brenrox

Have any FTers had experience with either hotels? I'm leaning towards the Keio Plaza due to the superior city views, but can't find any detail about what is offered in Keio Plaza or BW club lounge? Would be nice to have a couple of beers or a wine and a decent coffee.

ROCAT

-----

beep88

Keio Plaza Luxe Lounge (evening - except the first 3 pics which are room service breakfast)

http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1304/A1304...dtlphotolst/1/

ghenu

I have not stayed at Keio Plaza, but have stayed at BW two times and I absolutely love the hotel because of its location, price and good rooms. The breakfast has also been more than decent for me as well. Even though, the neighborhood is what it is, I have not ever felt worried walking the streets any time of the night. If you want more relaxed surroundings at night, I guess Keio Plaza would suit you better. Don't expect much of the BW's "Club Lounge", though. It does not offer you beer, wine nor even good coffee. The lounge is equipped with a coffee machine from which you can get hot or cold coffee and few other drinks.

beep88

The two hotel locations are totally different. And the star ratings are different as well.

Keio is on the quiet, business/government area of Shinjuku (West side). Surroundings are quiet and shops closed after ~6pm and on weekends. There is underground walkway to the station, and 1 small block away from the all night restaurant area.

BW as you know is inside entertainment district. The African touts for the adult clubs can be very persistent, if you don't look Asian.

brenrox

Thanks for all the replies. Will probably go with BW.

evergrn

I've stayed at Keio Plaza, although not at BW. In Shinjuku, I personally gravitate towards large hotels to the south and west of the station (Century Southern, Hyatt, Keio Plaza).

I would second what beep88 said above. Keio Plaza is a large, full-service hotel with nice rooms, albeit a bit dated. I don't know firsthand about BW's rooms, but one negative with BW is that it's a bit more of a trek to the station vs Keio Plaza. Unless you're traveling with little kids or something, I wouldn't worry too much about BW's Kabukicho location or the touts. That area should be pretty safe.

ROCAT

-----

brenrox

Thanks for all the responses. Are the touristy spots of Shinjuku, shopping etc. on the BW side also?

jpatokal

Shinjuku is not huge on "touristy spots", except maybe the Robot Restaurant. The basic split is:
- west side of station has skyscrapers, government offices, fancy hotels (Park Hyatt etc), but very little going on at night
- east side (Kabukicho) is Tokyo's largest red-light district, although it's all quite safe and there are plenty of PG-13-rated entertainment options as well (incl. the aforementioned robot show); this is where the BW is
- the shopping is mostly in the immediate vicinity of the station

beep88

Tokyo city hall observation deck (free admission) is on the west side.

All the department stores, electronics stores are on the east side or within the station complex, except Yodobashi Camera is on the west side.

msb0b

Yodobashi main store is on the west side but they also have a Multimedia Shinjuku store on the east side.

lobsterdog

The west side of Shinjuku station has a Bic Camera, a Yamada Denki (LABI) and several branches of Yodobashi Camera as well as some smaller stores. For department stores, there's Odakyu, Odakyu Halc, Keioh, and Lumine #1.

evergrn

I break down Shinjuku station area into the following:

- Sanchome area (east of station): busy area packed with new and old shopping establishments, as well as dining/entertainment. Beyond this area is the garden of Shinjuku Gyoen.
- Kabukicho (northeast of station): entertainment/redlight district.
- Northwest of station (neighborhood beyond Ibis Hotel): down-to-earth area that's a mix of offices and residences, with bootleg stores and ramen shops scattered about.
- West of station: office complex area with skyscrapers and big hotels (Keio Plaza, Hyatt Regency) that quiets down at night.
- Southern Terrace (south of station): newer development featuring pedestrian deck along/over train platforms and framed by Southern Tower and Time Square shopping complex.

There's tons of shopping at Shinjuku Station on the east, west and south sides. For me, the key is staying close to the station (Shinjuku Station), and I personally like being based south or west of the station.