Hi,

I'm planning a trip to Japan mid/late September and hoping to get feedback on hotels. I have booked The Cross Hotel in Kyoto which I'm confident about, but 'm having some trouble with Tokyo and looking to either stay in Ginza or close to it or Shinjuku. Currently leaning towards the first two hotels below, but I would love to have something to compare it to that is located in Shinjuku. Any pros/cons to consider for these two specific areas?

It's my first time in Japan, hence why I'm focused on the two locations mentioned and hotels that are no more than 10-15 min (close would be great) to train/subway.

• Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Marunouchi
• Hyatt Centric Ginza
• Tokyo Station Hotel- pricey, worth it?
• The Royal Park Hotel - friends recommendation, but not sure about this one

If you'd like to send any other recommendation along, they'd be welcomed.

Thanks!

I’m not familiar with your first two and have only walked by the Tokyo Station Hotel. If the Royal Park is the one in Nihonbashi, it is conveniently located across the Tokyo City Air Terminal, so easy access for transportation to both Narita and Haneda.

The Suitengumae subway can be reached from the RP hotel basement and is one stop away from the Mitsukoshimae station in Nihonbashi. The Ningyocho eki is a 5 minute walk from the hotel.

Other places near Tokyo Station is the Shangrila on par with the Tokyo Station Hotel. A block away is Oakwood Premier with high end studio and one bedroom apartments available for short term visits. Both are across from the Daimaru department store at Tokyo Station.

The Mitsui Garden Hotels are a good mid-range chain, there are three properties in Higashi Ginza, a 5 minute walk to the heart of Ginza and 10 minutes from the Tsukiji outer market.

Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Marunouchi is modern and stylish decor with spacious rooms and wide variety of amenities including several restaurants, a fitness center, and a business center. But can be quite expensive compared to other hotels in the area and some rooms may not have great views, depending on their location in the building..

Hyatt Centric Ginza is located in the heart of the Ginza shopping district, with plenty of dining and shopping options nearby, modern and luxurious rooms with high-end amenities, and last but not the least, it is excellent service from friendly and helpful staff. It can be quite expensive also compared to other hotels in the area and the location can be quite busy and crowded, which may not be ideal for some travelers.

Tokyo Station Hotel is beautifully restored historical building with elegant decor and spacious rooms and excellent dining options, including a Michelin-starred restaurant. It can be quite expensive compared to other hotels in the area and some guests have reported noise issues due to the hotel's location near a busy train station.

The Royal Park Hotel is an excellent location in the heart of the city, with easy access to public transportation and major attractions, modern and stylish rooms with plenty of amenities, including several restaurants and a fitness center and excellent views of the city skyline from many of the rooms. Quite expensive compared to other hotels and some guests have reported issues with noise from the nearby train tracks

Thank you for the info! I'll check out the Mitsui Garden Hotels. Have you personally stayed at any of their hotels?

ilovedtravel_2023 - Thank you for the very detailed reply! Have you personally stayed at any of these properties and if so your thoughts? Are there any other hotels in Ginza or Shinjuku that you would recommend?

I’ve stayed at the Mitsui Gochome, very quiet room facing the back of the hotel towards Tsukiji. What I liked was the second floor sento (Japanese bath), I used it morning and evening. You could check on the tv to see how crowded it was before heading downstairs.

Gochome was maybe a 3 minute walk to the Higashi Ginza station. In the areas of Higashi Ginza, Ginza, Hibiya, Yurakucho and Tsukiji are literally hundreds of restaurants to choose between, from Michelin starred establishments to the most humble with only counter seating.

Not yet, but I'm planning. My cousin lives in Japan, I asked her about the hotels. There are many other great hotels in Ginza and Shinjuku that she recommended.

Ginza:

1. The Peninsula Tokyo - a luxury hotel with panoramic city views and Michelin-starred dining
2. Conrad Tokyo - a stylish hotel with a contemporary design and views of Tokyo Bay
3. Daiichi Hotel Tokyo - a traditional Japanese-style hotel with a serene garden and tatami rooms

Shinjuku:

1. Park Hyatt Tokyo - a luxury hotel with a sleek design and stunning views of the city
2. Hilton Tokyo - a modern hotel with multiple dining options and a rooftop bar
3. Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo - a large hotel with multiple restaurants and a 45th-floor observation deck

These are just a few options to consider, but there are many more great hotels in both areas that cater to different budgets and preferences. I hope this helps!

I like the Hyatt Regency in Shinjuku. It is pretty much on top of Tochomae station on Oedo subway line. There is an entrance at the hotel and, IIRC, it is covered - no going out in the rain. The station has an elevator across the street from the back entrance of the hotel.

The Hilton is practically next door to the Hyatt and am told it also has a tunnel to the same station. It is very nice, of course.

Both are in Nishi (west) Shinjuku and there is not much around except office buildings. One of which is the Tokyo Metro Government building which has great views from the top. IDK if the Hilton still has a shuttle to Shinjuku station. I think not The Hyatt quit running theirs.

Both hotels are an easy 15 min walk to Shinjuku station. It is pretty easy to get lost. Or 2 min subway ride plus some station/walk time. Taxi would be quick and inexpensive. Want to say taxi from Hyatt Regency to Kabukicho is five bucks but maybe it is seven, but inexpensive and quick. I just tell the hotel door staffer "Kabukicho" and "Gojira" and they tell the taxi driver where to go.

