First Time to Tokyo
 

I will be accompanying a friend going to Japan on business in mid-November. After the work portion (outside of Tokyo) - we would like to stay in Tokyo for a few extra days. Never been to Tokyo...any suggestions for hotels (good location) and things to do for our (short) extended stay? We're pretty well travelled but Japan is a first. Thank you so much!!

What type of budget do you have?

I definitely should have included that in the first post...I'd be willing to go up to the low (MAYBE mid) $300's. Thanks!

Well we were looking in a price range just lower than that, and almost everyone here recommends the Keio Plaza or the Park Hotel Tokyo. We went with the latter and are traveling next March.
Hope that helps!

PS We are paying 19,000 yen/night for the smallest room. They have larger rooms that you may enjoy more.

Also see
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34998331

Hi

My wife and I went to Japan in May a couple of years back and we stayed at New Otani in the Akasaka distric. You can check out my trip report with pictures and links here: http://gardkarlsen.com/japan_tokyo.htm . Maybe you can find some useful information there.

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

You can search for other posts on Tokyo attractions. Just highlighitng the obvious: Tsukiji fish market (early morning), Asakusa temple (possibly include kappa-bashi for super-realistic wax food models), Meiji shrine--strolled through Omote Sando (Oriental Bazaar on the right), a Japanese park--either Hamarikyu or Rikugien. Edo Museum (I found it much more interesting than National Museum). People-watching along new Roppongi developments. The rest depends on how many days you'll be in Tokyo.

Try the Westin Tokyo. It is in the low $300s I believe and very very nice.

I was there a few weeks ago on business and stayed at the Park Hotel. It was nice and the staff was quite friendly.

Thank you so much to everyone for their helpful responses...sounds like the Keio is well thought of - and in general staying near a train station is a good idea. We'll be coming from Oiso Station (I believe?) which goes to Shinjuku station...not that I have to stay in that area - but just fyi. Tim/Liz - your thread was very helpful, thank you. And I checked out the Westin as per a helpful request and that looks great. One thing I'd like to do is check out the Park Hyatt (note: Tim/Liz, boy did you luck out - the days I'm going it's $500 per night! - so that's out) for lunch at least. If it's not too out of the way. I was thinking the Westin, Keio or Hyatt Regency (is that near the Park Hyatt?) - all with reasonable pricing. There's the Hilton too which was under $300, so that may be in the running - not clear on that location though. Any more thoughts on these - those hotels - or others as to the best hotel/location combo?. Either way, I did receive some excellent information to make an informative decision as to where to stay and I thank you!!

nantucketgirl-
We are staying at the Park Hotel Tokyo, *not* the Park Hyatt! I wish! :)

http://www.parkhoteltokyo.com/

I'm glad you found the thread helpful!

nantucketgirl,

To answer some of your questions:

The Hilton is located across the street from the Century Hyatt in Shinjuku. The Park Hyatt is down the street from the Century Hyatt.....maybe two blocks. The Keio Plaza is a block and a half away from the CH.

We now stay at the Century Hyatt while in Tokyo. It is a good location for us and we love the service and room size of this hotel.It should fit right in your budget of $300. You might even be able to book the concierge level which entitles you to breakfast and evening cocktails and all day refreshments with private check in/out and private concierge service. You can also get a Mt Fuji view in the mornings in the winter/early spring months if its clear.

They also have a nice park right in back which we like to stroll in the mornings.

The Keio Plaza Hotel is a little closer to all shopping and action in Shinjuku but the others are right there too.

The Westin is liked by others on this forum and gets high marks. It is located a little southwest of Shinjuku in Ebisu .

If you choose to stay in Shinjuku you will not lack for things to do and the train station is a sight in itself.
Some Shinjuku information:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3011.html

http://tinyurl.com/2q4vwz

http://www.tokyoessentials.com/shinjuku.html

I could go on and on about Shinjuku and Tokyo but.......enjoy!

Aloha!

I must say I was not that impressed with Hilton Shinjuku. The place didn't look like it's been refurbished for at least a good 10 yrs.

All Shinjuku hotels you've mentioned--Century Hyatt, Keio Plaza, Park Hyatt are on western side of Shinjuku. You walk along underground pathway for about 10min to get to Keio Plaza and Century Hyatt. Park Hyatt (the one in Lost in Translation) is the furtherest one, about 15-20min walk from the station though I understand they have shuttle buses.

