In January I am going to spend 2 days in Tokyo. I am looking for the hotel for 2 nights. What area is the best to stay so it convinient to the major attractions?
What hotel (around $200)would you recommend?

Pretty much all central areas are convenient. For the budget range you described, try shinjuku area or shinagawa area. Alternatively ginza/shinbashi area may work.

You can try around Kudanshita metro station.Basically any area nearthe metro sttion is preferable as you can move around as you like.The more near entertainment areas, more will be the price.

When I was in Tokyo, I found myself in the Shinjuku area (a shopping area which has a metro station) quite a number of times. Try:


http://www.asiarooms.com/japan/tokyo/shinjuku-area.html


http://www.learn4good.com/hostels/bu...mmodations.htm

If nightlife is not important to you - we stayed at this place in Asakusa area in a Japanese style room. Just make sure u get a japanese style room with 6 tatami mats (the narrow 3 tatami ones are too small). All had private bathrooms (bath western style) for 15700 yen per night, not per person.

http://www.shigetsu.com/e/index.html

Let me offer this favorable opinion on my favorite neighborhood, Shinjuku.
Shinjuku offers what a lot of other neighborhoods in Tokyo cannot, a little of everything.

Shinjuku, being one of the biggest and most diverse areas in Tokyo, can offer you, Shinjuku West, which is located out the west exit of the Shinjuku train station (which is Tokyo’s busiest) home to the financial district of West Tokyo with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building at it’s center. You can go up to the top of two of the towers here for free and have spectacular views of Tokyo. On a clear day you can see all the way to Yokohama and have picture perfect shots of Mt. Fuji that we enjoyed on our April visit this spring. Two of the hotels that we have used on our visits to Shinjuku are located in this area, The Keio Plaza Hotel and The Century Hyatt Hotel.

Right above the train station is where the major shopping area is. Shinjuku is a paradise for shoppers. It has more department stores than anywhere else in Japan. The most famous are Takashimaya-Times Square, Isetan, Mitsukoshi, Marui, My City and Odakyu.
Shinjuku boasts the biggest camera shops, such as Sakuraya, Yodobashi Camera and Bic Camera. Only Akibara(sp) has bigger.
Music lovers will find their happiness at Tower Records and HMV.
Out the east exit of the station will take you to the Kabuki cho district which is entertainment district par excellence and one of the hottest places in Tokyo, with hostess bars, adult video shops, soap lands (massage parlors), strip bars and love hotels
And of course my favorite part of Shinjuku the Takadanobada District with all of it’s cute, quaint, shops and restaurants which remind me of a time in the past.

Here are some links to hotels we have enjoyed in Shinjuku

http://www.keioplaza.com/index.html

http://digbig.com/4nkhf

hope this helps!


Aloha!

When we were in Tokyo earlier this year we first stayed in Shinjuku at the Park Hyatt (highly recommended but over your budget) and found the area full of shops, pachinko parlours ie very modern. Didn't know about the Takadanobada District. On our last leg we stayed at The Imperial (not as amazing as Park Hyatt and also over your budget) in Ginza and found that it's a great location. We stumbled upon the eating area under the bridge but was too intimidated to try it out as we didn't speak the lingo. We plan on staying in the Ginza area again. stay

I just returned from Tokyo where we stayed at the Century Hyatt. They have a free shuttle that runs between the hotel and Shinjuku station that we took several times to get to an area where there were more restaurants. My only problem with the hotel location was there were not any restaurants within really close walking distance of the hotel...unless I just didn't find them. We avoided the hotel's because they were fairly overpriced. There were tons of place to eat in and around the station.

What do all of you think about Shibuya? This is a related question to murka's. We are traveling to Tokyo in December and are planning to stay at the Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel in Shibuya.

I would really like to hear your valuable opinions on this neighborhood. We are a young couple, no kids. Looking for an area that offers a lot of good restaurants, some nightlife and some shopping (shopping not tooo important).

Shibuya is a very happening area, very high energy. When you walk out of the station, there are about 6 street corners that converge right there and it is somewhat like Times Square w/all the neon and people. The streets around the station are somewhat narrow and really full of shopping and offices. Lots of coffee shops, cafes, etc., although I have not eaten a full meal there so will let others speak to that. A lot of people meet up at the statue of Hachiko outside the station; it is always crowded there w/great people watching. If the Ceruleon is close to the station, it wil be somewhat akin to staying around Times Square.

Thanks emd Sounds like a fun place <

Ebisu is wonderful.

Whether you choose Shinjuku or Shibuya...
(or Ebisu) all are within a few stops of each other on the Yanamote line. So all are excellent picks. Some great resturants and shopping in Harajuku (between shibuya and shinjuku) are also not to be missed.

I like Ebisu too, as it is much more laid back than Shibuya or Shinjuku, and has more of a neighborhood feel. But I don't think it offers the number of htoels at that price range that Sinjuku or Shibuya might. I believe alibi stayed at Hotel Excellent in Ebisu and if I recall correctly, he liked it. I believe it is in your price range.

We stayed at the Tokyo Hilton in Shinjuku and it was nice. It has a shuttle to the station, altho we mostly walked it. It should be in your price range.