The Yokohama Bay Hotel Tokyu

Rooms and decor

The Cosmo View Twin runs 38 sqm at about $218 a night, and reviewers favour the ones on the 18th floor. Floor-to-ceiling windows face Cosmo Clock 21 from 200 metres away, so the wheel fills the frame. The best moment is after dark — the wheel runs 16 million colours of LED that shift with the rhythm and the time, and once you kill the room lights it turns into a private cinema. Guests say they watched the colours change for the better part of an hour without getting bored. The room is done in cream and blue, with two 100×200 cm twin beds, a sofa and a work desk. The marble bathroom is 6 sqm with a tub and a separate shower, ESPA London toiletries, and Wi-Fi clocked at a quick 200 Mbps.

Food and amenities

Dinner is at Queen Alice, the classic French restaurant from Chef Hiroyuki Sakai — the Iron Chef French from the famous 1990s show, who has run a branch here since 1997 (he left the show in 1999). The Saison set menu is about $102 a head for six courses: a caviar amuse-bouche, pan-seared foie gras, lobster bisque, Hokkaido wagyu fillet, a cheese platter and a Grand Marnier soufflé. White tablecloths, crystal chandeliers and quiet piano make the whole thing run about 2.5 hours. The cooking is genuinely high-end even though Sakai himself only turns up roughly once a month. Breakfast is a buffet from 7:00 to 11:00 for about $26, with wagyu sliders and house-baked croissants.

Location and getting there

From Minato Mirai Station, take exit 5 and walk the underground passage — it's about 5 minutes to the lobby, which is done in a blue-white-and-gold marine theme over a blue-and-white wave-patterned marble floor. The headline is the 112-metre Cosmo Clock 21 right across the street, but you're also a 3-minute walk from Pacifico Yokohama, the convention centre next door, and 7 from the Cup Noodles Museum. Events such as the Tokyo Toy Show run at Pacifico, and reviews from families say the kids are thrilled when a stay lands on one.

Things to know before booking

The building opened in 1997 and has only been renovated in parts, so it doesn't feel as current as the 2020 Hyatt nearby. Rooms start at 35 sqm, smaller than the InterContinental's 40 sqm — comfortable for two but tight for four. And the Cosmo Clock-view rooms run about 30% more than the others, so the view you came for is the part that costs extra.

Our take

This is the best pick in Yokohama for a family that wants the Cosmo Clock view — nobody else is within 200 metres of the wheel. Add Queen Alice from Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai, the 20-metre indoor pool and a 3-minute walk to Pacifico, and the 8.8/10 on guest ratings makes sense. At roughly $204–218 a night it comes in over $40 under the InterContinental, and you get a closer view for the money. Best for families with kids, couples who love a ferris wheel, and anyone working a Pacifico event.