The Park Hyatt is the hotel in Lost In Translation. It does not have a subway/rail station. It does have a shuttle to Shinjuku station 9 am to 9 pm, and I think it is around a 10-min walk. I have not stayed there.

I think the Tokyo Station Hotel would not have a location advantage for access to transit in the city. It certainly would be very convenient for getting to the shinkansen to Kyoto.

There is an airport limo bus to Hyatt Regency and am fairly sure it stops at the Hilton.

You do want a room on one of the club floors at Hyatt Regency. I stayed in a regular room once and was a bit disappointed (but am sure I got a great rate). Now I just pay the cash plus points upgrade option. The Tokyo Hilton is a nice one.

I stayed at the Hotel Metropolitan-Marunouchi in summer 2019. I stayed for a couple nights as I was on my way home to L.A. I found it fine for a short stay. I only had a basic room since I wasn't staying long. My regular hotel is the Four Seasons-Marunouchi on the same street as Tokyo Station, about a 5-minute walk if that. But, at the end of my 3-week trip, I decided to just stay at the Hotel Metropolitan. It was very easy to take the airport bus from the Hotel Metropolitan-Marunochi area to get to Narita Airport.

As for the Tokyo Station Hotel, I haven't stayed there, but have had reservations for that hotel at least twice as a back-up hotel. But, I ended up getting the price that I wanted at the Four Seasons-Marunouchi and thus canceled the Tokyo Station Hotel. But, the location is nice as it's right at Tokyo Station.

As for the Royal Park Hotel, I haven't stayed at the Tokyo one, but for three summers had a reservation at one of the two in Kyoto. On one trip, I think I had a tiny room for 2 nights before transferring to both the Four Seasons and/or the Ritz Carlton. And on the other two trips, I had a tiny room there to use during the day as I was shopping and doing other things in that area, but I was actually staying at the Four Seasons. However, while having the room at the Royal Park Hotel during in the summer, I could go back to that room, shower, take a nap, and then go out again before taking a taxi back to the Four Seasons at night to sleep. I also could wash clothes there as there was a laundry room. Expedia had a special and I got the room for around $90 and had it for 2 nights, for day use, of the 7 nights in Kyoto.

As for the hotels on your list for Marunouchi, maybe the Hotel Marunouchi would be best for you as being new to Tokyo. Plus, it's easy to get to the subway lines as one doesn't need to go through the maze of Tokyo Station.

For me, I love staying in Marunouchi and stayed there in summers 2017/208/2019. I was able to either walk to Ginza or take a quick taxi. Plus, when I went to Shinjuku, Shibuya, etc....I could just take the subway, but I didn't want to stay in those areas as it was just too glitzy and crowded for me.

Booking hotels in Japan was a headache. Nowhere else have I had such a headache and I've been going to Asia regularly since the late 90s. But, prices were all over the place and changing several times during the same day which is why on the first trip, I ended up at the The Royal Park Hotel, the Ritz Carlton Hotel, and the Four Seasons Hotel and all within about a week.

Happy Travels!

We stayed four nights at The Knot Shinjuku and thought it was very reasonable and quite nice. It's just across the park from the Government Building and reasonably close to the train station and subways.

Do you know what airport you'll be flying in and out of? Are you arriving late in the afternoon and/or leaving early in the morning? Will you be hauling a lot of luggage? September is often brutally hot, humid and rainy, so I would lean towards a hotel that allowed me to get from the airport (or train station if coming in from Kyoto) with hardly going outside at all. No fun dragging luggage in the heat through rain.

We enjoyed staying at the Dai- ichi Hotel. Very Japanese. Western breakfasts available too. Great city views from our large room. Concierge spoke English and was very helpful.

HappyTrvlr,

What room did you stay in? Reviews of this hotel are all over the place but the prices seem better than many other comparable hotels. I’m looking to book a mid-range hotel and am considering this one.

We were on a high floor with sweeping views including views of the Tokyo Tower. We watched the hordes of commuters arriving in the morning and it looked as if they all wore the same color suits.
We liked from our windows. We liked staying in a Japanese hotel where almost all guests were Japanese too. We had done the same thing in China, no international hotels. I loved that you got pajamas to wear to bed which was true in most of our hotels in Japan.

Have not stayed at any of your hotels . Shinjuku and Tokyo station are both transportation hubs. Tokyo station to me is easier to navigate than Shinjuku. The Tokyo station area is quiet at night as no one really lives there. The Park Hyatt is closing next year for a year long renovation.

HappyTrvlr, thank you for your comments. I’ve decided not to stay here after all but I appreciate knowing that you liked it. It was suggested to me that it’s in need of a good refurbishing. I decided that a primarily business district wasn’t quite where I wanted to stay.

We didn’t feel like we were in a business district and constantly walked into Ginza for meals.Upon arrival, we were instantly in Japan unlike other international chains where you could be anywhere. We also stayed in hotel in Kyoto where we felt likecwecwerecthe only non- Japanese there.

Thanks to everyone for their opinion and recommendations. We decided to change course and went with the following hotel in Tokyo.

THE GATE HOTEL TOKYO by HULIC
2-2-3 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo, Japan　#100-0006
www.gate-hotel.jp/en/tokyo/

Curious how you picked that hotel? We are looking for August.