Today’s article is about the recently opened Hyatt House in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, which has become one of the strangest properties under the Hyatt flag I’ve ever experienced in the past twenty years.
The hotel was already on my radar for a while but whenever I looked it was never available on points and revenue rates were obscenely high but we’ve had input from readers that they were likewise never able to stay there.
It’s strange simply because this is the only Hyatt property I’ve ever experienced that isn’t available for WOH members to book using their points. It’s simply NEVER available, and I went so far as to confirm this with Hyatt directly.
When the hotel opened in February 2024 it read nicely in the Hyatt Press Release:
Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced today the immediate opening of Hyatt House Tokyo Shibuya, the first Hyatt House-branded property in Tokyo, offering comfortable and convenient living accommodations for short- to long-term stays. This opening is the second Hyatt House-branded property in Japan, following the debut of Hyatt House Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture. Additionally, it signifies the twentieth Hyatt hotel in Japan.
Hyatt House Tokyo Shibuya features 126 spacious apartment-style guestrooms measuring 344 feet (32 square meters) or more, including 18 suites. To make guests feel right at home, all rooms are equipped with a kitchen, washer/dryer, microwave oven and refrigerator. Each room also features a spacious bathroom with separate spaces for the shower and toilet. Within the hotel, guests can also enjoy amenities such as a 24/7 fitness center and indoor pool overlooking a rooftop garden. …
Situated in Shibuya Sakura Stage, a new two-tower complex built by Tokyu Land Corporation as part of the transformative redevelopment of the dynamic Shibuya area, the hotel provides direct access to Shibuya Station, one of Tokyo’s major transportation hubs. Directly connected by a pedestrian walkway, nine train lines provide easy access to many areas of Tokyo, the surrounding suburbs, Yokohama and beyond. In addition, Haneda Airport is only about 45 minutes away by shuttle bus, and often less by taxi. …
“We are delighted to announce the opening of the twentieth Hyatt hotel in Japan, Hyatt House Tokyo Shibuya, as part of Tokyu Land Corporation’s Shibuya Sakura Stage project in the heart of Shibuya, one of Tokyo’s most exciting districts. Hyatt House Tokyo Shibuya is perfect for short- to long-term stays, offering convenience, comfort and community to domestic and international business and leisure travelers looking for living accommodations in Tokyo’s exciting Shibuya area,” said Sam Sakamura, Hyatt’s vice president Japan and Micronesia.
“The Shibuya redevelopment project is a once-in-a-century undertaking,” said Tatsuaki Tanaka, executive officer of Tokyu Land Corporation’s Wellness Promotion Unit. “Hyatt House Tokyo Shibuya will open today in Shibuya Sakura Stage, the final piece in the redevelopment of central Shibuya. This multifaceted complex will not only be the only residential building in central Shibuya but will also house offices for 10,000 people and commercial facilities offering diverse new experiences. It will even have a vibrant green plaza unique to the area. Hyatt House Tokyo Shibuya will be a key contributor to the international character of this area, allowing visitors from around the world to experience the enjoyment and convenience of living in Shibuya.” …
So the property is owned by Tokyu Land Corporation, and I think that plays a major, if not the central part in this issue because, from what it looks like it appears that Hyatt has decided to follow a hands-off approach with this property, letting the management do whatever they want.
I looked at this hotel day by day and decided to contact Hyatt’s Japan Concierge Team and also the regional executive office in Singapore:
The answer by the Hyatt Concierge at least didn’t deny what I had already figured out.
Dear Mr. Sebastian,
Thank you for your reply. …
We have also checked room availability at Hyatt House Shibuya Tokyo using Category free night award, but unfortunately there are no dates available this year or next year.
We sincerely apologize for not being able to accommodate your request and ask for your understanding.
If we can be of any other assistance, please let us know at any time.
I replied that this is obvious proof that this property is manipulating the inventory for standard categories. It’s completely impossible that a hotel has absolutely zero standard rooms available for an entire year while readily selling categories right above it, and for an obscene price, too. Honestly, I don’t know who would pay US$1000/night for a Hyatt House hotel room in Shibuya.
Example for today:
There is a Hyatt Centric in Ginza, which is a lovely hotel and has a similar pricing, but at least in my opinion, a Centric is at least a few steps above a Hyatt House. This is not justified by any means!
Here is the answer from Hyatt corporate:
… Thank you for your continued support of Hyatt Hotels, and thank you for highlighting the availability of award reservations at Hyatt House Shibuya. We appreciate your feedback and want to assure you that your concerns are taken seriously and thoroughly reviewed by our regional management team.
We have reviewed the inventory situation at Hyatt House Shibuya and can confirm that there has been no manipulation by the hotel.
The availability shown in our system accurately reflects all rooms availability, including World of Hyatt redemptions. As with all hotels in popular locations within Tokyo, occupancy is very high and Hyatt House, in line with its brand positioning, attracts higher number of long stay guests.
To cater to long stay guests and families, there are also fewer standard rooms in the inventory that are available for redemption. All of this can pose a challenge for a 4-night stay on point redemption.
We have done a check, and there is very limited availability currently for some dates in Sept-Oct 2025, …
I mean… is anyone really buying that?
What I don’t understand is why the owners would choose to use a Hyatt brand when it’s made clear in the franchise agreement that rooms have to be made available for award redemption. If this is something that irks them then why not go for another chain such as IHG that’s more liberal with the inventory that has to be made available for redemptions or go independent altogether?
By the way: The HP Shibuya isn’t the only Hyatt in Japan that plays around with (suppresses) inventory to avoid reward bookings flooding in. This is a pattern among many popular Hyatt’s in Japan. They do usually, well sometimes, open up awards shortly before the arrival date (often less than a week), but long term, everything is blocked.
What really surprises me is that Hyatt is apparently willing to play ball with this practice. And apparently, only in Japan, as after almost two decades with them, staying well over a thousand nights, I’ve never seen this practiced to such a brazenly obvious degree elsewhere, even at very good hotels with exceptional demand.
Conclusion
The Hyatt House Shibuya is a baffling choice for a property. Apparently, the management and owners do everything to avoid having customers on award stays at that property. I have criticized that in the past as it was just mildly annoying, but we got more and more complaints about it, so I decided to do a deep dive.
Hyatt confirmed to me that until at least September 2025, there is not a single room available for redemption and that’s simply not an organic phenomenon. It reeks of manipulation in the form of simply not opening up Standard King/Twin room inventory. Yes, Japan is a popular destination but something like this is impossible. all other hotels in Tokyo do have award availability and even the Park Hyatt did so in the past.
Why do hotel owners choose a brand that comes with a large loyalty program where it’s to be expected that guests arrive in good numbers to redeem their points? If this is destroying their revenue projections then the easiest would be to select another international chain or go independent. A Hyatt House is hardly an elite luxury brand.
