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Hotel Help for a Family of Four

Hotel Help for a Family of Four

Old Aug 20, 2010, 11:23 am
  #1  
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Hotel Help for a Family of Four

We're in the early stages of planning a trip for a week, and we're running into the same problem that we hit in Europe, but maybe more severe in Tokyo:

We need a hotel room for the four of us.

This seems to be basically impossible in Tokyo. So my guess is that we'll end up with two rooms.

Does anyone have a good recommendation for either a hotel that can accommodate a family of four in one room, or that can do adjoining rooms (preferably with a queen bed in one)?

I know I'm asking a lot. I'm not really particular about the part of town, but we'd like something decent and safe, and ideally at around $300/night total.

Thanks!
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Old Aug 20, 2010, 12:26 pm
  #2  
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Originally Posted by josephstern
This seems to be basically impossible in Tokyo. So my guess is that we'll end up with two rooms.
Not impossible at all.

What are your dates and the ages of your kids?

An economic option I'm aware of is this one in an area I'm personally fond of:
http://www.katsutaro.com/annex_rate.html

However, I would advise you to contact the Prince Hotel Sakura Tower directly (and do so immediately). They are offering their rooms for 50% their usual rate at the moment and the rooms have two queen beds.
Online you can book for four people for 25,000yen tax inclusive a night for a 'quad room'. It might be worth asking if you can get a standard twin queen bedded room with your kids as this is going for 18,000yen a night inclusive.

Shinagawa station may not be the hippest neighbourhood but it is extremely convenient and a location I choose to stay in for that reason.

http://www.princehotels.com/en/
Choose Tokyo Shinagawa/Takanawa then choose the Sakura Tower

It's unlikely you will find much better value than this - the rooms even have whirlpool baths.
http://www.princehotels.com/en/sakur...oominfomation/
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Old Aug 20, 2010, 12:52 pm
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Thanks!

My kids are 14 (twins) and we're thinking about the week of Thanksgiving since they have off school.

I did find a Hilton that can deal with us, but it's quite a bit more than what you've posted. I'll dig through those links.
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Old Aug 20, 2010, 1:13 pm
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Also, check out the Tokyu (not Tokyo, Tokyu--it's the name of the corporation) Stay apartment hotels. You can rent a room for as little as one night, but when I stayed in one for a month, I noticed that a couple of expat families with children were living there until their company-provided housing was ready.

Some don't like the Tokyu Stays because they don't allow guests in the rooms, but that isn't an issue for most tourists.

The rooms are large for Tokyo, the prices are reasonable, and most rooms contain a kitchenette and washer-dryer, which is handy when you're traveling with children. Some properties have an onsite restaurant where you can get a Japanese-style or Western-style (toast, eggs, salad, beverage) breakfast included.

All the properties are slightly different, so you might want to look at a few.
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Old Aug 20, 2010, 3:38 pm
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Originally Posted by josephstern
My kids are 14 (twins) and we're thinking about the week of Thanksgiving since they have off school.
Errr...
and the dates for that are?
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Old Aug 20, 2010, 4:16 pm
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Originally Posted by LapLap
Errr...
and the dates for that are?
Sorry - Nov. 20 to Nov. 27.
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Old Aug 20, 2010, 11:09 pm
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We stayed at the Ryokan Shigetsu in Asakusa about 4 years ago. Our room was a kind of two-room suite with four futons on tatamis in one room and sliding doors that connected to a sitting area in the other. It wasn't huge, but served us well. Tokyo rooms tend to be small compared to the US.

While more of a "ryokan-hotel" rather than a real ryokan, the Shigetsu we found offered a very nice experience in a colorful part of Tokyo, right off the pedestrian shopping stalls leading to Sensoji temple. There is a hot bath with a view of the temple from the top floor.

I believe they may have western rooms as well, since you asked about a queen bed.
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Old Aug 20, 2010, 11:12 pm
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Also check out vrbo (vacation rentals by owner), my relatives found a nice place not far from Shibuya. I don't remember the exact rate, but I'm pretty sure it was less than $300 for a two-bedroom (small) apartment.
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Old Aug 21, 2010, 1:43 am
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Originally Posted by josephstern
Sorry - Nov. 20 to Nov. 27.
Thanks!

A quick check shows that the Weekly Mansions at Askausa have rooms with 4 beds for about 18,500yen (I can't stress enough how much better the room quality is at The Prince Sakura Tower - one of this chain's flagship hotels)

Best thing I've been able to find for you is a Japanese suite (16 tatami mats in size - over 100ft2 - and the potential to make 4 rooms) in the annex at the Grand Prince Takanawa

It's 31,000yen (+ about 5% taxes) on your dates via the www.utell.com site
Book for two adults and then tell the hotel that you'll require futons for your twin children.


It's slightly over your budget, but TOTALLY worth it IMHO.

Location is very convenient and the hotel grounds are genuinely beautiful and a great place to experience the Fall colours. Should make for a memorable stay where the hotel forms part of the experience and not just provides a room to sleep in.

