Japan: Hotel reservations-how far in advance?
 

Sorry for the double post in the root file (the refreshing here drives me crazy..)


Well I am still planning and putting off making hotel reservations for my trip in April. Should I hurry to do it now or is there time?

For Tokyo (3-4 nights) I hesitate since I don't know which are would be best for us (the new otani has caught my eye -- indoor pool, close to subway, and ff points, but I cannot commit..).

For Kyoto I was set on the Granvia since it is easy for arrival and rushed departure, it is close to the To-ji shrine has an indoor pool and gives a discount for JR pass holders BUT after reading emd's posts, the Okura looks good too (ff points and location for walking).

Any help would be appreciated.

Why don't you make multiple reservations...hold a room at each place until you decide? As long as you do a direct booking, you don't pay in advance and can cancel up to the day of (in most cases, check carefully). You usually don't even need to give a credit card unless you are checking in after 6.

moxie, you need to make reservations NOW for April!!! Do what kim says and make multiple reservations if you can get them, but do it NOW. The Kyoto Okura is sold out now on their website for the week in April when I am there. Japan Travel Bureau in NYC told me on Friday of last wk. that they could get a room at Okura for that week for 44000 yen night - the exact same room I booked on the Okura website for 22500 three months ago. So your options are dwindling for April and you are probably going to pay more the longer you wait.

I was referring to Kyoto above. I don't know how booked Tokyo gets in April. But my guess is that the rates mught be going up in the nicer htoels the longer you wait and the closer to April that it gets, based on what I saw happen w/the Okura the last few months...

Thanks emd, you probably saved me from choosing yet another hotel ;)

I reserved at the Granvia and will try to pin down what I want in Tokyo soon.