Overview

Prior to 2001, we had visited Japan maybe only once or twice in ten years because we had viewed the journey to the Far East as being too long and painful. But after our trip in Thanksgiving 2001, we realized that the trip is not as arduous as we had originally feared (about 11 hours from California and 8 hours back), and since then, we have visited the motherland in each of the past 3 years. Japan is supposedly one of the most expensive countries to visit. In truth, if you apply U.S. standards to Japanese hotels, you surely will be disappointed as rooms are generally much smaller, and rates for the Western-brand hotel chains can be quite shocking. Also, with a limited number of exceptions, Japan does not boast the mega-luxury Asian hotels like Hong Kong or Bali. However, if you simply accept that rooms are, in fact, smaller, and the basic requirement for rooms is cleanliness and not size, you can find decent alternatives that are actually cheaper and cleaner than U.S. hotels. For example, if you stay at one of the Toyoko Inn hotels (a relatively new chain), you can pay $60-$70 per night for a room for two (albeit quite tiny), breakfast (miso soup, musubi, and coffee/tea), and free internet access in the lobby. If you CANNOT endure the small beds and unitized bathrooms of the cheaper alternatives, you can pay $200+ for newer hotels that cater to Western business travelers. In Tokyo, the largest selection of such hotels seems to be in Shinjuku. The most expensive locations seem to be in areas like Shibuya, Ginza, and Marunouchi (near the Imperial Palace and Tokyo Station). Areas outside of Tokyo are generally much cheaper. The best hotel deals can be booked on sites like mytrip.net and ikyu.com although you need to be able to read Japanese for the best selection of deals. Be aware that hotels charge by the number of guests per room so make sure that you select the appropriate room category. Even if you want to buck the system, chances are that the beds will be twin-sized. Back to my comment about how expensive Japan seems to visitors: you can eat very cheaply in Japan. For one thing, you can eat all of your meals out of convenience stores (believe me, these aren't the same icky 7-11's in the U.S.). Even at nicer establishments, you can have a fantastic meal with alcohol for less than $50 per couple and NO TIP! (Warning: if menu prices are not published, be prepared to pay more than you can afford). In addition, if you plan on taking any train trips, consider purchasing the Japan Rail Pass. The price of a weekly pass can pay for your NEX train ride to/from Narita Airport and a long-distance ride on the Shinkansen, and you can use your pass for unlimited service on any of the JR trains, including the Yamanote-sen in Tokyo. Finally, as part of any transaction or experience, in Japan, you can always expect excellent, consistent, precise service. This is unfortunately something that you must pay dearly for virtually anywhere else in the world.

Japan
Tokyo - Ebisu	Westin Ebisu Adorned in traditional green and black European decor, rooms and bathrooms are large even by Western standards. The surrounding area is a new promenade full of restaurants and shops (Mitsukoshi is the major department store, and there's even a L'Occitane!). The hotel is a bit of a trek (5-10 minutes) from the Ebisu train station, but can be accessed through a series of enclosed walkways. Because it's located in a business district, you can find great deals on mytrip.net and ikyu.com for $200-$250 a night per couple. Another aspect of this hotel that is simply superb is the level of attentiveness and politeness of the staff. Japanese hotels in general exhibits quite high levels of customer service (not personable, but definitely precise), and this hotel simply excels from this perspective. It's an experience that is hard to get (and cannot expect) in the USA, regardless of the price. Last Stayed: December 2003
