Japan - Ideal hotel in the center of the action?

I am going to be arriving in Narita around 4pm and leave the next day at 10am from Narita in July as apart of the Honeymoon. We are probably not going to sleep so any recommendations where we can stay and walk around and essentially get a good vibe from Tokyo-

Thanks-

By "city" do you mean Narita or Tokyo?

By "city" do you mean Narita or Tokyo?

Sorry, Yea Tokyo.

You might prefer to stay at one of the hotels near Tokyo station - It might not be where you go out on the town (for that you can take the subway to another part of town - Ginza, Roppongi, Shibuya) but it has bars and eateries that open until very late and it's easy to get to and it's easy to get to and from the airport from there. Options range from deluxe (e.g. Four Seasons Marunouchi) to very ordinary.

If you prefer to be really in an entertainment district, that's also possible (and again, the possibilities range from Ritz Carlton to hole-in-the-wall) but your airport connection will take a little more effort.

Ginza is walkable from Tokyo Station. Roppongi and Shibuya are a longer trek to and from NRT.

It probably depends on what kind of vibe you're looking forward. It's hard to sum up all that is Tokyo in a day and a single location, so you'll have to make some choices.

Some options:

Park Hyatt (take Narita Express to Shinjuku, enjoy Shinjuku and Lost in Translation bar)
Ritz-Carlton (take Limosuine Bus, enjoy Roppongi [probably best if you really want to party all night])
Mandarin Oriental (take Narita Express to Tokyo, enjoy Ginza)
Hotel Mira Costa (take Limosuine Bus, enjoy DisneySea. ;))

By the time you get to your destination in Tokyo it will be 7pm. And you will have to leave at 7am for the airport most likely. So if you intend to get any value at all from your hotel room, you have at most 4 night time hours to explore Tokyo.

Given your schedule, I'd say you have two realistic options:

1. Forget Tokyo, stay in Narita town.

2. Check your bags through (or put them in the bag check facility at NRT) and spend the entire evening exploring Tokyo night life without even getting a hotel.

By the time you get to your destination in Tokyo it will be 7pm. And you will have to leave at 7am for the airport most likely. So if you intend to get any value at all from your hotel room, you have at most 4 night time hours to explore Tokyo.

It's a honeymoon...it doesn't take that long to get some value from the room. ;)

(That being the case, exploring some of the hotels that charge by the hour (http://www.planettokyo.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/detail/navid/24/cid/89/) might also be a great way of getting a unique taste of Tokyo culture... ^)

It probably depends on what kind of vibe you're looking forward. It's hard to sum up all that is Tokyo in a day and a single location, so you'll have to make some choices.

Some options:

Park Hyatt (take Narita Express to Shinjuku, enjoy Shinjuku and Lost in Translation bar)
Ritz-Carlton (take Limosuine Bus, enjoy Roppongi [probably best if you really want to party all night])
Mandarin Oriental (take Narita Express to Tokyo, enjoy Ginza)
Hotel Mira Costa (take Limosuine Bus, enjoy DisneySea. ;))

Will look into this! thanks for all the comments-

Take Narita Express to Shibuya Station, and stay at the Tokyu Shibuya Excel. It's connected to the station. There should be enough going on in the vicinity of the hotel to keep you busy all night. Then take direct Narita Express from Shibuya back to the airport in the morning.

If you stay in the Ginza or Shiodome area, it would also be easy to do the rightly-heralded 5 am pilgrimage to the Tsukiji fish market.

Take Narita Express to Shibuya Station, and stay at the Tokyu Shibuya Excel. It's connected to the station. There should be enough going on in the vicinity of the hotel to keep you busy all night. Then take direct Narita Express from Shibuya back to the airport in the morning.

It's a decent looking hotel, sort of deluxe business hotel. But despite the hotel being connected to the station, it seems to me like the walk to/from the N'Ex platforms is about a half mile plus it's very difficult to avoid some stairs, which is a pain with baggage.

