Feb 28, 2005
Tokyo Hotels
One of the things I get emailed about the most is regarding recommendations for hotels in Tokyo. Unfortunately, it’s not something I can usually help with because I’ve never stayed in a hotel in Tokyo — except for the KIMI Ryokan in Ikebukuro, years ago when I first moved here, while I was looking for a job and an apartment. Sure, I always mention the Claska, because I know it’s a hell of a nice boutique hotel, but outside from that I’m pretty much clueless. I’d love it if you could post your recommendations in the comments section, so that I could refer people to the thread when the subject comes up.
Jean Snow is a contributor to 
He will be contributing to the upcoming fifth editions of 
http://superfuture.com/city/hotels/hotels_to.cfm? :)
I always stay at one of the Villa Fontaine hotels. Cheap (8000-1000 yen/night), free wireless LAN and conveniently located. Some of the hotel even have free massage chairs!
http://www.villa-fontaine.co.jp/eng/
Another chain that offers a similar product is Tokyu Stay:
http://www.tokyustay.co.jp/e/index_flash.html
Both of these chains offer online booking in English for overseas visitors too.
I always stay at one of the Villa Fontaine hotels. Cheap (8000-1000 yen/night), free wireless LAN and conveniently located. Some of the hotel even have free massage chairs!
http://www.villa-fontaine.co.jp/eng/
Another chain that offers a similar product is Tokyu Stay:
http://www.tokyustay.co.jp/e/index_flash.html
Both of these chains offer online booking in English for overseas visitors too.
Ya, it’s kind of an odd thing…. when I lived in Amsterdam, people would ask me to recommend a hotel to them… and I had no idea.
As for Tokyo, all I can say is *book early*! I tried to do a day-before type booking last April and ended up calling and calling and CALLING for like 45 minutes until I could find a place.
Oh, I’d totally forgotten about that Superfuture page. Good one. And Shaun, good tip.
We recently looked at many Tokyo hotels for my family (wedding was in November). My brother-in-law is an ‘ad guy’ from Manhattan, and loves a good hotel. We looked at the Claska (location is not terribly convenient, but very cool), the Cerulean Tower (Shibuya/highway location, but cool inside), Agnes Hotel and Apartment (very interesting option, but again location…), and settled on the Park Hotel Tokyo in Shiodome, which was perfect in more ways than we imagined. Shiodome is not for the nature-lover, but it was very cool to have a place where nieces and nephews could run around in wide-open spaces (both the complex and the connecting Hamarikyu Gardens). The hotel itself is part of the “design hotels” group (only one in Tokyo). http://www.parkhoteltokyo.com >> http://www.designhotels.com
park hyatt,??…Feel like Murray…hehe!
Stayed at the Century Southern Tower in Shinjuku last September.
Just south of Shinjuku station across from Takahashimaya.
Central location. Good views. Good service. Relatively inexpensive.
Internet access in the rooms. Altho I didn’t have a laptop to test it. Starbucks just down the footbridge had free wireless.
Stayed up during the earthquake aftershocks. What more could you ask ?
And Gridskipper has just put up this post on finding affordable accomodations.
Issue #2 of Wallpaper Navigator includes a Tokyo city profile and it lists some cool hotels like the ubiquitious Claska Hotel, Hotel Okura, Sofitel (Ueno), Four Seasons (Marunochi), Grand Hyatt Tokyo (Roppongi Hills), Hilltop Hotel, Park Hyatt (star of Lost In Translation), and Yoshimizu in GInza.
That’s right, I forgot about that issue — and issue #3 should be out soon. I wish they would put that content online for reference.
grand hyatt tokyo has beautiful rooms and are pretty cheap (for what you get). four seasons suite room is absolutely wonderful but a bit pricey at 70,000 yen a night, but is not really convenient at marunouchi. park hyatt is also totally out of the way, but if you can afford to stay there the price of taxis everywhere wont put you off.
slightly useful tip –
in response to the book early comment -
yes, you will probably waste a lot of time calling around for a hotel room within the next day or 2 if you are looking at lists of typical 150 or so room hotels.
Certain very large (i.e. 1000 room) kind of cheap (i.e. 10,000 yen) hotels probably never get fully booked. Not places for dream vacations but good to know if you have changes of plans and don’t want to be scrambling finding a place. Examples I’ve stayed at are the Shinjuku Washington and Sunshine City Prince.
I have stayed at Nishi-Shinjuku, a decent hotel situated five minutes from the station on a very quiet side street. I can only recommend it. Nothing fancy, but overall very good. The staff were not very good at English though, but very forthcoming.
http://www.nshotel.com/english/
I would totally recommend the Shinagawa Prince Hotel — stayed there in ‘07 for 2 weeks. If you want cheap, the rooms in the “old” tower are just over $100 USD a night (we got hooked up w/ free breakfast too). The rooms are really tiny, but it is a huge hotel with lots going on and literally across the street from the Shinagawa train station which is a pretty central hub.
http://www.asiarooms.com/japan/tokyo/shinagawa_prince.html
Thanks for the recommendation, Sarah!