Tokyo - Roppongi	Grand Hyatt Tokyo Tokyo of late has seen a surge in ultra-luxury hotels recently, and the Grand Hyatt can be considered to be one of the properties that has kicked off this trend. The hotel is part of the Roppongi Hills development that includes a skyscraper business tower, high end shopping mall, and residential buildings. We found that the distinguishing feature of this hotel room is the bathroom. So much so that I now know exactly what I want if I'm going to build a custom bath in my custom home. Part sauna, part Japanese bath, it's one of those rooms that makes you want to take a bath twice a day. And we aren't even talking about the Dornbracht bath fixtures. Let's just say that each room has thousands of dollars worth of faucets and other bath hardware. The rest of the room (and the hotel in general) is very very nice, but again, I think it's all about the bath. While you are here, you should check out the observation deck on top of the Mori building. Over sixty stories high, it gives you a fantastic perspective of the city of Tokyo, especially at night on a clear day. The city goes on forever... (ks) Last Stayed: September 2006
Tokyo - Shibuya	Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel Located in frenetic Shibuya, the Cerulean is a fairly new hotel with large modern and monochromatic rooms with nice bathrooms. As Shibuya is a trendy area, rates are quite steep averaging $200-$300 a night per couple. The special feature of corner rooms is the bathtub with a window view. Iron chef Kenichi Chin has a restaurant in the hotel, and you can also eat cheap take-out from the 7-11 on the 2nd floor. The hotel is a 5-10 minute walk from Shibuya Station (Beware of stair steps on the road overpasses to the hotel). Last Stayed: May 2003, September 2005, September 2006
Tokyo - Shinjuku	Odakyu Hotel Century Southern Tower Guests take a glass elevator to the 20th-floor lobby of this multi-use building. Rooms are slightly smaller than Western business hotels, but are modern, clean, and simply decorated with monochromatic fabrics. The hotel is mostly for business travelers so there's no bell-boy service for your luggage. But rates are reasonable around $150-$200 a night per couple. Each room has a map of the buildings that you can see from your room window. Last Stayed: November 2002
Tokyo - Shiodome	Royal Park Shiodome Tower This is one of several new hotels built recently in the Shiodome redevelopment district near Shimbashi station. Shiodome is a collection of brand-new highrise mixed-use buildings centered mostly for business use than leisure. However, it's an interesting change from the Shinjuku / Shibuya scene, and provides good access to Odaiba, Tokyo Station, Ginza, and the Tsukiji fish market. The hotel itself occupies the top half of a office high-rise, which seems to be a popular setup in modern Japanese highrises. Given that the hotel is brand-new, the rooms were very nice and modern, though not large or extravagant. Interesting high-tech touches includes a flat screen computer with free high-speed internet access that doubles as the room television. The bathroom has a separate (though small) shower stall and bath. There's also a spa in the hotel, which seems to be its primary leisure attraction. Last Stayed: December 2003
Tokyo - Ikebukuro	Sunshine City Prince Hotel The hotel is conveniently located in the massive Sunshine City Complex, a shopping mall / business center that has lots of restaurants, a Tokyu Hands, and a Uniqlo. Room rates are cheap ($80-$100 a night per couple), but rooms are worn and tiny, and the bathrooms are of the dreaded unitized variety. Many foreign travelers on tours stay here. Last Stayed: November 2001
Yokohama	Yokohama Prince Hotel Considered one of the premium hotels in Yokohoma, the Prince Hotel offers rooms that are not new, but are generously-sized and simply furnished with light fabrics. Room rates are about $175 a night per couple. The nearest train station is Yokohama Station (not Shin-Yokohama Station). Last Stayed: November 2001
Hakone	Fujiya Hotel The Fujiya Hotel is the standard bearer for historical Western hotels in Hakone. That comes with its pros and cons. On the positive side, the hotel has played host to a variety of dignitaries as they passed through Hakone ... one of the most famous resort destinations in Japan. It also has a very famous dining room where they serve French meals with impeccable service. On the negative, the rooms are simply not very nice. We stayed in the main building, and frankly, we were very disappointed. Worn carpets, bad bed, peeling paint... not what the Poodle ordered. The bathroom was also interesing... a marble soaking tub that looked like it could use a solid scrubbing. Soaking in it made you feel like you were in a sarcophagus. The water is supposed to be the same hot-spring water as in the onsen Japanese bath. Now, there are multiple buildings at the hotel all built in different eras. Maybe there are nicer rooms in some of the newer buildings. The other famous element to this hotel is the