Near Tokyo Station and Ginza:
Four Seasons Maranouchi, spelling?
Peninsula
Imperial
Palace, might be closed for renovations
Seibu Ginza, spelling?
Marriott property, IIRC Courtyard
more....

We are going to be traveling from LAX to SIN and NRT is the 24 hour layover. Since it's less than 24 hours I do believe our bags will be checked all the way to SIN.

As for the hotel it seems that the Park Hyatt rated highly (according to Trip Advisor)and has breathtaking views in the restaurant and bar which seems like our style in addition to the walking around. I guess it also helps that they filmed a movie there. I know it's 600+ a night but I really don't know the next time I/we will be in Japan....

As for the hotel it seems that the Park Hyatt rated highly

Park Hyatt is a favorite of many people here. You'll find much praise for the hotel itself. However, the airport access isn't great and the immediate surroundings are not lovely for walking.

For an equally luxurious experience with better airport access and a pleasant street scene on the doorstep, I might suggest the Peninsula. Walk from Tokyo station to the hotel then walk to Ginza for a bite to eat and to experience the atmosphere.

Park Hyatt is a favorite of many people here. You'll find much praise for the hotel itself. However, the airport access isn't great and the immediate surroundings are not lovely for walking.

For an equally luxurious experience with better airport access and a pleasant street scene on the doorstep, I might suggest the Peninsula. Walk from Tokyo station to the hotel then walk to Ginza for a bite to eat and to experience the atmosphere.

Thanks for this comment....I saw on the Park Hyatt website that it takes 80 minutes to get there from Narita and got a bit discouraged.. but The Pen is only 60 min away which makes it a better deal. We are also going to stay at the Pen in Bangkok so we can compare and contrast. Thanks again!

In Ginza are the restaurants/shops open late on Tuesday?

Thanks for this comment....I saw on the Park Hyatt website that it takes 80 minutes to get there from Narita and got a bit discouraged.. but The Pen is only 60 min away which makes it a better deal. We are also going to stay at the Pen in Bangkok so we can compare and contrast. Thanks again!

In Ginza are the restaurants/shops open late on Tuesday?

Many shops will be open until around 8.00pm. Restaurants later than that - some operate into the early hours. Take a look at the Ginza / Yurakucho / Marunouchi listings on http://www.bento.com/tf-rest.html

Take a look at train times on http://www.hyperdia.com to see the train times to Tokyo Station. And if you take a Narita Express train, take advantage of the SUICA + N'EX combination ticket: http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/suica-nex/

Even if you don't use any of the credit on the stored value card (SUICA) in your brief stay, just take it to be refunded. (There's an admin fee of a couple of hundred yen - it's still a good deal).

As Joe pointed out, you can make the early morning trip to see Tsukiji market relatively easily from Ginza. The Pen is a little further out, but you could get there and back fairly quickly by cab if it interests you.

Many shops will be open until around 8.00pm. Restaurants later than that - some operate into the early hours. Take a look at the Ginza / Yurakucho / Marunouchi listings on http://www.bento.com/tf-rest.html

Take a look at train times on http://www.hyperdia.com to see the train times to Tokyo Station. And if you take a Narita Express train, take advantage of the SUICA + N'EX combination ticket: http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/suica-nex/

Even if you don't use any of the credit on the stored value card (SUICA) in your brief stay, just take it to be refunded. (There's an admin fee of a couple of hundred yen - it's still a good deal).

As Joe pointed out, you can make the early morning trip to see Tsukiji market relatively easily from Ginza. The Pen is a little further out, but you could get there and back fairly quickly by cab if it interests you.

Wow you have been more than helpful! Thank you very much!! I will take advantage of that card for the Narita Express and will look into the Tsukiji market!

