Kyoto in Fall--when to book hotels/air tix?
 

I just had a 2-day stopover in Tokyo at the during sakura season. It was spectacular and I could not get enough of it. Now that the yen is quite low, I really want to explore more of Japan during fall.

I am considering a visit to Tokyo and Kyoto in Nov to watch the foliage. I have not set exact dates yet but I would like to travel around Thanksgiving time (late Nov to early Dec) so that I don't have to take many days off. When shall I book my hotels? I don't know when I will book my air tickets, because airlines have not announced specials for travel in late fall/early winter (correct me if I am wrong). In fact, what is the best time to shop for air tix bargains for travel during that period?

I am worried about the accomodation situation since November is a peak travel season in Kyoto for foliage watching. I may be out of luck in finding a room if I wait too long to make my reservations.

I just checked Hotel Granvia Kyoto's (the favorite hotel among Fodorites) website and it's fully booked for a few nights in Nov already. (Of course, the hotel may just be holding rooms to be released later for higher prices, I am not sure.) On dates when rooms are available, the rate is about USD 300!!! Yet, Fodorites have been saying that rooms at this hotel are available at around USD150?! I also checked the Japanese version of the hotel's website (I took 2 years of Japanese back at school), but, interestingly, the reservation book is not even opened yet for Japanese tourists. I checked some websites of certain other hotels, and again, the same thing happened. Reservations are taken till Sept or Oct only.

I am really panicking. Last year, I went to Rome in high season. I booked my hotels only 2-3 months ahead and of course all the best options had been fully booked solid. I don't want to repeat this mistake. Would appreicate any advice.

Make your reservations NOW!....you can always cancel or change later.

The Granvia website is taking reservations until 12/31/07 so if they show sold out in dates in Nov then they are sold out and not going to release any rooms later. In my experience with the hotel they may release cancellations but don't "hold" any rooms.

Aloha!

Check out Luxury Link's web site. They are having an auction featuring Hotel Granvia. I don't know if it includes your dates, but the web site is an interesting place to visit.

No reason at all to panic at this point. Time is now to be shopping for airfare but I don't know of any sales (United just had one to Nagoya that ended recently). Where are you traveling from? Peak color should be around November 18 or 19 in Kyoto.

Try the Japanese webpage here: http://www.apahotel.com/index2.html
and see what's available at Kyoto Gion Hotel.

It looks like the only take bookings into September.

You could go to jtbusa.com and give them a call. See what they have.

The Granvia hasn't loaded fall rates yet. You could e-mail them and request a rate for your dates, or you watch and wait. Booking through a booking site will very likely cost you more than booking directly...doesn't hurt to check, but be sure to compare to direct booking rates and compare exact same room type and inclusions. I've yet to see a site be cheaper then direct for Japan.

On Granvia's site in English, the rooms you see as sold out in November are likely sold out already to domestic tour companies. If those happen to be the dates you want, you might have to book through a Japanese agency like JTB or HIS or similar. It is possible, though, that they have some free rooms on reserve that they can assign to you if you call or e-mail. You could also keep your eye on this site for autumn rates. It's the only site I know for Japan that sets prices same as hotel rather than higher. http://web.travel.rakuten.co.jp/port....Eng?f_no=1487 Just note that the rooms they sell are not the nicer ones.

Thanks so much for the replies. I will be flying out of LAX but I want to return to SFO. Yet, I also want to fly to KIX or Nagoya and then return from Narita. I am not sure if this double-open-jaw ticket is available.

mcben391, I tried the Luxury Link website, but there is nothing available in Nov for Kyoto. Not sure if this is because I am doing this auction too far in advance or because of some other reason.

mrwunrfl, I am not confident that I will make it to Kyoto by Nov 18-19. I think I will be there in the last week of Nov or even first week of Dec. Will I miss the foliage? Thanks also for the links. Looks like neither the hotels nor the travel agencies have released the prices for Nov yet.

