Novotel in Osaka??? Advice Please?
Jan 13th, 2005, 02:07 PM
#1
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Novotel in Osaka??? Advice Please?
Good evening! I found a really great rate ($70) at the Novotel Koshien Osaka West hotel, but can not seem to find any reviews (good OR bad)???
Can anyone here help?
We will be in the Osaka/Kyoto area for 3 nights and need a good base hotel.
Has anyone here stayed at this Novotel???
Advice is appreciated as always.
Thanks so much.
Can anyone here help?
We will be in the Osaka/Kyoto area for 3 nights and need a good base hotel.
Has anyone here stayed at this Novotel???
Advice is appreciated as always.
Thanks so much.
Jan 13th, 2005, 02:42 PM
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Not stayed there, but it's not a great location for going to either Osaka or Kyoto. There will be quite a bit of travel time to get to anywhere you want to sightsee. 15 - 20 minutes train ride to Osaka. At least an hour to Kyoto and you have to change trains and stations. You can check the trains at hyperdia.com - it's quite nice, as they also include the walking time between stations and the fare.
Personally, I'd stay either near Osaka station or in Kyoto, depending on where you want to be each day. The area is huge and there's lots to see. If you want to be more specific about what you will be doing during those 3 days, I can recommend a better location for you based on where you want to go during the day.
Personally, I'd stay either near Osaka station or in Kyoto, depending on where you want to be each day. The area is huge and there's lots to see. If you want to be more specific about what you will be doing during those 3 days, I can recommend a better location for you based on where you want to go during the day.
Jan 13th, 2005, 03:07 PM
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Hmmm... Ok.. I think we are MOST interested in Kyoto, and Old Kyoto. ...with maybe a side trip to a castle? ... Can you recommend a place in Kyoto???
We really will only have 2 full days, 3 nights.
Thanks!
We really will only have 2 full days, 3 nights.
Thanks!
Jan 13th, 2005, 03:28 PM
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If you are most interested in Kyoto, then by all means, stay in Kyoto. The Miyako is well liked and often has some pretty good rates outside of peak season. The Granvia is right in Kyoto station and while not really special it is convenient to travel from the station to just about anywhere in the city.
There are some well priced Japanese chain hotels that are reliably clean and, while not special in any way, good for a night's sleep. Try the APA group, Tokyu group, Toyoko group, Washington hotels, or Manten. They almost always offer far better rates in Japanese than in English, and web fares in Japanese are best of all.
There are also plenty of budget "ryokan" which aren't really ryokan at all but more like guesthouses. A real ryokan will cost you (upwards of $150.00 per person), but you might want to consider it for the experience for a night.
You could search here as there's been lots of posts on Kyoto in the past few months. You could also google "kyoto budget accommodation" to find bunches of the guesthousy places I mentioned. You could look on expedia or travelocity for kyoto hotels and get an idea of the price and facilities, then try booking directly with the hotel, as they almost always will beat those rates directly.
There are some well priced Japanese chain hotels that are reliably clean and, while not special in any way, good for a night's sleep. Try the APA group, Tokyu group, Toyoko group, Washington hotels, or Manten. They almost always offer far better rates in Japanese than in English, and web fares in Japanese are best of all.
There are also plenty of budget "ryokan" which aren't really ryokan at all but more like guesthouses. A real ryokan will cost you (upwards of $150.00 per person), but you might want to consider it for the experience for a night.
You could search here as there's been lots of posts on Kyoto in the past few months. You could also google "kyoto budget accommodation" to find bunches of the guesthousy places I mentioned. You could look on expedia or travelocity for kyoto hotels and get an idea of the price and facilities, then try booking directly with the hotel, as they almost always will beat those rates directly.
Jan 13th, 2005, 03:52 PM
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You might want to try the Tour Club in Kyoto. Their prices are in you rrange, and there are good reviews on this Asia board, do a search and you will find them. I almost booked there for our upcoming trip but ended up having enough hotel points to stay somewhere else.
Jan 14th, 2005, 03:15 AM
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The fella who owns tour club is really nice, I've emailed w/him. He speaks decent English. Tour Club has a website. And if you put Tour Club in the search box here, you'll get a review or two. They have interent avaiable in the lobby, rooms w/small private baths (some slepping up to 4-5 people), and the tatami mats are supposedly comfortable.
Good luck saving up the starwood points for your next trip. That is where we are staying, but I came very close to booking Tour Club.
Good luck saving up the starwood points for your next trip. That is where we are staying, but I came very close to booking Tour Club.