Thanks for this comment....I saw on the Park Hyatt website that it takes 80 minutes to get there from Narita and got a bit discouraged.. but The Pen is only 60 min away which makes it a better deal. We are also going to stay at the Pen in Bangkok so we can compare and contrast. Thanks again!

In Ginza are the restaurants/shops open late on Tuesday?

Perhaps not Ginza, but The Peninsula is even closer to the Marunouchi banking district area, where many upscale restaurants are open well past midnight for their clientele.

Depends on your definition of "late." You'll find a lot of places open until midnight throughout the city, but very few open past that time other than fast food places.

Many sushi places near Tsukiji are open 24 hours; that's the best late-night culinary option in Tokyo, in my opinion.

...very few open past that time other than fast food places.

Actually Ginza has a lot of non-fast-food dining options open till at least two or three am. I would consider that "late."

Many sushi places near Tsukiji are open 24 hours; that's the best late-night culinary option in Tokyo, in my opinion.

There are a couple of Tsukiji branches of Zanmai that are open 24 hours - those are the only ones I know of. I wouldn't say that "many sushi places" in Tsukiji are open 24 hours.

You're getting really bad advice.

Roppongi is hopping until 5am. Everything else shuts down by around mid-night. Stay at the Roppongi Hyatt (not the Park Hyatt). Take the limousine bus directly to the hotel. Trust me. Every other post on this thread is wrong.

You're getting really bad advice.

Roppongi is hopping until 5am. Everything else shuts down by around mid-night. Stay at the Roppongi Hyatt (not the Park Hyatt). Take the limousine bus directly to the hotel. Trust me. Every other post on this thread is wrong.

If you're going to spend your only few hours in Japan in Roppongi, then what's the point of coming to Japan in the first place? :td:

Agreed. You would save a lot of money by just going to Tijuana instead.

Well if you want a quiet dinner and to spend the night in your hotel room fine, but if you want to see what the city is like at night, Roppongi is the place to go. Tons of restaurants, bars, clubs. Young people on the street. Everything from seedy to very high end. If you want to see a bunch of drunk middle aged businessmen staggering home at midnight go to Ginza. If you want a night on the town go to Roppongi.

I don't get this Japan is all about sushi, temples and Akihabara thing. If I was a tourist, I'd be interested in seeing how the Japanese spend their time and have fun.

Deleted - Joe's answer is better.

Well if you want a quiet dinner and to spend the night in your hotel room fine, but if you want to spend your honeymoon getting hustled into strip clubs by Nigerians, Roppongi is the place to go.

There, I fixed it.

To be fair, they might not approach you (or might limit the hustling to "regular bars") if you are walking around as a couple...

Actually they passed a new ordinance and cleared them off the streets. They'll probably be back but anyway you can always just ignore them.

So little time and so many things to do! Four Seasons Marunouchi, which was already mentioned, is absolutely spectacular, from being met at the platform to the hotel itself to being accompanied to Narita Express upon leaving. It is right next to the Tokyo train station, metro is right there too, and taxis are easy to get also. It is pricey but well worth it. Easily beats most other hotels in Tokyo for me (personal service, location, sublime food ...), even Park Hyatt (which is a short walk from Shinjuku station, but still a walk. You won't have time).

You can actually have a perfect night in Tokyo, short it might be. Arrive NRT, jump onto NRT express, be at Tokyo station at 6 or so, check in and refresh and hit the city at 7. Ginza, Omotesandō, or Roppongi if you are so inclined (too modern and touristy, but you can still make it there just to see).

Or a perfect kaiseki dinner in Kikunoi is Akasaka (say, at 7:30; you will need a reservation, any hotel will do it for you in advance; expensive but worth every penny), then walk through Roppongi and go to Ginza, come back to the hotel and enjoy it. Walk up early, take a taxi to Tsukiji market (whcih will be less than JPY 2,000 and 15-20 min at most; walk the market and have THE freshest sushi breakfast there -- omakase, of course, so no language needed), catch a cab to the hotel, and leave for NRT.

