Keio Plaza Hotel, Tokyo
 

Good morning

Has anyone stayed here, and, if so, any tips on the hotel or the area around it? It looks like it's in the middle of a great night life area and conveniently located to transportation.

And did you stay in a renovated room - apparently they renovated some rooms as recently as December.

Thanks for any thoughts.

I hate a late evening drink at a bar / lounge near the top of the Keio Plaza Hotel. The views were lovely. I didn't much like the area, but then a lot could have changed since I was there.

It has been a few years, but I think I stayed here. I don't really like this area at night.

I think that you are overthinking this hotel situation for only 1 night in Tokyo upon arrival. Personally, even with a 3:30PM arrival into Narita, I would still get to the Shinkansen and go straight to Kyoto and not waste time going to a hotel in Tokyo for 1 night. Then you would arrive into Kyoto after the 3PM, hotel check-in time and not have to wait for your room to be ready. Plus, the next day, you would have 2 full days in Kyoto before heading back to Tokyo where you would then have 4 straight days.

If I were to stay overnight in a hotel in Tokyo, upon arrival and for only 1 night, I would go to Tokyo Station train station and either check into Tokyo Station Hotel, connected to Tokyo Station, or the Metropolitan Hotel which is also either connected to or nearly connected to Tokyo Station. On my return trip to Japan, this summer, I will be trying out both of those hotels. I’ll stay 5 nights in one, upon arrival into Tokyo and then on to Kyoto for 9 nights and then 4 nights at the other one before flying home. I will also buy my Shinkansen tickets online, before I leave home, and have the ticket company send one ticket to my first hotel in Tokyo, upon arrival into Tokyo, and have the other one sent to my last hotel in Kyoto before departure back to Tokyo. I will then be done with the ticket situation.

When you have either your 3 or 4 nights in Tokyo, I would then focus on the area that you seem to want to stay in which is Shinjuku, but would not worry about it on a 1-night stay. Plus, a poster, on your other thread, commented that it’s not an area with an easy connection to the Shinkansen for your onward trip to Kyoto the next day.

https://www.hotelmetropolitanmarunouchi.jp/en

https://www.thetokyostationhotel.jp/...944.1523028956

Also, in your other thread, I think you mentioned something about wanting to walk in a park-like setting either on arrival day or the day after. Well, if you stay at a hotel at Tokyo Station, you have the whole Imperial Palace nearly across the street, a 10-minute walk away. Plus, if you want to walk around, in other surroundings, you can easily walk to Ginza as I did it from when I was at the Four Seasons Hotel, last summer, and which was a 5-minute walk, from Tokyo Station (on the same street) and a 15-minute walk to Ginza.

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3017.html

In your other thread, I think you mentioned that you read something about a fish market that one could go to early in the morning. I guess you meant Tsukiji Market. You can see it on the above map as it’s south of Ginza which is south of Tokyo/Marunouchi (Tokyo Station).


Hope this has helped. You are leaving pretty soon and need to get in some hotel reservations as prices can fluctuate like crazy.

Happy Travels!

Have not stayed st the Kreio but once visited a friend there. Typical large 4 star hotel with moderate sized rooms, maybe 300sq feet or so. Area full of tall gov/business buildings so area rather dead at night.
The other side of Shinjuku station however is bustling with shopping, restaurants and night life.
I however would consider , if flying into NRT, taking the NEX train to Tokyo station than onto Kyoto your first day. You could use your JR pass for this and the trip from NRT to Tokyo takes about an hour and a Hikari about 2 1/2 hours to Kyoto. If you fly in at 3:30 you will be in Kyoto about 7:30-8:30 pm. Have dinner and go to sleep and get ready for a full day on the next day.
if stopping in Tokyo I, too would stay around Tokyo station. I don’t usually stay around Tokyo station but maybe Guenmai will take me to the Aman😁

mjs: Off we go to the Aman!!! Smiles. An acquaintance of mine stayed there last fall. Maybe I'll go there for a meal.

Happy Travels!

Hi everyone

I am pretty sure I am going to stay in Tokyo one night before heading out, but thank you for explaining it to me. I may find a hotel near Tokyo station then? Digging around...

The Keio Plaza idea was for the last three nights, not the first night. I'm not sure of it yet. Shinjuku seems near things I would want to see and the station is there.

The Ascott has a studio room for 37000 or one bedroom/living area for 42000. It looks very nice too.

PS thank you for the links to the hotels very near the station, I will look at them too.

If your are staying only one night consider staying here. https://www.marunouchi-hotel.co.jp/en/

It is just outside Tokyo Station and I really liked it.

