tkey75

I've owed this trip report from the new CY Tokyo Station for a few weeks. Here goes:

Stayed there for three nights last month over a long weekend. It's still got that new hotel smell. I apologize for no pictures.

I'd classify this as a standard business hotel. The entire experience is nothing to write home about. Finding the hotel was the first trick. It's near Tokyo Station, but not easily findable. Asking about, I finally got directions to leave the mall from exit 28 (and finally figured out to leave up the left stairs) make an immediate right out of the stairs and it's a block and a half on the right side of the street. The sign for the hotel is very small and you will not see it until you are right at it. In subsequent walks to/from the hotel, I exited the main Yaesu entrance/exit of the station, walk a few blocks away from Tokyo Station, make a right onto Kyobashi when you pass the 7-Eleven and Family Mart (which are on the left) and the hotel on the right in a block and a half. It's a solid 10-15 minute walk. More convenient for getting elsewhere in Tokyo, the Kyobashi stop (Toei, not Metro, if it make s a difference) is less then a block from the hotel front door. Make a right coming out of the hotel and you'll run right in to it. Note which entrance you go into to avoid getting lost when returning. I apologize those directions are vague and suck. Once you find it the first time it gets easier.

The entrance is into an office building. Take the elevator to the fourth floor to check in. The front desk staff were nice enough, but I still feel there's some growing pains as they are new. I expect they'll work out their flow soon enough, if not by now. As plat, I was upgraded to a king room on the second floor. Yes, the guest rooms are on floors two and three, on the floors below the lobby. I was a bit confused by this and upon asking if those were the only floors with guest rooms, this gaijin was not understood. As an aside, the lobby is nice with plenty of room to lounge about, but I can't imagine a reason to go there unless to check in or out.

There is an entrance hallway leading to the guestroom hallways which requires a key to access. The key frustratingly did not work on the first, second or seventh try most of the time. The same key also gains access to the front door of the building after hours. I'd be worried that my lack of Japanese would be a major hassle if I had to ring the bell for access if I lost my key.

The upgraded king room was quite small. Really, just enough room for a king bed, a desk and a foot or two to walk around them. Being on the second floor, there was no view to speak of at all except for the sidewalk a floor below, so I kept the window shades closed the entire time. The bathroom was equally as cramped, though clean.

Breakfast was in the restaurant on the ground floor. 100% standard American breakfast. I was disappointed there was no Japanese option, though the breakfast I had was not terrible. The same restaurant serves dinner/drinks later in the day, also western style food. I did not partake.

I have stayed in similar business hotels for much less money. Unless I needed the quasi-convenient location, I'd not stay there again.

SkiAdcock

Thanks for the trip report. Much appreciated.

Was breakfast included in your rate or did you get it due to status? Please post & I'll update the exec lounge sticky. Thx.

Cheers.

darthbimmer

Have you stayed at the Courtyard Ginza? Would you say this newer CY is more or less convenient to transit options? You description of the location makes it sound a bit remote (10-15 minutes from Tokyo Station). In the past I have liked the CY Ginza because it's one block from a Metro station and a 10 minute walk from Shimbashi station served by with 4 JR East lines.

tkey75

I have not stayed at the CY Ginza, but know where it is. The Tokyo Station CY is more convenient for complete JR access including Shinkansen and N'Ex. Both have a subway line within a block. Ginza has Metro, Tokyo Station has Toei (Kyobashi), if it makes a difference. The Ginza location has more going on from a tourist perspective. The Tokyo Station is purely a business hotel.

Breakfast was included as a Plat (vouchers given - I don't think the hotel owns the restaurant). I doubt it was included with the rate.

hailstorm

I am really impressed with this breakfast buffet. The quality is right up there with high end hotels like Conrad Tokyo, at a little more than half the cost!

Eggs made any style, plus hard, soft, AND medium boiled eggs for the taking. Pancakes and waffles made to order. Plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, pastries, meats, cheeses, and other miscellaneous goodies. Yen for yen, it might be the best breakfast buffet value in Tokyo.

It even beats the buffet I had at the Grand Wailea earlier this month. Courtyard > Waldorf Astoria??

worldtravel123

We quite enjoyed this hotel. It was a point stay as a Platinum member.

From Narita: We took the Narita Express train from Narita to Tokyo Station. It was an hour long ride.