There is another often overlooked hotel, right at the Tokyo station, Metropolitain Hotel Marunouchi (right at the Yaesu exit, I think), which is not very expensive and very high quality. The rooms are smaller than at the FS, but you won't really care given that you need it only for a few hours to sleep.

You can also save on the food by eating in simpler places -- it all depends on you budget and desires.

In any case, enjoy! Tokyo station area would be my first choice (not Shinjuku). I have done layovers from a few hours to a day+ (and stayed in Tokyo for several days at a time), and this city never disappoints!

So little time and so many things to do! Four Seasons Marunouchi, which was already mentioned, is absolutely spectacular, from being met at the platform to the hotel itself to being accompanied to Narita Express upon leaving. It is right next to the Tokyo train station, metro is right there too, and taxis are easy to get also. It is pricey but well worth it. Easily beats most other hotels in Tokyo for me (personal service, location, sublime food ...), even Park Hyatt (which is a short walk from Shinjuku station, but still a walk. You won't have time).

You can actually have a perfect night in Tokyo, short it might be. Arrive NRT, jump onto NRT express, be at Tokyo station at 6 or so, check in and refresh and hit the city at 7. Ginza, Omotesandō, or Roppongi if you are so inclined (too modern and touristy, but you can still make it there just to see).

Or a perfect kaiseki dinner in Kikunoi is Akasaka (say, at 7:30; you will need a reservation, any hotel will do it for you in advance; expensive but worth every penny), then walk through Roppongi and go to Ginza, come back to the hotel and enjoy it. Walk up early, take a taxi to Tsukiji market (whcih will be less than JPY 2,000 and 15-20 min at most; walk the market and have THE freshest sushi breakfast there -- omakase, of course, so no language needed), catch a cab to the hotel, and leave for NRT.

There is another often overlooked hotel, right at the Tokyo station, Metropolitain Hotel Marunouchi (right at the Yaesu exit, I think), which is not very expensive and very high quality. The rooms are smaller than at the FS, but you won't really care given that you need it only for a few hours to sleep.

You can also save on the food by eating in simpler places -- it all depends on you budget and desires.

In any case, enjoy! Tokyo station area would be my first choice (not Shinjuku). I have done layovers from a few hours to a day+ (and stayed in Tokyo for several days at a time), and this city never disappoints!

Not bad suggestions. If it was me I would probably do Ginza on the way to Kikunoi, fit in a massage at a nice spa (Olive in Roppongi is a 10 minute walk from Kikunoi) after dinner, hit a club (Feria 3 minute walk) at midnight and then go straight from there to Tsukiji. To be honest, I wouldn't even bother to check into a hotel.

Obviously lots of strong opinions on this...

Personally, I'd highly recommend the Grand Hyatt in Roppongi. For expats in Japan, Roppongi may feel something reminiscent to America, but trust me, for those visiting - even for me coming every 4-8 weeks - it still very much feels like Japan.

The reason I'd suggest is is that I've personally found it to be a good starting point for touring the city via subway to places like Ginza, Tsukiji, Akihabara, Harajuku and many of the parks / other sites. It may not be the most centrally located, nor is it the best hotel in the city, but it's pretty damn nice, especially on the club level, and if you are in any way inclined to nightlife and people watching, it's a fantastic base in the heart of Roppongi.

I also like easy accessibility to Roppongi Hills and the Mori Art Museum and Tokyo City View on the top of the Mori building. All excellent sites IMHO, and literally in the same structure as the hotel.

Anyways... I don't think any of the advice above is 'bad'. I think most folks would be happy with any of these options.

With such a tight turn, I would opt for a hotel in the vicinity of Tokyo station, such as The Peninsula, FS Marunouchi, Mandarin Oriental or Shangri-la.