I visited the Ascott in December and also looked in on the Palace hotel nearby. The Ascott is located about a 10+ min walk from Tokyo station. Easy flat walk if no rain. The hotel is a bit hidden as it is located on the upper floors in one of the tall buildings in the area. Only looked at a two bedroom apartment but I believe the one bedroom is the same with one less bedroom. Very modern clean Japanese decor. Nice kitchen with modern appliances. Large stacked washer/dryer in a closet. Lots of room, especially for Tokyo. Expensive. Unlike west Shinjuku the area has a lot of open space as it is close to the Palace. Quiet at night. Lots of restaurants under Tokyo station.
Am not sure I would spend that much money for short overnight stay on the way to somewhere else. The Tokyo station hotel would be more convenient.
There are less expensive hotels nearby as well as a Courtyard.

OK. If you decide to stay at Tokyo Station/Marunouchi and need to possibly pack a lunch for your Shinkansen trip to Kyoto, for the next day, then not only are there the vast food choices at Tokyo Station, but also Daimaru department store is attached to Tokyo Station. If you go into the department store, go to the basement level and there are tons of deli-style food vendors that will pack your food in containers. I ate many a meal from the department stores in both Tokyo and Kyoto and had a lot of food packed to go. I'm just trying to make things easier for you as you have such little time.

Also on the top levels of Daimaru, there are cafes and restaurants. I ate at the Italian restaurant up there and it was quite good and was also packed with folks. Late one night, while in my room at the Four Seasons Hotel, I got hungry so I threw on some clothes and walked the 5-minutes to Tokyo Station/Daimaru department store and went to the Italian restaurant at Daimaru. I didn't have a reservation or anything as I hate to have to be locked into restaurant reservations.

When I return to Tokyo Station/Marunouchi, I plan to eat on the 12th floor, of Daimaru, at Nihombashi Isesada as it has eel. I absolutely love eel as I used to eat it a lot in Danmark in the 70s/80s.

https://www.daimaru.co.jp.e.md.hp.tr...kyo/index.html

https://www.daimaru.co.jp.e.md.hp.tr...ant/index.html

Happy Travels!

Out of curiosity, I just looked up the Ascott. I had heard of it before, but didn't know what the price point was. Well, I put in some end-of-May prices and it popped up at $364.80 breakfast included on the Ascott's website. I then went on my Expe... account and pulled up what I paid for the Four Seasons-Marunouchi last summer and it was $364.25-breakfast and other amenities included.

I just remember that for Japan, in my own experience, hotel prices were fluctuating worse than airline prices can fluctuate. But, I stayed on my laptop checking out prices constantly and it paid off. I got the Four Seasons in Kyoto for more than 50% off the price that was popping up had I stayed there about 4 months prior and the prices were even fluctuating, like crazy, for the time period that I was to be there during summer.

Happy Travels!

This is quoting 2000-2300 bucks a night, is that correct? oy

OK, so I am going to select one of the three hotels - either of the two Guenmai described, or, the Ascot. I will see if the Ascot happens to have anything extra that the other two do not. Being near the Palace grounds would be nice, as I do expect to do some wandering when I get into town and checked in. I hope it's open after 6 PM on Sundays.

Ginza sounds like a nice wander, too.

Thank you

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3018....tion_admission The grounds close at 4:30PM.

If you're going to wander to both Ginza and the Imperial Palace grounds, in your very limited amount of time, then why not select a hotel location between the two areas of which Tokyo Station is? And if you stay at the Ascott, are you going to walk with luggage to Tokyo Station to catch the Shinkansen train on to Kyoto the next day? If it's raining, the rain can be fierce, really fierce.

It would seem more logical, to me, to walk to Ginza on your first night there and then walk to the Imperial Palace grounds the next morning and before having to check out of your hotel and get the Shinkansen to Kyoto.

Happy Travels!

Bucks or Yen? Plus, in Yen it would read 20,000-23,000 yen, not 2,000-2,300 yen. I just looked up that hotel website and the prices were given in Yen, not U.S. dollars and were in the 20,000-23,000 YEN price range. www.xe.com for conversion.

Happy Travels!

OK! Will check it all out. I looked up the Tokyo station hotel, it looks very nice and it's right there.

I plan to take a mid-afternoon train. Not lunch time, but maybe around 3 PM or so, to arrive in Kyoto around 5 PM ish. So will have morning to wander a bit.