----
(sorry, couldn't see the Sakura Tower for the 18,000yen rate for November. It is possible that the promotion will be extended so that it can be booked for this price - or for the quad/4 bed rate of 25,000yen - nearer the time. That's the problem about asking for rooms with no dates, the best deals aren't usually available year round)

Last edited by LapLap; Aug 21, 2010 at 5:31 am
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Old Aug 21, 2010, 9:25 am
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Originally Posted by adlibitum
While more of a "ryokan-hotel" rather than a real ryokan, the Shigetsu we found offered a very nice experience in a colorful part of Tokyo, right off the pedestrian shopping stalls leading to Sensoji temple. There is a hot bath with a view of the temple from the top floor.

I believe they may have western rooms as well, since you asked about a queen bed.
They do have Western rooms, at least Western-style singles. I know, because I booked there once, and to my surprise, they led me to a room with furniture! I had assumed that I'd be getting a tatami-room, but the Western room was the only single they had left, so I took it.
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Old Aug 21, 2010, 10:25 pm
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The Shinagawa Prince North Tower have larger rooms. Call the Honolulu Prince reservation desk to book for you and your wife and tell them you will have two children. The North Tower for a couple will be about Y17,000/night. The Main Tower rooms are even larger but will cost more.
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Old Aug 22, 2010, 12:35 am
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Originally Posted by SJUAMMF
The Shinagawa Prince North Tower have larger rooms. Call the Honolulu Prince reservation desk to book for you and your wife and tell them you will have two children. The North Tower for a couple will be about Y17,000/night. The Main Tower rooms are even larger but will cost more.
Do you have any experience of rooms that can be made into triple or quad rooms with rollaways at the Shiinagawa Prince?
I've found the room information pages on the Prince Hotel websites to be very thorough, yet I've never seen any mention of these larger rooms in the North Tower you've suggested
http://www.princehotels.com/en/shina...oominfomation/

Even the layout of the 53m2 superior double rooms in the main tower (which won't come cheap) don't seem to be easily adaptable for two additional beds.

----
I one stayed at the Sheraton Miyako in Tokyo with points and was upgraded to a Superior room. The room had two very comfortable singe beds (too small for two to share) but it also had a sofa which was described as a sofa bed. We never saw the sofa unfurled.
Sofa beds are still listed in the amenities for this hotel
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sherat...ropertyID=3091
The location isn't quite as convenient as the hotels near Shinagawa but it's still easy enough to access Tokyo from here. The price is very fair and the rooms are pleasant (it's the worn but perfectly serviceable and clean bathrooms that other Flyertalkers regard as the downside to staying here).
You could enquire about the sofabeds and perhaps book here (should be possible for under 20,000yen)
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Old Aug 22, 2010, 1:10 pm
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We had 5 adults once and took two rooms in the North Tower. So we had three adults in one room.

Normally when I am by myself I would take the tiny rooms in the East Tower or the Annex if the East Tower is full.

I got a single room once at a Daiichi, brought Mrs. SJUAMMF along and request an extra pillow. The extra pillow disappeared each day. Then they politely advised that it is a single room I think on the third day. We simply stopped asking for that extra pillow and they never said a thing at check out. Now I don't think we can fit in single rooms in the East Tower. They are too small. They have 1000 rooms in that building and you can't get in the elevator in the morning if your room is on 4th floor and below.

The North Tower check in is on the 2nd floor and the front really never see how many go upstairs since elevator access is on the 1st floor.

The Main Tower rooms are even larger than North Tower but at a higher price. Never stayed in the Sakura Tower as it cost quite a bit more.
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Old Sep 8, 2010, 9:28 pm
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Originally Posted by josephstern
We're in the early stages of planning a trip for a week, and we're running into the same problem that we hit in Europe, but maybe more severe in Tokyo:

We need a hotel room for the four of us.

This seems to be basically impossible in Tokyo. So my guess is that we'll end up with two rooms.

Does anyone have a good recommendation for either a hotel that can accommodate a family of four in one room, or that can do adjoining rooms (preferably with a queen bed in one)?

I know I'm asking a lot. I'm not really particular about the part of town, but we'd like something decent and safe, and ideally at around $300/night total.

Thanks!
Hi josephstern

Any luck? I'm in the same situation finding a room for 4 (my boys are 7 and 4). But my budget is alot lower at $200
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Old Sep 19, 2010, 1:24 pm
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Japan hotels for family of four without breaking the bank...

We're a young family of four travelling for a week around Japan (Tokyo - Kyoto area) in early October. However, most hotels have a "maximum occupancy" of only three people and with hotel costs in Japan what they are I'm hard pushed to buy that second room. Did anyone get around this - like in asking nicely? We'd only need a double + rollaway + baby cot and we'd be fine with one room. Our two boys are only 9 months and 2.5 years old so a separate kids room is not really viable (though parents could be separated of course).
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