Otherwise, Grand Hyatt does have an excellent location, and I prefer the Roppongi Hills Complex over Midtown (Ritz-Carlton). For me a huge plus about this location is that it is within walking distance or a short cab ride away from many of my favorite restaurants in Roppongi, Nishi-Azabu, and Azabu Jyuban. The open air design of the complex and parts of the Grand Hyatt is very nice.

All I can say is wow and thank you for all the comments.. I will be reviewing and dissecting the information.. As of right now I am thinking about the Pen since it's closer to Narita.. and a great hotel with a great starting point. We are also staying at the Pen in Bangkok so it would be nice to compare the properties.

All I can say is wow and thank you for all the comments.. I will be reviewing and dissecting the information.. As of right now I am thinking about the Pen since it's closer to Narita.. and a great hotel with a great starting point. We are also staying at the Pen in Bangkok so it would be nice to compare the properties.

The Pen would be an excellent choice, however the Mandarin Oriental and Four Seasons are two other hotels to consider. All of these hotels are a stone`s throw from each other so I consider their locations to be effectively the same.

Among the above hotels I would pick the Mandarin Oriental for best views of the entire Tokyo skyline, and best F&B (yes, even better than F&B at the Pen).

The Peninsula has the best room design and comfort, along with the best bathrooms in the city (very similar layout to Pen BKK), and it is the choice if you value a swimming pool, as MO and FS have only furos but no swimming pools.

Four Seasons for the very best, most perosnalized service in Tokyo, and for its privacy/exclusivity. The rooms and suites are going to be refurbished in the near future, so it might be better to wait until this is complete before staying.

Actually they passed a new ordinance and cleared them off the streets.

Really? Please provide details - what does the ordinance provide for and what is the effective date?

They'll probably be back but anyway you can always just ignore them.

Those guys are most annoying, and sometimes it's difficult to ignore them as they'll follow you for blocks.

[Tokyu Shibuya Excel Hotel] is a decent looking hotel, sort of deluxe business hotel.

That's right. The guest hallways and rooms feel as if they're brand new style-wise. Nothing terribly fancy, and standard Japanese-style rooms (i.e. tiny by western standards) but everything is up to date and in good repair.

But despite the hotel being connected to the station, it seems to me like the walk to/from the N'Ex platforms is about a half mile

That's true. Most of the distance is getting from the N'EX platform to the main section of JR Shibuya Station, but that has speedramps most of the way.

plus it's very difficult to avoid some stairs, which is a pain with baggage.

... but not impossible. I have the route down pat. I can get from the door of the airplane at Narita Airport to my room in the Shibuya Excel without going up or down a single step, let alone flight, of stairs. There are escalators and/or elevators available along the entire route.

The baggage issue is a good one to point out. I'm pretty efficient when it comes to bags: even if I have a large bag that I check with the airline, it has four wheels and my carry-on sits on top and slips over the handle. As such, as long as I have a flat surface or an escalator/elevator, I can marshal it along rather effectively. If a visitor to Tokyo has such luggage, then I think taking the train to/from NRT is a great option to certain hotels. However, if there is a large amount of luggage, such that it's more than just one stack per person that can easily be wheeled about, then I think taking the limousine bus directly between NRT and the hotel is a better option.

Having said all of that, and not just considering baggage, I still highly recommend the Shibuya Excel. I've also stayed at the Cerulean, Grand Hyatt, Park Hyatt, and Hilton, and would recommend to others and almost certainly stay at the Shibuya Excel myself in the future. It may be only a 3-star hotel, with the others being 4- or 5-star properties, but it's the only one that I mentioned that is directly connected to an N'EX station, and there's tons to do literally right outside the door. All of the others suffer from isolated and much more sterile locations to one degree or another when on foot, perhaps with the exception of the Grand Hyatt.

Actually they passed a new ordinance and cleared them off the streets. They'll probably be back but anyway you can always just ignore them.

