that may be rare in Tokyo, but not at all in my soundproofed guest room. I found it as I sat upon the hand woven leather chair right by the front door to remove my shoes. I found it beyond the sliding doors that opened into an elegant black granite bathroom. And, at night, I found it as I fell asleep to the sight of the city lights that twinkled like stars.

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