You don't have to stay there to enjoy the view--there are cocktail lounges, popular steakhouse(?) and a very posh-looking Japanese restaurant. Also I spotted Mt Fuji from the top-floor restaurant at Westin. Though Ebisu is totally a different, more residential (though very posh), less crazy, neighbourhood compared to Shinjuku.

Are you sure you'll be coming from Oiso? We stayed there close to a friend's house this summer. It is on Tokaido line, VERY tiny rural station. I think they have a few train to Shinjuku a day, but you'll need to change at Shinagawa or Tokyo to get to Shinjuku.

The Park Hyatt, Hyatt Century and Hilton all have free shuttle buses to and from Shinjuku station every 20 minutes all day until 22:00.

There are also beautiful Mt. Fuji views from restaurants in the top floors of the Sumitomo bldg and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. The view from the NY Grill at the top of the Park Hyatt is spectacular

Aloha!

W9London - thank you for the tips - not knowing anything about these hotels myself, I'll take your word and take the Hilton off of my list. Also your recommendations have been printed in terms of things to see so thank you. Do you you think the Westin is in a convenient location? Oh, and the quote about the train from where I'm staying for business was "The Shounan Sinjuku line connects Ikebukuro/Sinjuku/Shibuya and Oiso station directly. 1 hour 10 mins from Shinjuku station by Shounan Sinjuku line" - does that make more sense? Hawaiian Traveler - those are some great tips and I'll be checking out those links for Shinjuku - sounds like a solid destination choice w/i Tokyo. I'm fairly (well, maybe not for this board) well travelled but know nothing about Japan so I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of your time and advice. Tom and Liz - I'm laughing at myself - Boy I really had you upgraded! (Park Hyatt)...but I did love the link for the Park Hotel - great reviews too - #2 on TripAdvisor for Tokyo?. Hmmmm - Westin, Park HOTEL or Century Hyatt - all sound great and in a good locale. So torn! I'll play around a little more - I don't think I can go wrong - sounds like I'm in for an interesting stay.

Trains from Oiso--they do have a direct service to shinjuku but it is far less frequent, maybe once or twice an hour. The same trains would stop at Ebisu, so it would probably take about the same amount of time either to Westin or Century Hyatt. About 1-1.5hr from Tokyo makes sense.

Westin is connected to JR Ebisu station by moving walkways, about 10min or so. Slightly longer connection to Metro. The station is far less crowded than Shinjuku, though there is a department store and office/shopping/restaurant complex across from the hotel. My only gripe is about airport transportation--the airport limousine bus makes too many stops, and you'll have to transfer from Yamanote Line to catch Narita Express.

W9 - thank you again. Where would you stay with my budget? Before I get to Tokyo, The Prince Oiso is where I'm staying for work (hence the train info) - anyone ever go to that area or see that hotel? Appears to be on the ocean but not much info about it on the net otherwise. Not a totally modern and fab hotel but seems very nice, on the water - and sounds like that area will allow me to get an interesting flavor of Japan outside Tokyo. My understanding is that we're taking a 'field trip' the last work day to Yokohama (China Town?). Sounds like this is all well worth the 14 hour flight!

I live in Tokyo, not far from the Ebisu area. I can share some thoughts with you. I personally don't like Shinjuku, though some travelers enjoy the bright lights and swarming crowds. It really depends on what you're looking for and what you want to do here.

Shinjuku is a business district where you'll find many office workers going out for a drink after work and heading to restaurants and karaoke. There are also big department stores. West Shinjuku is a business district with skyscrapers. Parts of Shinjuku are considered the red light district of Tokyo. Shinjuku Station is extremely crowded and and can be disorienting. You can spend quite a long time just trying to get out of the station. Shinjuku is good if you like to be in a very busy commercial part of Tokyo with neon and crowds. Some tourists do like it since it's non-stop action.

Ebisu is mostly a lively and hip residential area, It's known for its many restaurant and is called a gourmet ghetto. It's big enough to be lively and interesting, but not so huge that you'll get lost in the station. It feels more manageable than a huge station like Shinjuku. Lots of shops and cafes around. You can take the Hibiya subway line one station to Naka Meguro, one of the coolest neighborhoods in Tokyo - young, funky, and artistic. From Ebisu it's two stations on the Hibiya line to Roppongi and walking distance to Daikanyama and Shibuya. I think Ebisu is an excellent base for exploring Tokyo.

Just thought I'd write since I see so many travelers head to Shinjuku and I always wish they could see other areas and more of what makes Tokyo a great place. Have a nice trip!

