Sukie

Help please. I can't seem to get a booking at the above hotel for April 2 to 6 - 2010. Every site says no rooms available for these dates.

Does anyone know if that is likely to be so or if they don't start booking this early?

I am also looking at a (poor) second choice of Toyoko Inn Shijo Karasuma, which only allows 'members' to book six months in advance, new clients must wait until within 3 months of visit to book. As this is peak season in Kyoto I think it may be too late to book then.

Any suggestions for contacting Hotel Granvia direct? I do not speak Japanese!

Thanks Sue

ms_go

We stayed there on just about the same exact dates last year. I think I booked in November or December. I emailed the hotel directly (rather than using the booking engine), in English, and had no difficulty whatsoever.

ms_go

I meant to say, we stayed there on just about the same exact dates <b>this</b> year. I guess it just seems like last year...

Sukie

Thanks ms_go
I have just sent them an email to the 'contact us' option, but I think I did this a month ago without reply. If you still have your correspondence I would appreciate having the address they responded to. Can you algo give me an idea of the room rate? I have been considering using a tour company to put the trip together for me but they just say Granvia will be too expencsive in April even if there are rooms available. I have planned many trips but have never felt so frustrated, hence the thought of using an agent. Loved your report and photos. We too are keen photographers.
Thanks for any help. Sue

hawaiiantraveler

Most hotels in Japan will only start to take reservations six months in advance. Try next month or Oct 1

Aloha!

Sukie

Thanks Hawaiian, shouldn't you be in mid air at the moment?
Have a wonderful trip, will be watching for the reports. Sue

ms_go

Sukie, I have this contact email in my address book:

r-rsvtns@granvia-kyoto DOT co DOT jp

My emails with rate info are archived on another computer. I'll try to look later. I know it wasn't cheap...but we needed a triple room and a location at/close to the station. I found the Granvia to be very responsive, both for reservations and other needs, e.g., booking our Miyako Odori tickets.

Sukie

Thank you so much. I will give them a few days to respond to the current email and then try again. I would appreciate the rate info so at least I will know if it is worth trying to get them to respond. We have been offered hospitality for 4 nights in Osaka for the Sumo and to recover from our jet lag and find our Japanese feet and again in Fuji Five Lakes. for the Kimonot Art Museum. If I can book the Granvia myself it will hardly be worth using an agent!
Regards Sue
www.wright-photo.com

shandy

I think it is simply a case you can't book more than six months ahead using their site. I just had a look and every date in March is available but there are no dates available in April, May, June etc. You simply just need to wait a little longer.

I certainly wouldn't bother with using an agent just to book the Granvia. When I booked for our holiday last year, I watched the site for about 3 months until I saw a really good deal on offer and then booked - still with about 2 months to spare. Moral being, don't necessarily book as soon as possible. You have pleny of time to see what they are offering.

Best of luck and we were really happy with the Granvia.

TravMimi

I agree with the others about 6 months in advance. I just wanted to put in my two cents about the Granvia. We stayed there for 5 nights in June of last year. Loved it ! We also fell in love with Kyoto and Japan in general. It was a bit difficult getting the teenagers away from the station area. Shopping, looking, eating lol.
Every type of transportation was right at our door. Also, I needed a visitor's ATM and found a number of them at the post office in the station square.
Don't forget to check out the Granvia's in room music. We found a station with fantastic zen music. Should have found out the titles and artist. You'll enjoy your stay.

Sukie

Thanks everyone. I have heard back from the Granvia.

For anyone else interested, they are only booking until the end of this year on their website but contacted by email they confirmed that they have rooms available, price for twin $416 Canadian per room per night.

Shandy, I am considering an agency because April is high high season in Japan and from November we will be travelling until the week before we fly to Japan. As it is not possible to make all the arrangements before we leave in Nov, hotels, Sumo and Geisha Dance tickets, JR pass etc. and it will be difficult on the road, I just think the extra cost will be worth it for convenience and peace of mind. Lets hope I have choosen the agency well. As a confirmed independent traveller it is not easy to give up control as you can probably see.

With the positive feedback it seems the Granvia is a great choice.

Sue

kanazawan

i hate to say this, but many locals seem to view the kyoto station area as "very bad" area for some reason. i would definitely prefer staying a few kilometres northeast or north, and enjoy the cherry blossoms lit up at night in maruyama park, takase river (sanjo/shijo downtown), gion, kiyomizu, Kōdai-ji, etc. it's so beautiful and festive until very deep into the night if it's a peak hanami season.

kanazawan

just wish to add that i also guess Granvia itself is an excellent hotel, and it's certainly the transpotation hub for both trains/buses. but, i do NOT think it's a good place to stroll around.