dining room. At night, it serves a multi-course French dinner at about $100 per person. We did not dine there. Frankly, it just felt like a rip off. There is a wonderful Tempura restaurant just around the corner run by a nice older couple. We went there instead, and had a good meal at a fraction of the cost. If you feel compelled to eat at the main dining room, I recommend that you try there for breakfast. In the light of day, you really get to see the craftsmanship (reminded me of the "Crown Room" at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego) that went into the room, and you also get to experience the proper western service as delivered by Japanese hotels. Nice dishes, attentive service, good food, for a *reasonable* $25 per person. Would we recommend? We tend to like western hotels over Japanese inns, so the options are limited. So maybe it's good enough. Still is only a one Poodle, no matter what the dignitaries say. (ks) Last Stayed: September 2006
Kyoto	Hotel Granvia Kyoto This new, modern hotel is located in the JR Kyoto Station. The rooms are nice, moderately-sized, and clean. Many rooms have views of the trains directly below, a highly attractive feature for train enthusiasts like Kei. Room rates are about $175 a night per couple. Visitors can spend an entire day at the train station - it boasts a trendy Isetan department store and a cool 11-story glass and steel frame ceiling that can be admired as you ascend the escalators. Last Stayed: November 2002, September 2005
Kyoto	Yachiyo Inn The funny thing is that we stayed here twice. The first time was on our Wharton AIM trip in college. The second time was purely by accident because I selected this traditional ryokan as it's reservable online. At about $250-$300 a night per couple, it's not super-fancy. The rate is relatively inexpensive by ryokan standards since it includes room, kaiseki dinner served in your room, and breakfast. The bathroom is kind of old, dark, and stinky, but you can enjoy sleeping in a real futon on tatami mats. You can also add to your traditional Japanese experience by bathing in the hotel's public bath. See photo. Last Stayed: September 1999, March 1992
Osaka	New Otani Osaka A member of the Leading Hotels of the World that has seen better days. The standard sized rooms are adequately furnished, but definitely in need of a refresh. Frankly, our expectations were definitely higher. The location is very convenient from the Osaka Castle which is across the street, but is inconvenient from the entertainment district of Dotonbori, the business Umeda district, or major rail connections. The saving grace is that you can get pretty good rates at this hotel. Last Stayed: September 2005, March 1992
Hiroshima	Rihga Royal Hotel Hiroshima Rooms are average, but decent. Room rates are about $150 a night per couple. The hotel is far from the Hiroshima Station (a 10-15 minute ride by streetcar), but it's within relative walking distance of the Peace Memorial. Last Stayed: November 2002
Sapporo	Toyoko Inn The Toyoko Inn franchise is a fairly new chain. At all hotels, the lobbies and rooms are built exactly the same so guests can expect the same room, same service no matter which city they visit. You get what you pay for with these $60-$70 rooms - tiny sleeping quarters and unitized bathrooms. At least the musubi and miso soup breakfasts are pretty good (and also the same no matter where you go). The one in Sapporo was built in April 2003 and is a 5-minute walk from Sapporo Station. Last Stayed: May 2003
Hakodate	Toyoko Inn The Toyoko Inn franchise is a fairly new chain. At all hotels, the lobbies and rooms are built exactly the same so guests can expect the same room, same service no matter which city they visit. You get what you pay for with these $60-$70 rooms - tiny sleeping quarters and unitized bathrooms. At least the musubi and miso soup breakfasts are pretty good (and also the same no matter where you go). The one in Hakodate was built in March 2003 and is a 2-minute walk from Hakodate Station, directly next to the Asa-Ichi Market. Last Stayed: May 2003
Tazawako	Tazawako Sunrise Hotel This traditional, older hotel is located off Lake Tazawako. For about $170 a night per couple, guests can enjoy kaiseki dinner and traditional breakfast, both served in a large dining room. Sleeping quarters are traditional tatami rooms. Guests can either bathe in their private bathrooms (which are unfortunately small, dark, and stinky) or a public bathroom. Last Stayed: May 2003