We stayed in Ginza and it was a nice mix of neon, high end stores and access to the subway.

I also like Ebisu as a place to stay in Tokyo. Shinjuku is ok but the train station is large and rather confusing. I think I have been through that station over 100 times and I still do not always end up where I want to go without an ocassional detour.

We are in Japan right now on vacation, our first in Japan, and we stayed at the Royal Park Hotel in Tokyo. I can't recommend this hotel enough. The location is great, as its easily accessible by both the limosine bus and the subway lines to other areas of town. We had a lovely room and the staff and amentities were amazing.

If you click on my name you will be able to see my trip report, as I have been working on it (slowly but surely) since I've been here.

We loved Tokyo!
Tracy

Oiso Prince--we actually stayed there but during the summer when swimming pools (their main attraction) were open. The place does look a tad dated, but we found both the room (though bathroom was quite small) and services were just ok. It does face the beach but you can't walk over there because of a highway right in front.

It's a big compounds--must have a bowling alley and a convention centre as well. Not many westerners during our stay (again we were mobbed by japanese families on holiday).

We didn't try but there's supposedly a hot spring on premises, and the mezzanine floor had lots of shops/game arcade/mini-spa (or reflexology) suites.
There is supposed to be a nice chinese restaurant (we haven't tried) converted from an old villa.

If you use a Pocket PC, I would highly recommend a Tokyo travel guide by MobileReference http://www.mobilereference.com/.
It has information about all major sites, lots of hotel and restaurant suggestions, maps, and itineraries. The best part is that you don't have to carry around bulky books.

Mealea - you make a good argument for checking out the areas outside of Shinjuku...I don't live far from NYC so I don't need Times Square half way across the world! W9 - that appears to be such an obscure hotel (Oiso) - can't find any info on it on the the net - you surely are well traveled in Japan! - thanks for the feedback and you're right, it sure does look dated on the website but should be sort of interesting (that part I have no say in). But Tokyo - the wonderfully reviewed (on this board) Royal Park - how's that location? Could I get there from that station in Oiso? You're all so wonderful for helping me - this board never ceases to amaze and impress me with well traveled folks so willing to help. Oh - and Tracy - I, like everyone else, just loved your trip report - thanks for taking the time!

I also have stayed at Royal Park hotel before. From Oiso, you take the Tokaido Line to tokyo station, then take a taxi (about JPY1000-1500 at most, I suspect?).

Hotel's basement floor is connected to metro (the last stop on the purple line). The same metro line goes all the way to Shibuya. Once you're on metro, it's very convenient to get to most places. The areas around the hotel looked like a combination of offices/stores/ apartment buildings. Ther eis supposed to be a famous shrine or a temple nearby but I haven't visited there.

It's an excellent hotel, but you won't get that "Wow" factor in terms of views from the room.

Trip Report/Feedback

Thank you all for your recommendations and help - I truly loved my time in Japan. The work portion was in a more rural area of Japan and that was a great experience (to your point W9London - no Westerners in Oiso! - even off season. Pretty beach views but no beach access). I could see Mt. Fuji clearly from there every day which was amazing. Tokyo was only 3 days but I wanted to provide a trip report for anyone that may be interested - sorry if it's a bit long and windy:

WHERE I STAYED:
PLANNED to stay at the Century Hyatt - I liked the Shinjuku station access which is why it was picked - but there was a little screw up and wound up at the Hilton which I was a bit nervous about (mixed reviews - I had taken it out of the mix originally) - but I have to say I was very impressed and glad I wound up there. It's a great location - not only is there a shuttle to the Shinjuku station (as reported here - VERY big and overwhelming station - but great access to Keio department store) and the Metro is just downstairs from the hotel. Used the concierge desk quite a bit and even though the hotel was sold out that weekend - there were always 3+ knowledgeable people behind the desk - no wait ever. The room was great - a very decent size and laid out very well - dark wood and good use of space. Had a great view of the city and a small park (foliage). I'm a Hilton VIP member but the only upgrade they had was a smoking room so I passed - wound up on the 22nd floor - below executive level but that was fine - and they comped my breakfast. The buffet was pretty good - some things that should have been hot were cold but for the most part it was good actually - lots of choices and well done. The hotel (and probably most do) also has a 24 hour lobby restaurant - for those who can't sleep due to the time change it's great - there were always people there. Such attentive service at the Hilton - at one point I needed help with the AC and it took them less than 2 minutes to send someone up - I just felt that the service at the hotel, important for a first timer like me (especially concierge) was terrific. I was impressed and would recommend the Hilton. I'm sorry that I didn't get to check out the other hotel recommended here - maybe next time I'll try the Park Hotel, Keio, Westin - or maybe somewhere in Ebisu; I unfortunately didn't make it there in the short time I was in Tokyo but I plan to next time - I'd love to see it based on what I've read here.