KimJapan, the Granvia Hotel has released the rates for Nov in their English site. I suspect the USD300 is either their full rack rate or the high season rate? I am just afraid that if I email them, they will just tell me that the rates are available in the English site (except these rates that seem too high)!

Is Kyoto the only city where I will trouble finding a room in November? What about Totyo or other cities?

The rates in English you see look like full rack rates. In Kyoto, you will only have trouble finding rooms on weekends and holiday eves during foliage...and even then, you will only have trouble finding rooms at the places known to foreigners. There are tons of rooms in business hotels that are available for day of check in, even on weekends...rooms are not big, often smell of smoke and there is literally no service to speak of, but there will be rooms, you will not be roomless even if you have no reservation. You just might not be thrilled with your room.

If you wanted to book a business hotel or a place not known to foreigners, you could visit a travel agent right when you land, go through the hotel books, and the agent will come up with something for you. In this case, you pay the agent in full and receive a voucher. Same applies in other cities.

Barkinpark,

I just checked the Granvia's website and dates are open at the end of November for 29000 yen per night for a superior double room with view. This is using their Best available rate line. They guarantee that rate to be the lowest they offer online.

Online may be the key word here.

I have been checking this site almost daily for the past two years and have found that rate to be the best rate I have found offered anywhere. I have even called the hotel and they couldn't offer a price lower than the best available rate online at their site.

I have also noticed that on their website they only have prices for 6 months in advance no matter what season it is.

Aloha!

Nothing to lose if you e-mail Granvia, but it sounds like you are just too early.

My first trip to Japan was in November 2001. Peak was the 18th, when I was there in Kyoto. Was quite colorful in Nara on the 22nd-23rd. Color and many fallen leaves in Kamakura on the 26th or so.

The day after U.S. Thanksgiving is a holiday in Japan, Labor Thanksgiving or something like that. I was at the Hyatt in Fukuoka on Wednesday and had a lady at the exec club book my room in Nara for Thursday night. She called a couple of places that were fully booked but then got a decent place (she called places that were recommended in my guide book).

What you might do is go farther south at the end of November. Miyajima would be very popular, I am sure. Momijiso accepts solo travelers sometimes and with/without meals. But during the peak color times I think they only allow 2 persons and then only the grand deluxe meal. Would be nice. Momijiso is in Momiji Dani (Maple Tree Valley) which ought to be spectacular.

I hope that I am just planning too early. Yet, I panick because I saw quite a number of Kyoto foliage-season hotel inquires in other internet travel discussion sites.

If it was me and I had a couple of nicer hotel options (you mention the Granvia, so I assume you want a nicer place) on my Kyoto list for a Nov. stay, I would call them and find out when they open up their rooms for the dates I want to stay. Then I would be awake the night they load their rates and rooms for that time, and I'd go online (or call the US reservation number if it is a U.S. chain like the Westin Miyako or the Hyatt Kyoto) and I'd get a reservation.

I am not sure that the Granvia is the absolute favorite of people on this baord. Many people like it because it is in the train station and it is a nice hotel. But there are other nice hotels that get good reviews here and other sites, like the Westin, the Hyatt, the Okura. I've stayed at the Westin and Okura and love them both for different reasons. Taxis are fairly inexpensive in Kyoto (unlike Tokyo) and you can get to the train station in 15 min from the Westin or the Okura. And both are on the subway lines (Okura is on top of a very central stop on the subway system, you don't even go outside; Westin is next door to a stop on the Keage line)t). Okura is a great location for walking to the central shopping/dining area of Kyoto at night.

Also, hotels in Japan that I have stayed in typically do not book rooms until 6 months ahead. So in my experience, on July 1 you may see rooms opening up for Nov. reservations.

hawaii, I got a good chuckle out of you checking the Granvia's sites for rates almost every day for 2 yrs. I thought only I did stuff like that.

emd,

hahaha....I learned it from you!
nice to see you back on this board

Aloha!