Sukie

Kanazawan. Thank you for responding, is there a particular district of Kyoto you would recommend as having some local charm and being within walking distance of some of the wonderful places you list above? We like to be in a lively area we can stroll in the evenings or if we are wanting a more relaxing morning or afternoon. Sue

nickn

I see you are from Canada. I am not sure it applies to you, but for someone relying on using a U.S. debit card to get cash, Granvia location was a godsend as the Post office ATMs were on a few ATMs in Japan that accepted U.S. debit cards. Oh, sure, the ATMs were everywhere, but I was surprised just how few of them took U.S. cards.

Japan is a very cash driven society. Combining that with many public transits not taking credit cards for passes made cash access even more critical.

kanazawan

1. honestly, i know very little about hotels of kyoto. but as far as the location is concerned, Westin Miyako, perched on a hillside of Keage, would be ideal for strolling around the lovely Higashi-yama area. Right across the road is Keage Incline lined with cherry trees, and just beyond that is the Nanzenji temple complex. if you stroll further for 10 minutes or so, you will reach the so-called philosopher's path (known for cherry blossoms). The hotel's southwestern neighbour is Chion-in temple, which in turn is adjacent to the Maruyama park known for night-time Hanami (cherry blossom viewing) party. a few other night-time hanami spots like Gion and Kodaiji are also within short walking distance from westin miyako (15 minutes or so).
if you stroll further south for another 10 minutes or so, there's lit-up blossoms of kiyomizu. i also guess many of the rooms there have a very nice view overlooking the historic hillside. But i have to add that i am almost sure the meals of this hotel is overpriced, and there are not many restaurants/cafes in its immediate neighbourhood.
2. if you wish to stay much closer to restaurants/cafes of downtown kyoto, and yet want relatively tranquil, relaxing environment, i would recommend some hotels standing on the banks of the Kamo River. from this perspective, the location of Hotel Fujita Kyoto, for example, seems to be ideal. i guess the views from the riverside rooms are not bad. it's very close (a few minutes' walk) to the charming Pontochō geisha street and beautiful Takase river lined with a lot of cherry trees. Kamo River itself is lined with cherry trees (especially on upstream banks), and beautiful.

kanazawan

i just noticed you also mentions shijo karasuma.
location-wise, it is certainly better than kyoto station area. kiyamachi and pontocho are within short walking distance from there. very convenient for shopping/eating. but i also have to say shijo karasuma itself is just another commercial centre made of tightly-packed concrete buildings, and only views from hotel rooms would be other concrete buildings.

hawaiiantraveler

Just have to throw my two cents in on this topic. We stayed at the Granvia two years ago for 5 nights and absolutely enjoyed ourselves there and especially the area around the hotel. Literally thousands of Kyoto locals visit, use, shop and walk around the station area every day and night. It is one of the busiest areas of Kyoto. There are several hotels in the area besides the Granvia which are all used mainly by Japanese tourists as is the Granvia so do not know where the above statement comes from. If you are at the Granviaon a weekend night you will see thousands on Kyoto natives walking around the station area buying and eating off the Yatai vendors trucks and stalls that congregate around the station area. On most days the Kyoto locals will shop and eat at the over 300 stores and over 100 restaurants and food stalls in around and under the Kyoto Station.

I do agree that the area around the Hotel Okura would be a nice option if you want to be near where most of the foreign tourists would be or want to be closer to the Pontocho/Gion area which is a good thing. I would not at all want to be out at the Westin as it is far from anything of interest and would only stay there if I were using my SPG points.......just my opinion.

Aloha!

Sukie

Gentlemen
Thank you for your input. I am beginning to get a picture which is just as well because at some level I am still hoping Kyoto will be just like it is in Memoirs of A Geisha. I want Kyoto to be special for us and the more realistic my expectations the better it will be.

Nick, I am sure we Canadians will have the same credit card issues as you do. So thanks for the tip. Sue

kanazawan

as an ex-resident of Higashiyama, obsessed with old shrines, cherry blossoms and fireflies, i might be a bit biased towards this lush "Eastern Hill" area. (i lived in the southern part of the philosoper's path area, just below a little, magical shrine called Otoyo-jinja, for a few years). anyway, it may be worth noting that the tiny obscure subway station of Keage at the far eastern edge of Kyoto become one of the busiest station in the city during the peak bloom, typically first few days of April. for daytime Hanami stroll, people tend to go north from there, and for nightime Hanami stroll/party most of them go south from the station. so, westin miyako is at an ideal location, at least for sakura-loving romanticists (although their restaurants/bar seem to be overpriced).