Established in 1927 as a successor to the Yokohama Grand Hotel in the aftermath of the Great Kanto Earthquake, Hotel New Grand started early on to establish a unique character and identity for itself, as expressed through its architecture, design, and culinary experiences. The architect Jin Watanabe would be responsible for designing the Main Building, with its apparent Western influences, and would become well known for its role as General Douglas MacArthur’s residence during the occupation of Japan in 1945. The hotel, having been relatively undamaged after the war, was chosen by MacArthur as his accommodation for 3 days, specifically choosing Room 315 and its view facing the port of Yokohama. Another reason for his choice of the Hotel New Grand was that he had already resided there previously, having spent his honeymoon there with his wife Jean. MacArthur’s brief stay would nonetheless make a mark on the hotel.

Another important historical note regarding the property would be its signature focus on French cuisine, operating under the slogan of “ the latest equipment and French-style cuisine ”. After its founding in 1927, the hotel hired the Swiss chef Sally Weil as its first grand chef. He would be pivotal towards developing and improving the hotel’s culinary expertise so as to be able to meet the slogan’s promise. The hotel had sought to make a name for itself, and saw a specific focus and style of cuisine as something worth cultivating. Chef Weil went on to teach and produce authentic French dishes for visitors, training his Japanese subordinates to make sure that they would be able to proceed on their own. Weil would also show a food service that was more customer friendly than the more classical or formal methods that restaurants elsewhere would manifest, offering an a la carte menu alongside the course menu.

Over the years, it would be these influences that would shape the hotel’s character. While the surviving Main Building would be maintained over time, expansion would soon come in the form of a more modern-style Tower Building in 1991, greatly expanding the hotel’s capacity while also allowing visitors to enjoy more modern accommodations and features. In 2017, further renovations would lead to the hotel becoming recognized and awarded for its cherished heritage and comfort. The hotel would be celebrating its centennial in 2027, remaining an important part of Yokohama’s cosmopolitan history and culture.

Design and Architecture

Hotel New Grand’s Main Building showcases European architecture with varied chandeliers, marble floors, and ornate interiors. An Important Cultural Property, its interiors and grand staircase evoke the designs of the Roaring Twenties. Conversely, the 1991 Tower Building is a more modern structure that features sleek lines and wide windows with scenic views of Yokohama Bay. The property’s 230 rooms blend classic and contemporary styles, with Main Building suites featuring antique furnishings, most exemplified by the well-maintained MacArthur’s Suite, and Tower rooms offering modern but no less luxurious stylings, such as in the Presidential Suite. Most rooms are ideally designed for the use of two guests. The courtyard garden, framed by the buildings, provides a serene oasis.

Recent renovations preserved historic elements like mosaic tiles while adding modern comforts like high-speed Wi-Fi and air conditioning. The hotel’s design effortlessly manages to blend its storied past with contemporary convenience, impressing visitors with timeless luxury.

Hotel New Grand offers six on-site dining venues, and two other off-site venues for those seeking to enjoy its culinary delights elsewhere, showcasing the hotel’s longstanding heritage of adhering to European culinary tradition with meticulous Japanese innovation. Authentic Italian cuisine such as antipasti and pasta is served by Il Giardino, with local ingredients alongside seafood and meat dishes, while Le Normandie, inspired by the 1930s ocean liner SS Normandie and designed to be at the height where guests may dine as if riding on an ocean liner, delivers on the hotel’s legacy of French cuisine and cheese with Japanese ingredients while enjoying scenic views of the harbor.

The hotel’s legacy includes inventing and popularizing spaghetti Napolitan, Doria, and pudding à la mode, still served at The Café. La Terrasse offers afternoon tea and desserts in a bright atrium. Alternatively, the Sea Guardian II crafts cocktails and other drinks in an authentic British bar setting, with Sea Guardian III at the SOGO department store near Yokohama station being one of the two off-site venues. For Japanese cuisine, Yugyoan Tankuma provides sushi and broader Japanese-style course lunches or dinners specifically based on Kyoto cuisine.

For those seeking to partake of the Hotel New Grand’s own specific brand of culinary choices, the in-house staff provides a whole range of meals and dishes throughout the day, even for those who may wish to have such served directly to their rooms. The Le Grand restaurant at the Takashimaya department store also near Yokohama Station is the other off-site venue, and serves hotel cuisine.

Breakfast (served from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM)

Includes an American breakfast made of egg dishes, such as fried, scrambled, or boiled; bacon, ham, or sausage; coffee, tea, or juice. Corned beef hash, potatoes, and salads may also be added.

Dinner (served from 4:00 PM to 9:30 PM)

The dinner menu highlights homegrown specialties like spaghetti Napolitan or Coupe NEW GRAND (the hotel’s take on vanilla ice cream), as well as Western dishes like sandwiches in ham, beef, American Clubhouse flavors; beef fillet steak, French fries, and apple pie. Alternatively, Japanese cuisine offerings include tekka-jyu tuna and rice, nigiri sushi, inaniwa-udon noodles, soba noodles, varying bentos, and a handful of differing rice dishes.

Visitors to Hotel New Grand have many opportunities to enjoy the various amenities it has to offer. The Massage Salon Oasis offers a chance to relax both body and mind for all guests, while more mature women can relax at the Esthetics anti-ageing spa. For shopping, female guests can visit the hotel’s Sundry Shop, with multiple brands to choose from, while the on-site SOGO shop sells Hotel New Grand exclusive items, as well as clothes, gifts, and gourmet items for both men and women. Those with special meetings or meetings in mind can make reservations for the hotel’s four venues, which can easily accommodate hundreds of guests depending on configurations.

For those who want venture outside, Yokohama offers many different locales for visitors to discover and explore. For example, the Kanagawa Museum of Modern Literature exhibits diaries, manuscripts, notebooks, and other important materials from Japanese writers such as Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Soseki Natsume, and Junichiro Tanizaki. Another interesting site is the Yokohama Doll Museum one of the largest doll museums in Japan, with its 1,300 rare dolls from over 140 nations around the world, as well as informational materials that educate visitors about doll-making processes. On the other hand, architecture enthusiasts shouldn't miss Yokohama Yamate Seiyoukan, a cluster of well-maintained and preserved structures, former residences of traders and foreign diplomats built in Western styles during the 19th and 20th centuries, with some even being Important Cultural Properties today.

Alternatively, the Yamate Italian Garden is a Western-style garden with lush and colorful flowerbeds, stone pavements, and fountains, all built on the grounds of the former Italian consulate during the Meiji period, also containing a former Japanese diplomat’s residence and a priest’s home.