Thanks again

>>This is quoting 2000-2300 bucks a night, is that correct? <<

I doubt it. I know I paid well under $200 and ¥20,000 = about $185.

It seems that your trip is coming together now. This coming summer, I look forward to trying out both Tokyo Station Hotel and the Metropolitan Hotel at Tokyo Station as I booked and paid for both rooms months ago. For both hotels, I booked a room that is one level up from a standard room in order to have more space. Hotel rooms, in Japan, can be quite small.

Just remember that if you're arriving into Kyoto, on a work day, then it might take a while to get a taxi to your hotel if arriving around 5PM.

Happy Travels!

Your link comes in at 230000 yen a night. not 23000. ouch

Thanks! I will keep that in mind. Would it be better to arrive a little later? How bad are we talking here, time wise and traffic? How far is the airport from downtown? I don't have tickets yet, and I'd at least like to be checked in and walking to dinner when it's still light out. a little evening exploring...

edit: you also mentioned packing lunch for the Shinkansen. Do they not have food on it?

There is food to buy on the Shinkansen but there are places in both Tokyo station and Kyoto to buy bento box meals which would offer more variety. Am not sure about you question about an airport. Are you not taking the train to/from Kyoto?

I would personally go to the Daimaru department store to pick up food for the train if you were hungry.

I agree with that one as there's a great food selection in the basement food section.

Happy Travels!

[QUOTE=flygirl;16709565]Thanks! I will keep that in mind. Would it be better to arrive a little later? How bad are we talking here, time wise and traffic? How far is the airport from downtown? I don't have tickets yet, and I'd at least like to be checked in and walking to dinner when it's still light out. a little evening exploring...

As for when to arrive into Kyoto, I wouldn't change the time of arrival if you want to arrive around 5PM. Plus, with the short time that you have, I wouldn't arrive any later.

For my summer trip, I plan to be on the Shinkansen at around noon and then get into Kyoto at around 2:30PM and at the hotel at around 3PM which is check-in time.

The Kyoto train station, from downtown, is about 4km and if you are going to stay at the Royal Park Hotel, then it should take about 15 minutes to get there.

Happy Travels!

The Marunouchi hotel does not cost 230,000. yen. A standard room at the Aman doesn't even cost that as one there costs around 90,000-100,000 Yen a night. I don't know where you are reading 230,000 yen. Below is the rate of the least expensive room at the Marunouchi Hotel as I just took it directly from its website. It's 20,909.00 yen.

"Small Double Room 24sqm
Small Double Room 24 Square Meter / 258 Square Feet
140cm-width bed (55 inches) X 210 cm length /Sofa, Free WIFI
Maximum Occupancy:2
Free access to Gym/Business Center
Non-smoking/Luxury
Rates from
¥20,909.00 JPY"

Happy Travels!

I sure don't know where you are looking and don't know your date but I picked a random date in May and the Marunouchi came in at ¥25,000 / $233

Flygirl: The date that I put in was Sunday, May 27th and got the above posted price of 20,909.00 yen.

Happy Travels!

OK, I went back, not sure what happened the last time but it looked like an extra zero.

it does look very nice and it is close. and cheap. half the price of the ascot.

is it tall, do you have views?

thank you

[QUOTE=Guenmai;16709697]
ok! thanks. going to get the JR pass this week.

Below is the Shinkansen information that I bookmarked last year although I didn't take the Shinkansen then. But, for this coming summer when I do take it, I will be going on the below website and buying my Green tickets to and from Kyoto and will be taking the Nozomi Shinkansen which one can't take with a JR Pass.

I really don't need a JR Pass as when I take trains around Tokyo, I can use my Suica Card to pay for the fares which aren't that much. Plus, the Suica card is good for 5 years, can be reloaded with money, and one can get a refund on it if it's no longer needed. I kept mine for this coming summer.

The Suica card can also be used at various vending machines and when I was in Narita Airport, a couple of months ago on my way home from Singapore, I was able to buy my sushi meal at the sushi restaurant and using my Suica Card from summer 2017. I didn't need to have any paper Yen although I took some along, as I have a lot leftover from the summer 2017 trip. Also, with my Suica card, I bought a bottle of water out of the vending machine located next to my gate at the airport. It comes in handy and some taxis even take the Suica and it can be used at various stores/convenience stores.

https://shinkansen-ticket.com/collections/from-tokyo

https://shinkansen-ticket.com/collec...nt=16836973761

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2363.html

Happy Travels!