Finding the Hotel: I had read that it was a little hard to find b/c it wasn't a stand alone hotel, but is part of an office building. Make sure you have directions to walk from the train station to the hotel - it will take you 5-10min depending on how fast you walk. If you want to take a cab, have the name of the hotel written in Japanese to give to the driver - there is a good chance they will not speak English. The hotel lobby is on the 4th floor I believe, and rooms are down from there. As long as you plan ahead you shouldn't have issues.

Front Desk: The front desk was very helpful in helping us with booking cars and restaurants and answering general questions. A good front desk is esp. helpful in Japan where the language barrier is a problem.

Room: The room was nice and what I expected for a business style Marriott property. Everything was clean and daily room service was good. I don't believe we got any upgrades.

Breakfast: As a Marriott Platinum I got free breakfast vouchers for the Lava restaurant downstairs (the voucher said Gold & Plats). It was a buffet with a lot of different options - breads, juices, cereals, cooked to order omelets, and so on. I was very impressed and hadn't been sure I would get breakfast even.

Location: I was very pleased with the location. It was a 5min walk to Tokyo Station, which had a ton of dining and shopping options. Check out the ramen places in Tokyo Station. There is also a depato. Another 5-10min walk is the Ginza area with a ton of shops. The Tsukiji Fish Mkt is a 20min walk or a $10-15 cab ride. The Kabuki-Za theater is a 15-20min walk. The Tokyo Station also has a direct line to Tokyo Disney.

KingHippo

Just stayed there a few days ago. Agree with everything: new, clean, tiny, convenient, and expensive. 1 minor quibble: for the breakfast, they did have the Japanese option of rice/miso soup (didn't see any fish besides the smoked salmon though) at the right end of the omelet/waffle bar. The breakfast buffet was expensive at over 2,000 yen, but decent enough. I had a quick drink with some old friends in the bar before I went to dinner w/my colleagues (work at an American branch of a Japanese company), and enjoyed it enough. Wouldn't spend the whole night there, but it's alright for a quick drink.

Oorinara

Plat and Gold benefit now includes breakfast, evening cocktail during 5:30pm to 7:30pm and night cap thereafter (unsure yet what's all about it) at restaurant on the ground floor, and tea time 24hrs at Library Bar.

markzz2

Just stayed at the Courtyard Tokyo Station.

Five minutes walk from the station and also the closest pick up point for the Airport Limo bus, but nice location. Starbucks and convenience stores close by and walking distance to good shopping.

I am Platinum and paid for a Double room hoping for upgrade. The room I got was tiny, could barely open a suitcase and the bed was against the wall on three sides so had to climb over my partner to get out to the bathroom in the night. Not impressed with the room really. Was clean and new but that is about it.

Lobby is nice, and complimentary tea and coffee is available all day. As Gold and Plat you get a free breakfast in the restaurant which was really good quality, and drinks and snacks in the restaurant 1730 to 1930. They give you a really nice menu and you can choose anything you like. This is a great benefit, and was very popular the day I was here.

I really wish there was a good JW or Marriott in Central Tokyo. The Shinagawa one is not a good location and the Ritz Carlton is pricey (though lovely and great location).

TWToKM

Just got back from a 3-night stay at this hotel. This was my first trip to Japan and I found it to be the perfect location to have as a base for all of my tourist activity. I found it to be centrally located and easy to find on a map given I could always just look for Tokyo Station and easily orient myself. I do agree with other posters in that it is somewhat difficult when exiting from the Narita Express train at Tokyo Station, but the hotel website has a link with a map (note: this is specific to this hotel and not just a google map that you see for other Marriott properties) and I also found the station map I had printed ahead to be helpful to find the right exit that coincided with the courtyard map. After I did it once, it was easier though. Plus the hotel is on a main shopping street with very distinctive lights up and down which I found as a fantastic landmark to orient myself when walking.

As an additional note about the walk from Tokyo Station to the hotel: I had read on other sites that the alleyway leading up to hotel can be scary at night especially for single females walking alone and while I never did the walk late at night, I could see how that could be true. I would suggest walking down the road to lhe left of the one they indicate on the map as it seemed to be a busier road. (I.e., when you take the road they suggest the hotel building will be directly on your left, but it you take this other one, the hotel building would be directly on the right.)