I ignored one of those dirt bags with a punch, he grabbed me by the arm.
Last time he did that to someone I'd bet

I ignored one of those dirt bags with a punch, he grabbed me by the arm.
Last time he did that to someone I'd bet

But perhaps not the last time he'll get punched. I'm sure life as a roppongi tout is no bowl of cheerios.

I ignored one of those dirt bags with a punch, he grabbed me by the arm.
Last time he did that to someone I'd bet

I'd be a little careful with that. I've seen some of those guys in a fight over turf. You would not walk away from it if they decided to retaliate. That being said, they are usually very respectful if you tell them politely not to bother you.

I'd be a little careful with that. I've seen some of those guys in a fight over turf. You would not walk away from it if they decided to retaliate. That being said, they are usually very respectful if you tell them politely not to bother you.

You've never met me have you?
I politely told him no, he then put his hand on me.
Big mistake on his part.
I didn't stick around to see if he had any friends ;)

You've never met me have you?
I politely told him no, he then put his hand on me.
Big mistake on his part.
I didn't stick around to see if he had any friends ;)

Now I have to meet BDLORD.
Note to self: Keep hands to self.

The Pen would be an excellent choice, however the Mandarin Oriental and Four Seasons are two other hotels to consider. All of these hotels are a stone`s throw from each other so I consider their locations to be effectively the same.

Among the above hotels I would pick the Mandarin Oriental for best views of the entire Tokyo skyline, and best F&B (yes, even better than F&B at the Pen).

The Peninsula has the best room design and comfort, along with the best bathrooms in the city (very similar layout to Pen BKK), and it is the choice if you value a swimming pool, as MO and FS have only furos but no swimming pools.

Four Seasons for the very best, most perosnalized service in Tokyo, and for its privacy/exclusivity. The rooms and suites are going to be refurbished in the near future, so it might be better to wait until this is complete before staying.

I'm also a big fan of the Shibuya Excel Tokyu. It's definitely better located for my interests, and much easier to reach than the Roppongi hotels. My last trip I stayed at the Ritz, the Grand Hyatt, and the Conrad. All of those hotels were a strong degree nicer than the Shibuya Excel Tokyu, but I would not pick them again if I had to go back. Location is important in Tokyo, and I thought the Shibuya hotel was a great value for its location.

I'm also a big fan of the Shibuya Excel Tokyu. It's definitely better located for my interests, and much easier to reach than the Roppongi hotels. My last trip I stayed at the Ritz, the Grand Hyatt, and the Conrad. All of those hotels were a strong degree nicer than the Shibuya Excel Tokyu, but I would not pick them again if I had to go back. Location is important in Tokyo, and I thought the Shibuya hotel was a great value for its location.

I live here and like this post very much. It addresses what I see as the key issue, i.e. what combination of Quality (incl. luxury) and Location create the best value for you. To me this makes eminent sense. There are always cheaper or more luxurious, but the best hotel for many is the combination of the two that creates optimum utility.

Good post!

You've never met me have you?
I politely told him no, he then put his hand on me.
Big mistake on his part.
I didn't stick around to see if he had any friends ;)

The fight I saw, three guys had baseball bats out in about a nanosecond and were beating the crap out of some guy. I assume you can take care of yourself but I doubt you'd be match for a threesome with baseball bats.

I live here and like this post very much. It addresses what I see as the key issue, i.e. what combination of Quality (incl. luxury) and Location create the best value for you. To me this makes eminent sense. There are always cheaper or more luxurious, but the best hotel for many is the combination of the two that creates optimum utility.

Good post!

I think normally this is question of budget personal preference, but there were some pretty specific things the OP wanted to do in a pretty tight time frame, which kind of dictates the choices.

I doubt you'd be match for a threesome with baseball bats.

You've never met BDLORD (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/51/BruceLeecard.jpg), have you?

You've never met BDLORD (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/51/BruceLeecard.jpg), have you?