Tnank you! Very useful information. I didn't know the JR Pass didn't work on all Shinkansen and the Nozomi saves 20 minutes. Of course at a price, I seem to recall the Green JR was close to 400 bucks when I looked (384? which is 41062 yen), which would be for all week, whereas the non-green reserved seat is 17600 yen and the green reserved seat is around 23300 yen. It's not a massive difference at all though, and in return saves some time.

I guess then, if I don't get a JR Pass, will that come in handy other than the Shinkansen. The above shows that just Tokyo-Kyoto RT, I may as well pay extra for the Nozomi and ride faster. BUT, that is it - no other train rides, period, unless I pay each time. Where else would I use the JR Pass? I can't say if I'd leave Kyoto in my short time there, for anything nearby, and ditto Tokyo.

I also see this below although it is non-reserved price.
Japanican offers an E-Voucher for a round trip by Nozomi or Hikari from Tokyo to Kyoto and back plus a Kyoto 1-day Subway & Bus Pass for only 21,000 yen. The return journey has to be done within seven days of the outward journey. The E-Voucher can be used by foreign tourists only.

The Suica card looks useful too. I see I can get it from Japan Rail Pass online, and i see a pocket wifi too - did you get that? I think my Sprint phone will work in Japan but I will check, but perhaps wifi will be faster in some cases? Although isn't Japan already very wired? Other than just wandering outside - where won't I have access to wifi?

* I don't know all of the ins and outs of the JR Pass as I didn't get one. Someone else on your thread mentioned the JR Pass. Since I won't be going anywhere except round trip, from Tokyo to Kyoto by long-distance train, I don't need to be hooked into a pass of any kind. Plus, I plan to buy a green-reserved ticket and one can't use that class with a JR train pass.

* As for the Suica, I didn't buy it before I left home. I bought it while in the Haneda Airport . I had taken the MK Shuttle service from Kyoto to Osaka Itami Airport and then flew from Osaka Itami Airport to Haneda Airport (Tokyo) as that airport is way closer to Tokyo than Narita. I then bought the Suica in Haneda Airport as I needed to get to Tokyo Station.

* There are very obvious machines that sell Suica. Six days later, I also used my Suica card to buy a ticket, at the ticket machine in Tokyo Station, for the Narita Airport Express train from Tokyo Station to Narita Airport. That was on my way home from Japan. I don't know where the Suica machines are located at Narita Airport, but when I get back to Japan this summer, I will be taking the Airport Express train from Narita Airport to Tokyo Station, so I might need to add some money onto my Suica card.

* When I bought the Suica, in Haneda Airport, I just went to the machine, pressed the English button, followed the instructions and then inserted my money and out it came. I did not get the card with my name printed on it as I didn't find it necessary. I then headed for the monorail train and took it to Hamamatsucho Station where I got off and then went to another area of that train station and got on the JR line that went to Tokyo Station and again, this was from Haneda Airport, not Narita Airport. It's easier from Narita as it's an hour, non-stop train to Tokyo Station. No train changes.

* I remember missing my stop at Tokyo Station as the train was packed like sardines. When I was finally able to peep at the electronic sign, in the train car, to see if Tokyo station was coming up, it happened to be in Kanji and I don't read kanji. It hadn't switched over to English yet. By the time I was able to get a glimpse of the sign in English and was trying to get off the train, the train had taken off and with me in it. So, I went to the next stop and then got out and got back on a train in the other direction to go one stop. It's good I only had a small, carry-on suitcase as I had had the Royal Park Hotel-Kyoto send my big suitcase on to Tokyo and when I arrived at the Four Seasons-Tokyo, I was informed that my suitcase had arrived that morning, way before I had arrived, and that it had been sent to my room. In Japan, one can send luggage on to the next location and not have to drag luggage around. To send one suitcase ahead cost me around the equivalent of US$15.

* As for cell phone usage in Japan, I have no idea as I had no cell phone. I take my MacBook Air and folks can e-mail me if they need to get a hold of me. Plus, I can use it to google and pull up information. I personally don't need a cell phone that works in Japan. I only have my U.S. cell phone as when I get back home to L.A., I need to contact my driver from the car service so that I can get home.

Happy Travels!

>>is it tall, do you have views?<<

Yes, it is semi-tall - the lobby is on the (I think) 7th floor and the rooms are above that up to the 17th floor. I had a corner room with nice city/lights view - if a view is important you can probably request one.

For trains and passes, etc., I think we have already directed you to japan-guide.com? It's all there....

Thank you for this, I decided to stay here for the first (one) night.

Sprint set me up for using fast data in Japan on my iPhone for only 5 bucks which is fantastic. They have free data too but it's slower.