First visit to Japan
 

Hi, I'm planning to visit Tokyo mid Sep for 10 days with my family (incl 2 children age 7 and 9). Need help to decide which one to choose in terms of convenience to the train station and food place: Keio Tokyo Hotel, Hilton Tokyo or Intercontinental The Strings.

We are going to spend 4 of the 10 nights staying at Hilton Tokyo Bay unless anyone can help me with better suggestion.

As for spending 6 nights in Tokyo, is it too much ??? As all we are planning to do is a day Mt Fuji Tour.

Help Help Help .... visiting Japan for the first time with my parents and 2 children ... I need all your experience and wisdom... Thanks you.

We traveled to Japan for the first time last year for 2 weeks. We had such a fantastic time we are already planning our return trip. We enjoyed Tokyo, but fell in love with Kyoto. As far as the children, the highlight of their trip was staying in the Hakone/Fuji area. Traditional tatami room, drive up Fuji, rope way to the boiling valley to eat volcano eggs, pirate ship cruise, gorgeous open air museum, and their favorite - www.yunessun.com water park. In Tokyo they enjoyed shopping, the tower and the Museum of Science and Innovation on Odaiba. Kyoto, just about everything. On our way back to Narita we stopped for 2 nights at Tokyo Disney. Disney Sea Park was wonderful. They also enjoy the bullet trains. Personally, 6 nights in Tokyo would be too much for me. I would rather move time to Hakone and Kyoto. No matter what you decide, you'll have a wonderful time.

In terms of convenience to train station, the Strings is hard to beat. The hotel is adjacent to Shinagawa station, which is on the Narita Express line, the line to Hakone, and the Yamanote line (for getting around Tokyo). Strings is also convenient to many casual restaurants, coffee shops, and take-away food shops.

TravMimi and rizutto, thanks for your info.

Rizzuto, from what I can see from The Strings website, it's not in central tokyo - am I right?

Nonik, there really is no such thing as "central Tokyo," at least in the sense that many/most Western cities have a city center. Tokyo has dozens (literally) of central locations, and Shinagawa is one of them. Shinagawa's best asset, probably, is its accessibility to just about everywhere in Tokyo (thanks to the Yamanote line) and to long-distance trains (it's on the Shinkansen lines to Kyoto, for example).

Another opinion here. With children I would tend to stay more on the Western end of Tokyo in Shinjuku or Shibuya. Being in Shinjuku puts the Hilton and Keio Plaza into play. Both are nice hotels with lots of restaurants and amenities in each. The Keio being the more convenient only a five minute walk from Shinjuku station. The area around the hotel abounds with shops and restaurants and shopping galore(maybe the most in one area of Tokyo).

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

Shinjuku is also on the Yamanote Line and is a main hub in the transport system. Shibuya is close by for shopping and people watching.

The Keio is also on the free Disney bus line if that interests you

Aloha!

thank you all !!!! I've decided to stay at Hilton Tokyo as it will save me close to $1000 in total for 6 nights compared to Keio.

I am planning to stay for 3 nights at Hilton Tokyo Bay for the visit to Disneyland - any other better hotel suggestion?

We stayed at the Sunroute Plaza Hotel at Disney. There is a bus to Narita Airport that stops right at the hotel. Price was good for a Disney Resort Hotel. Nice breakfast buffet. We had a beautiful view of the bay.