WHAT I DID:
Day One:
Park Hyatt and Ginza.
Room wasn't ready since I arrived pretty early (11am) - but it was still available before 1pm which was great - they were very accommodating. Around 11:30 I went for a walk to the Park Hyatt (had to see it - 'Lost in Translation' fan) and had lunch. WOW WOW WOW. What a hotel - the views were breathtaking. Had a great lunch at the New York Grill which was excellent. Yes, pricey, but there was an appetizer and dessert buffet to go with the entree so you got a good deal of food for your yen. The food was delicious and there were great choices - I had a perfectly done steak and the appetizer buffet had things like a string bean bake, tomato and mozzarella, etc. etc. Lot's of cakes for dessert - cheesecake, custard and the like - good stuff. I was so full that I didn't have dinner that night. My wallet was appreciative. :)

Shopped in Ginza (let me clarify - mainly WINDOW shopped in Ginza) - what a place - it was all decked out for Christmas and was so alive on Friday night. Had a beer at the Lion Beer Hall - 100+ year old bar evidently. What a cool bar/restaurant - stunning woodwork and just a fun joint to duck into to escape Cartier, Gucci - etc. Ginza was an easy ride on the Marunouchi line from the hotel. Beautiful and happening. Fun to window shop - VERY expensive shops.

Day Two:
Fish Market, Imperial Palace and Disney (almost).
The Tsukiji Fish market was so cool - very fast moving and the fresh fish - plenty of them unrecognizable to me at least - was a worthwhile visit.

The Imperial Palace was so nice - walked through the gardens...the area around it surprised me - I tell you it looks like any big city, very businesslike it seemed. But the Imperial grounds were beautiful. I was somehow surprised that it was free (actually, seemed like the big destinations were all free?). I was handed a card with a number upon entering that I guess was a counter to turn in upon exit - but at the time I thought it was a 'pay as you exit' situation (no big deal) - but it's indeed free. I don't know that I covered as much ground as I could have - but what I saw was lovely.

OK - here's the copout - I tried to go to Tokyo Disney. NOTE - it was an easy subway ride from Tokyo Station after the Imperial Palace (Keiyo Line)...the plan was to ride a few rides, buy a few souvenirs for Disneymaniac friends and then go....But the joke was on me because they were "full" and not selling any more tickets that day. That's what I get for trying to sneak an American experience into going to wonderful Japan!

By now it was dinnertime, had room service (good at the Hilton!) and took the shuttle to Shinjuku Station just to see the more 'happening' area...walked around (played an arcade game even - that's fun - couldn't resist) and did a little shopping at Keio Department store...very nice. The stores evidently are usually open between 10am and 8pm daily. Keio had a great liquor store area too - wine, champagne, beer and many, many sake choices.

Day Three:
Meiji Shrine
My last day I went to the shrine in the morning - an easy JR ride on the Yamamote Line. This was one of my favorites - I was surprised that it was only built in 1920 (only to be destroyed in WWII and rebuilt in the 50's) - it was beautiful and there seemed to be very few Westerners here. Lots of families - children decked out in traditional Japanese clothing. Very nice and the park area leading up to it I found very beautiful and relaxing.

...and then off to the airport (sniff) and home.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Firstly, thanks again to everyone that took the time to give advice - it was very much appreciated. I was so so so charmed by Japan. The people are so kind and respectful and I loved everything about this country. Gosh - even the weather held up beautifully. Tokyo is not cheap - but I'd brave the 14 hour flight again anytime for the opportunity to go. I was so impressed by this country in my short time there and hope to go back to see more. Maybe next time (hoping/assuming there will be one) I can spend some more time in Tokyo but also more rural areas - maybe Hakone - which seems beautiful from what I've read - as well as some other rural/historical spots. I enjoyed my time there and am grateful that I had the opportunity to experience Japan.

nantucketgirl, I'm so glad you loved Tokyo! I felt much the same way you did and would certainly endure the long flight for an opportunity to revisit Japan.

W9London, we had quite a "wow" factor from our view at the Royal Park! We had an awesome, unobstructive view of Tokyo glittering before us on the evening that we arrrived.

Tracy