I've put on a few pounds since that photo :D

Well, after 4 pages and no mention, I am going to have to recommend my "go-to" hotel in Tokyo - Cerulean Tower in Shibuya.

There are three reasons why this would work for you:

Transportation from Narita couldn't be easier: You take the "Friendly" limousine bus and the hotel is literally the first stop. Buy the ticket in the airport, walk outside and catch the bus. No stairs, no walking and no station navigation - it's literally "door-to-door". And you also catch it back from the hotel to the airport.

The location is truly "ground zero" Tokyo. Shibuya station is literally right outside the hotel and the famous Shibuya scramble is a two minute walk. And I would prefer the nightlife of Shibuya (younger and hipper) to Ginza or Roppongi.

And finally, it's just a great hotel with great rooms, views and bathrooms. As with the others, there is a bar at the top with fantastic views. It is also a US$300 kind of hotel, as opposed to a US$600 hotel (like the Park Hyatt and, presumably, others.)

Check it out:

www.ceruleantower-hotel.com/en/

Well, after 4 pages and no mention, I am going to have to recommend my "go-to" hotel in Tokyo - Cerulean Tower in Shibuya.

With all of the other options available, the only reason I would make the Cerulean Tower hotel my top choice would be if I had a job interview with Google that I absolutely did not want to miss.

With all of the other options available, the only reason I would make the Cerulean Tower hotel my top choice would be if I had a job interview with Google that I absolutely did not want to miss.

Google is in Roppongi Hills now.

Google is in Roppongi Hills now.

Wow, I'm surprised that I never heard about that!

OK, then I guess I might also choose that place if I wanted convenient access to the Shibuya Animate store...

I'll say it again, if the OP wants to go out and see the Tokyo nightlife scene, Roppongi is the place to stay.

I'll say it again, if the OP wants to go out and see the Tokyo nightlife scene, Roppongi is the place to stay.

We heard you the first time.

We heard you the first time.

Good! Hope the second time reinforces it. I wouldn't have re-posted except for all the bad advice the OP is getting:D

Good! Hope the second time reinforces it. I wouldn't have re-posted except for all the bad advice the OP is getting:D

3 times is a charm^

3 times is a charm^

If as you say your are not planning on sleeping and want to stay out all night, go to Roppongi. There is a lot going on until 6am. There really aren't any other choices unless you want to go way downmarket. If you want to eat, club, maybe go to an upscale spa late nite, Roppongi is a good (and the only) choice.

If as you say your are not planning on sleeping and want to stay out all night, go to Roppongi. There is a lot going on until 6am. There really aren't any other choices unless you want to go way downmarket. If you want to eat, club, maybe go to an upscale spa late nite, Roppongi is a good (and the only) choice.

Perhaps the OP would enlighten us as to the reason for the whirlwind trip to Japan?

I mean, if it's just an unavoidable layover on the way from Point A to Point B, and you have no interest in Japan in and of itself, then sure, knock yourself out in Roppongi!

Perhaps the OP would enlighten us as to the reason for the whirlwind trip to Japan?

Think it's a stopover on the way to SIN.

If as you say your are not planning on sleeping and want to stay out all night, go to Roppongi. There is a lot going on until 6am. There really aren't any other choices unless you want to go way downmarket. If you want to eat, club, maybe go to an upscale spa late nite, Roppongi is a good (and the only) choice.

I personally prefer the choices at nearby Azabu Juban - Then again Roppongi is just a stroll away should the area seem boring.

As for a hotel in the center of this flavour of "the action", I give you; The Glanz
http://www.theglanz.jp/index.html
Never been, but I get the impression it's where people go to close the deal after a ruinously expensive dinner date.

As for a hotel in the center of this flavour of "the action", I give you; The Glanz
http://www.theglanz.jp/index.html
Never been, but I get the impression it's where people go to close the deal after a ruinously expensive dinner date.

I miss the good old bubble era "ultra-tacky" love hotels...