As stated, this hotel was personally great for exploring the city. Subway lines are close by and the Narita Express train as well as bullet trains are right there at Tokyo Station. Some have noted this to be a 10-15 minute walk, but as it is only 2 blocks, I found it to be closer to 5-10 minutes even with luggage. From the hotel I was able to walk to Ginza, as well as the Fish Market. I did take a tour and while the hotel was not one of the hotel pick-up sites (I think I read somewhere it is because there is no real place for buses to park), I found the Mandarin Oriental as a pick-up point for my tour, which was easy to get to from the Courtyard as it is less than a mile away and easily walkable and easy to find as it is essentially on the same street as the Courtyard.

Regarding the state of the hotel, I would agree that it is somewhat basic, but as a solo traveler, I found that I had more than enough room for myself and my luggage. There was a safe, tv, small table, and armoire. The gym wasn't overly equipped, but there were two treadmills, a bike, and an elliptical, along with some weights. The lobby is small, but there is a large table, where I frequently saw people working.

As a gold member, I was given daily vouchers for breakfast in the restaurant on the first floor (Lava Rock). It was buffet style with eggs and omelets made to order. I also got a voucher to use for drinks and apps at night, but as I was out and about most days, I never made it there, so I can't speak to that.

In summary, I found this to be a good base hotel for sightseeing and not sure if it was the time of year, but was surprised by the cost as I found it to be much cheaper than other options and less expensive than the other Marriott properties in the city.

timetosave

I just came back from an 8 night stay here. I agree with most of the feedback already posted here. I really enjoyed my stay here.

I spent a few nights at a local hotel (APA) nearby where the room was incredibly small. I immediately appreciated the larger size and was upgraded to a King room (I am a Platinum). Room was very spacious for Japan and the bed was elevated on a platform about 6-8 inches from the rest of the room.

Location: Very close walk to the main Tokyo station which is where the Narita Express (NEX) arrives. I really enjoyed taking the subway everywhere I went. The only bit I found confusing was that their are two companies that operate most lines and so the tickets don't always seamlessly work (i.e. you have to get certain transfer tickets if transferring lines). To avoid this I just got a PASMO card and then this works everywhere. I think it works for Taxis and even some convenience shops as well. So Google Maps (T-mobile free international roaming for me) + PASMO and it is all very easy to figure out. It is an experience in itself as well.
There is a stop (Kyobashi on the Ginza line) literally like 100 feet from the entrance of the hotel.

As a Platinum, I was entitled to breakfast/snacks/meals in the cafe on the 1st floor as well as at the restaurant. There is also the fridge on the 4th floor lobby where you can always grab water, beer, and soft drinks.

Breakfast had everything I was looking for. There were eggs cooked as you like including Eggs Benedict! Plenty of fruit, yogurt, pastries, etc as well.

In the early evening there were snacks available at the cafe. I had a beer and some french fries (massive portion). Then later in the evening there are more drinks and meals in the Lava Rock lounge. When you show them your Platinum card they have special menus for you (all is complimentary). One night I had the salmon and some beers. The salmon was practically a meal for two consisting of two large pieces of fresh salmon, onion rings, and a few sides. Other options were Marriott burger, fish and chips, pasta, and chicken caesar salad.

Service was exceptional at every level here. No complains at all.

Courtyards are significantly better overseas than in the states!

Surprise when I was checking out. I had booked some sort of breakfast rate and they had proactively credited me back for the breakfast portion because they saw I was Platinum. I was shocked by this and really appreciated it. I'm trying to stay there again next month but it looks to be completely booked.

SkiAdcock

Thanks for the update on the property. Much appreciated.

BTW - to be more accurate, Courtyards in Asia are significantly better than in the US. In Europe they're basically the same as the U.S.

Cheers.

timetosave

I've always been able to get free breakfast in the European Courtyards which you don't see in the US.

SkiAdcock

Which European CYs so I can update the sticky? There are a couple that offer Plats brekkie (not Golds), but the majority in Europe don't. Feel free to PM me so we don't sidetrack this thread, which is on the CY Tokyo Station Japan.

Cheers.

shonamac

Have stayed at the Courtyard Istanbui Airport and was not allowed free breakfast as a Marriott Gold.